Snowbirds To Be Grounded Until Early-2030s, CT-157 Siskin II to Become Canada’s Future Aerobatic Aircraft.
Noah Note
After nearly six decades, the fabled and oft controversial era of the Tutor-flying Snowbirds has come to an end. Minister Mcguinty made the announcement today in Moose Jaw that this would be the final season for the Snowbirds for the next few years as they transition to not only a new aircraft, but a turboprop none the less.
Of all the potnetial options on the list of replacements, this was one that I was playing 50/50 on myself. There were many options for the Snowbirds replacement. Buy a dedicated jet aircraft, either new or used, align with FFLIT and buy on to our future Jet Trainer, or, evidently, take a different approach and align the snowbirds to our future advanced pilot trainer, the CT-157 Siskin II.
The last show for the team will be in October in Sacramento for the California Capital Airshow, if some of you want to make the journey yourselves.
Between you and me, I was betting on the FFLIT option with an announcement so close to being made, however, the Government has instead decided to go with our other duture trainer instead. The CT-157 Siskin II will serve as the training aircraft for both the Advanced Flying Training – Fixed Wing (AFT-FW) course, as well as the Advanced Flying Training – Jet (AFT-Jet) course as part of the FACT program with SkyAlyne.
Utilizing the Siskin II, as I know it, comes down to a few benefits. Because it is our advanced trainer, the talent pool available will be significantly higher than the FFLIT. It is also a cheaper aircraft to operate than our future Jet Trainer would be, and is seen as fairly comparable to a jet-based acrobatics aircraft to not be seen as a downgrade.
The Siskin II itself in is just a regular PC-21 from Pilatus, which is already used by several others for the same purpose. The most famous of which, and who many of you likely already know, are the RAAF Roulettes but they aren't the only ones.
The French have the Mustang X Ray Demo Team, and others like Saudi Arabia, Spain, and Qatar while they might not have a dedicated team operating the PC-21 also utilize them from time to time in demonstration and shows. It is an aircraft that has shown it could handle the role and still be capable of putting on just as good a show, at least from what the Australians say.
I have no dog in the fight on if the Snowbirds should remain solely dedicated to Jet Aerobatics. Some will make the argument that the PC-21 could not perform as, say, a T-50B or M346 could, nor will they inspire people as much when it comes to recruitment.
I myself don't see it that way, because then we would have to ask about the effect the Snowbirds would have on recruitment as it exists now, and the truth is that no one wants to really get into that. I myself don't think it would be a significant factor enough to tip the potential choice here for which platform gets recommended.
The PC-21 is a fine, capable aircraft that aligns eith Canada’s soon to be advanced trainer. It is efficent to operate, is unlikely to cause any sort of grievance in the RCAF that a Jet demonstrator might do at a time when we need fighter pilots, and provides new opportunities for people who might not have had the chance to participate before to be involved.
From the RCAF perspective, I can certianly see why this would be the choice option. I wasn't betting on it, but also what do I know? It is a practical option that keeps the Snowbirds operating while providing as little strain or concern to the RCAF as possible.
The team will not be fully stood up until the early 2030s, which is also the right move to make. I don't think I need to remind people my own distain for keeping the Snowbirds going knowing their modernization has had many issues, we have a severe lack of pilots available, and the general mistrust I have over theor overall safety.
Grounding is the right move to make. It is the safe option at a time where some sacrifice has to be made in places. I am happy to see the Minister himself apparently personally takr this stance, as he should. It has been almost 25 years since the Snowbird Aircraft Replacement Project was first stood up. I was a toddler. It has been to long, far to long that we have had to deal with this.
That doesn't mean we cant celebrate the CT-114 Tutor for what it was, not as we know it now. It is still a marvel of Canadian engineering, and one of the few pieces of Canadair that we have left. It carries a six decade legacy built on the backs of Canadians who still had the support to do innovative and wonderful things.
It is ours, through and through, and my hope is that the remaining sirgrames can find new homes to rest and share their stories with the world. I would love to see one end up in Hamilton myself, but no matter what it is the end to an era.
I am sadly on a plane flying back to Canada, so I need to cut it short. The point is, don't remember them solwly for the end of their lives. Remeember them as they were, as they have been. It is not their fault they weren't given the proper retirement they deserved, and that shouldn't taint their legacy, of the hundreds of pilots over half a century who got their start on the Tutors, and yes, to the people who did see them, and did feel inspired to serve.
Blue skies and tailwinds dear Tutor. May you finally find some peace and quiet to rest.
What a horrible choice.
No matter how you spin it or reference other countries teams. The reality is the average observer or kid at an air show , will always find jets “cooler” than prop planes. People play video games and see top gun etc.
This is a clear downgrade…yes it’s not an operational thing…but because the snowbirds are about national pride and recruitment and moral and optics etc…well then the superficial optics of stepping down from jets, is always going to be a poor choice.
Of course we can’t and shouldn’t do frontline tactical jets for snowbirds like America does with its teams. …we can’t even keep a single CF-18 demo going anymore. And of course the other countries flying prop plane teams are skilled and look good. But we were perfectly situated in the middle. And in the era of massive spending increases for the military…it would be easy to sell new jet trainers to the public as a good and small and uncontroversial investment to make.
In the face of geopolitical events where optics and image and PR matter almost more then substance…well this move to props will fuel memes and bad vibes for maple MAGA and actual MAGA down south.
We were spoiled by the Tutor. It was the perfect show aircraft. Cheap to operate (at first at least), simple to maintain (at first at least 😉), easy to fly and with enough speed to create great shows (and you couldn't beat that iconic opening with the nine twinkling lights). Unfortunately that also made it difficult to replace which is why it soldered on probably way past it's prime.
I'm disappointed because I feel the government waited too long and then when push came to shove, took the easy way out. I feel the Siskin is too slow to make a good show aircraft...you need a certain amount of speed so that repositioning maneuvers don't take too long.
I'm going to check out videos of some of the teams already using these aircraft and maybe I'll be proven wrong...but I'm not hopeful. 😢