SkyAlyne celebrates first RCAF acceptance of FAcT aircraft

SkyAlyne is happy to join with the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) in celebrating RCAF acceptance of the first four CT-102B Astra II (Grob G 120TP) aircraft into the RCAF fleet at 15 Wing Moose Jaw. These aircraft will support ongoing development of the Future Aircrew Training (FAcT) program, including instructor training, lesson plan development, evaluation, and testing, and support ongoing proficiency for both RCAF and civilian instructors.

The acceptance activities, including inspections and test flights, were carried out at 15 Wing Moose Jaw, SK. The successful delivery to the RCAF by SkyAlyne builds on other events this year with these aircraft, including the ‘Welcome to Canada’ ceremony and display at AeroGatineau Ottawa in Gatineau, QC in September, and Factory Acceptance activities at Grob Aircraft’s facility in Tussenhausen-Mattsies, Germany in August.

The CT-102B’s role in the FAcT program will be as the Basic Flying Training aircraft, which means all FAcT program student pilots will begin their training on this platform. The CT-102B is fully aerobatic and boasts a Rolls-Royce M250-B17F turbine engine, which produces up to 456 shaft horsepower. Combined with an all-glass cockpit and highly responsive controls, the result is a highly capable aircraft.

The FAcT program includes 71 aircraft spread across five fleets; this includes 23 CT-102Bs making up the Astra II fleet. The CT102Bs will be operated and maintained locally in Moose Jaw by CAE. CAE, along with KF Aerospace, are SkyAlyne’s Joint Venture partners. CAE is the lead operator at Moose Jaw, while KF Aerospace is the lead operator at Southport, MB.

On November 17 the fifth CT-102B arrived at 15 Wing Moose Jaw and acceptance activities will begin in the coming days. Additional deliveries will resume in 2026, when North Atlantic weather conditions again permit safe ferry flights from Europe.