The Canadian Forces Snowbirds landed in Saskatoon on Tuesday, July 14. It may be the iconic red-and-white demonstration team’s final Saskatchewan appearance before the fleet is grounded following the 2026 airshow season. Around 1,000 spectators gathered at the Saskatchewan Aviation Museum to witness non-aerobatic flyovers and meet pilots after the jets touched down for refueling en route to Cold Lake, Alberta.
The Saskatoon stop wasn’t on the original itinerary. Brian Swidrovich, an organizer for the Canada Remembers Air Show and honorary Snowbird, requested the team make a brief fuel stop and conduct low-level passes over the city and surrounding communities. They agreed—making formation passes over Craik, Davidson, Kenaston, Hanley, and Dundurn along Highway 11 before arriving in Saskatoon around 10 a.m.
“Veterans and people that serve in the military don’t just come from big cities; they come from small towns like Davidson and Craik, Hanley and Kenaston,” Swidrovich said. “It is great that the team was able to show a little bit of love to small towns on the way here.”
Final Season for the CT-114 Tutor
Tuesday’s appearance highlights the urgency surrounding the Snowbirds’ 2026 finale. Defence Minister David McGuinty announced the retirement of the CT-114 Tutor on May 19—the only aircraft the team has flown in its 55-year history—after this season ends in Sacramento on October 10–11. Engineering studies identified feasibility challenges with the aircraft’s engine and escape systems, pushing the retirement timeline well beyond the previously planned 2030 targets.
Since 1971, eleven single-engine Tutors have served the 431 Air Demonstration Squadron. “After more than 63 years of service to the Royal Canadian Air Force, the Tutor has earned its well-deserved rest,” said LCol Guillaume Paquet, commanding officer of 431 Air Demonstration Squadron. “Time has made the aircraft increasingly challenging to maintain, and the RCAF it serves today is faster, more advanced, and more technologically sophisticated than the force it was originally designed to support.”
RCAF Commander LGen Jamie Speiser-Blanchet called it “a significant moment. And it is an emotional one because of the extraordinary connection that this team has built with Canadians over more than five and a half decades.”
Extended Grounding Expected
No replacement aircraft will arrive until the early 2030s. Canada will procure the CT-157 Siskin II—the Canadian designation for the Pilatus PC-21 turboprop—but production and integration timelines mean a substantial operational gap before the team rebuilds to its familiar nine-aircraft formation at 15 Wing Moose Jaw.
The Siskin II already serves in the Canadian Forces through the Future Aircrew Training programme. Australia’s Roulettes Air Demonstration Team has successfully operated the PC-21 since 2019. Still, the prospect of years without an active Snowbirds team has sparked public concern about losing specialized aviation knowledge within the squadron.
What’s Next
The Snowbirds’ 2026 schedule includes 27 airshows across Canada and the United States. After Cold Lake on July 18–19, the team will continue through six Canadian provinces, Missouri, California, Ohio, and New York before the Sacramento season finale. Admission to the Saskatchewan Aviation Museum event was $10, with proceeds benefiting the museum.
Capt. Phil Rochon, the Snowbirds’ public affairs officer, explained the team’s focus: “This season is focused on celebrating the people and the legacy of the Canadian Forces Snowbirds, who since 1971 have become an enduring symbol of Canadian aviation excellence.”
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