On the morning of September 17, 2026, SkyAlyne and the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), alongside Pilatus, KF Aerospace, and CAE, proudly welcomed the first two CT-157 Siskin II (Pilatus PC-21) aircraft to Canada. These aircraft will represent the newest addition to the Royal Canadian Air Force fleet and mark an important milestone for the Future Aircrew Training (FAcT) program.
SkyAlyne, Pilatus, KF Aerospace, and CAE all extend a sincere thank-you to our partners in the RCAF as we work together to achieve this significant milestone for the FAcT program. Upon arrival in Canada, these first two CT-157 Siskin II aircraft will be on public display during the Aero Gatineau-Ottawa Air Show (Sept 19-20), where members of the public will have the opportunity to see the aircraft up close and celebrate their arrival.
The Welcome to Canada follows successful manufacturing, testing, and training activities in Switzerland at Pilatus Aircraft facilities. At the conclusion of activities in Gatineau, the aircraft will continue their journey to 15 Wing Moose Jaw, where the fleet will be based.
SkyAlyne has ordered 19 CT-157 Siskin IIs for the FAcT program. Upon arrival in Moose Jaw, the aircraft will undergo final delivery to the RCAF and subsequently begin work on developing and testing new elements of the FAcT program. This includes taking on a ‘train the trainer’ role, as the FAcT team stands up an entirely new ab-initio training ecosystem for the RCAF.
The two-seat CT-157 Siskin II features a 1,600-horsepower Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A turboprop engine and can reach speeds of up to 685 km/h. The aircraft can sustain g-forces from positive 8G to negative 4G, providing the performance and capability required for advanced military aviation training. The avionics also include several made-in-Canada components. 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 in the FAcT program.
FAcT is an all-encompassing 25-year solution that will deliver ab-initio training to RCAF Pilots, Air Combat Systems Officers (ACSOs), and Airborne Electronic Sensor Operators (AES Ops). SkyAlyne, a joint venture of CAE and KF Aerospace, is the Prime Contractor and industry partner to the RCAF on FAcT. The program is currently in a multi-year transition period to become the sole ab initio Pilot and Aircrew training program for the RCAF, as the current three separate RCAF training programs conclude, and their responsibilities are combined into FAcT.
The FAcT program is overseen from a Joint Management Office at SkyAlyne’s Ottawa headquarters, with three operational bases: Moose Jaw, SK, Southport, MB, and Winnipeg, MB.
I am still shocked the RCAF accepted this. It is not the same thing the USAF has.
Not sure what's going on, or if it's just me, but only the first image is full resolution, the rest are all pixelate low res, like enlarged thumbnails.