Question Period Note: Canadian forces snowbirds

• 2026 marks 55 years of excellence for the Canadian Forces Snowbirds.
• After more than 60 years of distinguished service as a trainer and air demonstration aircraft, the CT-114 has reached the end of its operational life and no longer reflects the needs or direction of a modern Air Force.
• The Royal Canadian Air Force it serves today is faster, more advanced, and more technologically sophisticated than the force it was originally designed to support.
• Given the age of the aircraft, work to extend its service life is no longer technically feasible or practical.
• As such, the Tutor fleet will be retiring in 2027 instead of 2030.
• National Defence will procure the CT-157 Siskin II (Pilatus PC21) for the future Snowbirds team as both a training and air demonstration aircraft.
• This new capability will be based at 15 Wing Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, and is expected to be operational in the early 2030s.
  If pressed on Tutor Life Extension Project:
• The 2021 project was approved for the CT-114 Tutor for required avionics upgrades to support continued operations.
• Engineering design work and procurement of components for the aircraft was done through the original $29.3 million contract.
• Continued monitoring of the aircraft revealed engineering challenges to critical systems including the airframe, engine, and escape system programs.
• Seven of the twenty aircraft will not be upgraded as a result of the decision to retire the fleet.
• Roughly $1.2 million of the implementation budget will be reallocated to other priorities.
  If pressed on impacts to personnel, communities, or industry:
• The personnel of 431 Air Demonstration Squadron will continue to contribute to the Royal Canadian Air Force’s missions and modernization projects.
• This includes future reassignment to support vital initiatives, like the introduction of modern operational fleets across the RCAF and instruction of new members.
• 15 Wing Moose Jaw will see a multi-billion dollar investment through the Future Aircrew Training program.
• This is expected to maintain or create a total of 3,400 jobs and contribute $10 billion in economic benefits over its 25 years of operation.
  If pressed on safety concerns:
• Safety is the top priority and the Tutor is safe to fly under current restrictions; we are closely monitoring its airworthiness.
• If it is determined that the aircraft no longer meets the stringent safety guidelines, actions will be taken immediately to cease operations.

• The Snowbirds provide a vital link between the Canadian public and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) for public relations and recruiting purposes. The Snowbirds enable the CAF to reach audiences not generally familiar with the Canadian military, given than most Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) bases are not located near large population centres.
  Snowbird Aircraft Replacement Project
• The Snowbird Aircraft Replacement Project (SARP) will deliver a replacement capability for the CT-114 Tutor aircraft, which entered service in 1963, and due to be retired after the 2026 air show season due to age and increasing difficulty maintaining air worthiness.
• The Defence Investment Agency, on behalf of the Department of National Defence, will procure the CT-157 Siskin II (Pilatus PC21) for the future Snowbirds team.
• Selecting the PC-21 aircraft to replace the CT-114 fleet and will allow the RCAF to leverage the Future Aircrew Training project, which is in the process of purchasing the same training aircraft type for use by the RCAF to train new pilots.
• National Defence will acquire up to 17 PC-21 aircraft to support the Snowbirds’ iconic 9-plan formation. A gap in the Snowbirds Air Demonstration mission will occur following the 2026 air show season until the entry into service of the replacement aircraft, anticipated in 2030.
  In-Service Support Contracts
• Three Primary Contracts with the following contractors:
  • L3Harris:
    • Engineering: Avionics upgrades, structural design and analysis, fatigue and airworthiness management, flight sciences support, mechanical systems support.
    • Material: aircraft component repair and overhaul, logistics support.
    • Technical Support: Tech publications, technical support services.
  • IMP Aerospace and Defence: Aircraft 2nd line maintenance and modification embodiment (Tutor Life Extension Beyond 2020 (TLE2020+)).
  • Magellan Aerospace:
    • 2nd line: 431 Squadron Engine Bay, Periodic Maintenance.
    • 3rd line: engineering and technical support services, component manufacturing, engine overhaul.
      
