Snowbirds Get 1 Last Season in Historic Jets Before Being Grounded 

Canada’s Snowbirds squadron will be grounded after the 2026 flying season, bringing to a close more than five decades of aerial acrobatics as its pilots await the arrival of new aircraft, the country’s defence minister has announced.

The nine-plane squadron is set to fly the long-serving CT-114 Tutor jets for their final season this summer and will not return to the skies until their historic planes are replaced by the CT-157 Siskin II, an advanced turboprop military training aircraft, Defence Minister David McGuinty said in a May 19 press conference at Canadian Forces Base Moose Jaw. 

McGuinty told reporters the new planes would arrive sometime in the early 2030s, but the government has not said how many it will order.

“Negotiations are underway with the manufacturer and we intend to procure those aircraft as quickly as we possibly can,” he said.

Much like the Tutor jets, the new planes will be used both for training and the Snowbirds’ aerial demonstrations, McGuinty said, adding that the Swiss aircraft will be delivered to 15 Wing Moose Jaw in Saskatchewan when they are ready.

McGuinty said the jets have been on his list of priorities since he became defence minister last spring.

“Through the Future Aircraft Training (FAcT) Program, Canada is making one of the most significant investments in military aviation training in history,” he said. “The program represents more than $9.4 billion in long-term investment and will modernize how the next generation of Royal Canadian Air Force personnel are trained.”  

The Canadair CT-114 Tutor first entered service with the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) as a jet trainer in 1963 and has been flown by the Snowbirds since 1971, when the squadron was first formed.

The 55-year-old jets are still safe to fly this year, McGuinty said.

The RCAF will continue to support air shows, events, and engagements across Canada with aircraft and personnel during the “onboarding phase” for the new aircraft, the defence minister said.

Prime Minister Mark Carney referenced the Snowbirds at a separate press conference in Quebec later that day. 

He said he was aware of the place the Snowbirds occupy in the hearts of Canadians, but added that the squadron’s aircraft should have been replaced quite some time ago.

“Like many Canadians, I have enjoyed the demonstrations of the Snowbirds over the years, they’re absolutely extraordinary, and a source of pride, but I inherited a situation where the planes literally had come to the end of their lives,” Carney said, adding that it was becoming increasingly difficult to obtain parts for repairs.

“The Snowbirds will continue and new planes are being commissioned and will arrive,” he said. 

The Snowbirds will have a busy final year in the CT-114 Tutors with 27 tour dates. The first show of the year kicks off in Montreal on May 24 and the squadron will also show off their skills in Ottawa to celebrate Canada Day, a multi-year tradition. The season will wrap up on Oct. 11 in Sacramento, California.