{"id":808318,"date":"2026-05-19T21:13:15","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T21:13:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/808318\/"},"modified":"2026-05-19T21:13:15","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T21:13:15","slug":"snowbirds-aerobatic-team-grounded-until-early-2030s","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/808318\/","title":{"rendered":"Snowbirds: Aerobatic team grounded until early 2030s"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Snowbirds are entering a final chapter.<\/p>\n

After more than five decades in the skies, the federal government says the Canadian Forces\u2019 iconic aerobatic team will fly its last season with the aircraft that made it famous.<\/p>\n

Defence Minister David McGuinty officially made the announcement Tuesday at Canadian Forces Base Moose Jaw that Canada will retire and replace the Snowbirds\u2019 long-serving CT-114 Tutor jets, marking a turning point for one of the country\u2019s most recognizable symbols.<\/p>\n

In a statement, the Department of National Defence (DND) says it plans to replace the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) fleet with a new aircraft, the CT-157 Siskin II, under a modernization effort not expected to be complete until the early 2030s.<\/p>\n

\"\"Defence Minister David McGuinty Defence Minister David McGuinty speaks in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan on May 19, 2026. <\/p>\n

\u201cThis will ensure that Canada continues its strong tradition of air demonstration capability with a modern fleet that will ultimately rebuild to the team\u2019s distinctive nine-plane formation,\u201d the statement reads.<\/p>\n

As CTV News first reported in early May, the 2026 airshow season will be the last for the Tutors<\/a> after more than 60 years in service.<\/p>\n

Speaking to reporters in Moose Jaw, Sask. on Tuesday, McGuinty would not commit to a specific date for when the Snowbirds will return to the skies.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re moving as quickly as we can. That\u2019s our plan,\u201d McGuinty said, adding that \u201cnegotiations are underway with the manufacturer.\u201d<\/p>\n

McGuinty also said there will be more details to come on how many new CT-157 Siskin II planes will be purchased for the Snowbirds.<\/p>\n

Earlier this month, while speaking in the House of Commons, McGuinty suggested safety concerns are driving the planned changes.<\/p>\n

Asked directly if safety is the reason behind the procurement decision, McGuinty would not say but said it came \u201con the recommendation of the Air Force.\u201d He also said the current fleet \u201cis well positioned to serve for another season.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 2021, the government under former prime minister Justin Trudeau committed $30 million to extend their lifespan through upgrades intended to keep them flying until 2030.<\/p>\n

Lt. Gen. Jamie Speiser-Blanchet, who is the Commander of Royal Canadian Air Force, told reporters that while 11 of the Tutor jets have received cockpit upgrades, feasibility studies showed \u201cengineering challenges because of the age of the aircraft.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is why (the current Snowbirds fleet) will be retiring in 2027 instead of 2030,\u201d Speiser-Blanchet added.<\/p>\n

Prime Minister Mark Carney, meanwhile, said his government inherited the decision.<\/p>\n

\u201cI, like many Canadians, have enjoyed the demonstrations of the Snowbirds over the years \u2014 absolutely extraordinary, and a source of pride,\u201d Carney said while speaking to reporters in Saint-Michel-des-Saints, Que. \u201cI inherited a situation where the planes literally had come to the end of their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"The Canadian Forces Snowbirds perform a flypast over the National Capital Region, as seen from Gatineau, Que., on Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS\/Justin Tang The Canadian Forces Snowbirds perform a flypast over the National Capital Region, as seen from Gatineau, Que., on Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS\/Justin Tang \u2018Profoundly disappointing\u2019<\/p>\n

In a press conference in Moose Jaw on Tuesday, the Snowbirds Alumni Association called the decision \u201cprofoundly disappointing\u201d for \u201cmillions of Canadians from coast to coast.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile the association acknowledges the government\u2019s commitment to equip the Snowbirds with a new aircraft platform in the future, concerns remain regarding the loss of operational expertise and the prolonged interruption of one of Canada\u2019s most important military outreach programs during the transition period,\u201d Dan Dempsey, a former Canadian Armed Forces pilot and commanding officer of the Snowbirds, said.<\/p>\n

Dempsey added that the association would have preferred to see the Tutor jets continue \u201ca little longer\u201d for a \u201ctransitional period.\u201d<\/p>\n

Moose Jaw Mayor James Murdock said he is also worried about leaving a training gap for pilots.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese are very qualified, trained professionals that do their job very, very well, so they got to keep being honed in on that,\u201d Murdock said in an interview with CTV News. \u201cThey say that there will be opportunities for the squadron to continue on, but I would like to see that there are ways that they can remain as sharp as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018We need that national pride\u2019<\/p>\n

On Tuesday, McGuinty insisted the plan is to keep the Snowbirds in Moose Jaw. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe plan is to continue to call the fleet the Snowbirds, and the plan is\u2026to keep the fleet here in Moose Jaw, where we believe the fleet belongs,\u201d the defence minister said.<\/p>\n

Before learning about DND\u2019s decision, former Snowbird pilots and aviation supporters in Moose Jaw, <\/a> were hoping for the best while also preparing for the end of an era.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not shy on national symbols here in Canada, but we need that national pride,\u201d Roger Blager, president of the Moose Jaw Flying Club, said. \u201cAnd I think the Snowbirds are probably the symbol of that, and we are proud of them in Moose Jaw.\u201d<\/p>\n

For generations of Canadians, the red-and-white jets have been synonymous with summer skies and national pride. Since 1971, the Snowbirds have dazzled crowds with their signature nine-plane formation \u2014 a defining image of Canadian aviation.<\/p>\n

Now, that era is ending with the focus shifting to a farewell tour \u2014 a final chance for Canadians to see the aircraft that have defined the Snowbirds for more than half a century. A final performance with the Tutor jets is scheduled for October in Sacramento, Calif.<\/p>\n

At Hopkins Dining Parlour, a popular Snowbirds gathering spot in Moose Jaw, staff were already reflecting on the team\u2019s impact on the community.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know a lot of people who live in Moose Jaw and in the surrounding area who will stop what they\u2019re doing to watch a flyby,\u201d Bonnie Johnson, a former staff member at Hopkins, said. \u201cIt gives a lot of people goosebumps. I\u2019ve seen people stop on the street and clap.\u201d<\/p>\n

In Moose Jaw, there is unapologetic ownership of the Snowbirds who are often referred to as the \u201cMoose Jaw Snowbirds.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re the heart and soul of Moose Jaw \u2014 very important. It\u2019s not just national pride. We are extremely proud of them,\u201d Blager said.<\/p>\n

Saskatchewan Conservative MP and former mayor of Moose Jaw Fraser Tolmie warned of the grounding ahead of Tuesday\u2019s announcement and criticized the federal government\u2019s approach, saying there are \u201calternatives\u201d like flying a modified show.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is an iconic team. This is the time that we need to be flying this team now more than ever. It\u2019s part of our national identity, and this is not the time to sacrifice something like that,\u201d Tolmie said.<\/p>\n

With files from CTV News\u2019 Stephanie Ha<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Snowbirds are entering a final chapter. After more than five decades in the skies, the federal government…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":808319,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[2],"tags":[64,2147,25911,748,1571,50,80],"class_list":["post-808318","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news","tag-business","tag-canada","tag-defence","tag-manufacturing","tag-national","tag-news","tag-politics"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116603309914577821","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/808318","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=808318"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/808318\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/808319"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=808318"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=808318"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=808318"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}