      
      Tutor Life Extension (TLE)
• The CT-114 Tutor fleet has received several life-extension programs since 2000: in 2005, 2010, and 2020. The latest, TLE 2020+, aimed to keep the fleet operational until 2030. A separate project to improve the escape system presented significant technical challenges and exceeded engineering capacity to resolve. The project was cancelled in 2023. A parallel study on the option to replace the ejection seat determined that the engineering challenges could not be overcome within the remaining life of the aircraft.
• Maintaining and upgrading these aging aircraft is increasingly difficult and costly due to:
  • Complex retrofits that demand extensive testing and evaluation, as well as significant personnel and financial investment;
  • Obsolete parts that are no longer commercially available, in particular the J-85 engine; and
  • Limited spares. While 15 airframes are in storage, making them airworthy would require extensive work. Older decommissioned engines must be ‘cannibalized’ for spare parts for the J-85 engine.
• Avionics upgrades under TLE 2020+ were required to meet Transport Canada and Federal Aviation Administration standards.
• These upgrades included a new glass cockpit avionics package, a cockpit voice and flight data recorder, Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast transponder, and upgraded navigations and communications systems. Engineering design work and procurement of components for the aircraft was completed through the original $29.3 million contract, which is now complete. Eleven aircraft were released to operational service as of May 2026. Two additional aircraft are pending acceptance test flights, which are expected to occur in the next two weeks.
• While this work was completed, continued monitoring of the aircraft revealed engineering challenges to critical systems – specifically the airframe, engine, and escape system programs – which would require additional work. Given the age of the aircraft, this work is no longer technically feasible or practical. As such, the Tutor fleet will be retiring in 2027 instead of 2030, and roughly $1.2 million of the implementation budget will be reallocated to other priorities.
  Snowbird Safety Restrictions
• Following the 2020 accident in Kamloops, restrictions were implemented within the fleet to enhance safety while the aircraft are operating with their existing safety and escape system (Weber CL-41 ejection seat with the AERO Drogue System).
• The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will continue to fly in line with existing safety-conscious and prudent restrictions on their air demonstration program. Operational restrictions on Tutors in place since 2020 include:
  1. Restrictions on certain show maneuvers and formations;
  2. Prohibition of storing items on top or besides ejection seats;
  3. Prohibition on flights over open water in excess of gliding distance to land;
  4. Runway length restrictions adopted to enable an aborted takeoff in the event of an emergency. Minimum runway length varies depending on weather, temperature and number of aircraft/configuration of formation;
  5. Minimum airspeeds at different flight profiles in the event of emergencies requiring forced landings or ejections; and
  6. Maneuvers exerting repetitive negative G-force transitions must only be done within gliding distance of a suitable landing surface.
     
     Impacts on Personnel, Industry, and the Community
• There are 89 Regular Force, Reserve Force and Public Service personnel in 431 Air Demonstration Squadron, ‘The Canadian Forces Snowbirds’ of whom 78 are Regular Force members, 7 are Reservists and 4 are Department of National Defence civilians. They will continue to contribute to the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF)’s missions and modernization projects to include support for vital initiatives like the introduction of modern operational fleets across the Air Force and instruction of new members.
• Tutor in-service-support contracts have been aligned to this fleet retirement plan and will be wound-down as the aircraft is retired.
• Despite the temporary stand down of 431 Squadron, 15 Wing is on the cusp of seeing a multi-billion-dollar injection of money and jobs in support of the Future Aircrew Training program. The program, run jointly between the RCAF and industry partner SkyAlyne, is a comprehensive modernization of aircrew training with sites in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan Southport (Portage la Prairie), Manitoba (MB) and Winnipeg, MB. It is expected to maintain or create a total of 3,400 jobs and contribute $10 billion in economic benefits over its 25 years of operation, including construction of new infrastructure. As the largest Future Aircrew Training (FAcT) training location, Moose Jaw stands to benefit significantly.
• While Tutor operations will cease after the 2026 air show season, the RCAF, as operations permit, will continue to contribute aircraft and personnel to air shows and public events. They will also be in communities connecting with Canadians with RCAF Attractions Team, immersive virtual reality experiences, and innovative drone performances.

Quick facts

• The Canadair CT-114 Tutor was the primary jet trainer for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) from 1963 until 2000. The Snowbirds have flown the Tutor since 1971. These aircraft were slightly modified for show features and enhanced performance during low-level aerobatic flying.
  Fleet Overview
• Delivered in 1963.
• Currently 19 aircraft in fleet with a 20th being reactivated.
  • Eleven aircraft were released to operational service as of May 2026. Two additional aircraft are pending acceptance test flights, which are expected to occur in the next two weeks.
• Fleet has seen more than 1.5 million flying hours.
• The CT-114 Main Operating Base is 15 Wing Moose Jaw.
  Responsible Principals: Royal Canadian Air Force, Assistant Deputy Minister (Materiel)
  Drafted by: Director General Policy Coordination: Parliamentary Affairs
  Date Approved: May 25, 2026