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CT-157 Siskin II

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AccountabilityMay 26, 20265 min read
The Snowbirds Will Fly Their Final Show on October 11. Canada Will Not Have a Demonstration Squadron Again Until the Early 2030s.
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will perform their last show in their current configuration on October 11, 2026, then stand down until new aircraft arrive in the early 2030s. The 55-year history of the squadron — over 2,700 air displays for an estimated 140 million viewers across North America — pauses for the first time since 1971. The grounding is the consequence of two simultaneous facts: the CT-114 Tutor (the aircraft the Snowbirds fly) is a 1963-design trainer that has been progressively retired across the Royal Canadian Air Force, and its replacement (the CT-157 Siskin II, a propeller-driven turboprop manufactured by Beechcraft and selected under the 2024 Future Aircrew Training contract) will not be deployed in demonstration-squadron numbers until the early 2030s. The new aircraft is a downgrade in terms of jet capability — the Snowbirds will become a turboprop demonstration team rather than a jet team — which raises real questions about whether the post-2030 Snowbirds will retain the same operational profile. Defence Minister David McGuinty's announcement at Moose Jaw on May 19, 2026 was the first formal confirmation that no interim solution (lease of older jets, transition to CF-18 hornets, etc.) was being pursued. Air shows in Canada will continue — the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, the British Red Arrows, and the CF-18 Demonstration Team are unaffected — but the Snowbirds-specific cultural footprint pauses.

The Snowbirds Will Fly Their Final Show on October 11. Canada Will Not Have a Demonstration Squadron Again Until the Early 2030s.

The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will perform their last show in their current configuration on October 11, 2026, then stand down until new aircraft arrive in the early 2030s. The 55-year history of the squadron — over 2,700 air displays for an estimated 140 million viewers across North America — pauses for the first time since 1971. The grounding is the consequence of two simultaneous facts: the CT-114 Tutor (the aircraft the Snowbirds fly) is a 1963-design trainer that has been progressively retired across the Royal Canadian Air Force, and its replacement (the CT-157 Siskin II, a propeller-driven turboprop manufactured by Beechcraft and selected under the 2024 Future Aircrew Training contract) will not be deployed in demonstration-squadron numbers until the early 2030s. The new aircraft is a downgrade in terms of jet capability — the Snowbirds will become a turboprop demonstration team rather than a jet team — which raises real questions about whether the post-2030 Snowbirds will retain the same operational profile. Defence Minister David McGuinty's announcement at Moose Jaw on May 19, 2026 was the first formal confirmation that no interim solution (lease of older jets, transition to CF-18 hornets, etc.) was being pursued. Air shows in Canada will continue — the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, the British Red Arrows, and the CF-18 Demonstration Team are unaffected — but the Snowbirds-specific cultural footprint pauses.