Snowbirds Make Final Hamilton Appearance — Formation Flight With B-25 at Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum

The Royal Canadian Air Force Snowbirds made their final appearance in the Hamilton region on Wednesday, June 19th. They flew their iconic CT-114 Tutor jets in formation with the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum’s vintage North American B-25 Mitchell — a historic moment as the team enters its last flying season before the government grounds the entire fleet at year’s end.

This formation flight marked the Snowbirds’ 55th anniversary season tour, which began May 24th at the Montreal Grand Prix and will conclude October 10–11 in Sacramento. The team had arrived in Hamilton on June 17th and spent their visit conducting a ground display and public meet-and-greet before launching the formation pass late Wednesday afternoon. Lt.-Col. Daniel Dempsey, speaking on behalf of the demonstration squadron, told observers that the team made certain every spectator who requested an autograph received one. “One of the great things about being a Snowbird is you know you meet so many — literally thousands — of Canadians and Americans throughout the summer,” Dempsey said.

The formation formed up around 2:25 p.m. before departing north from Hamilton Airport and heading toward Niagara Falls for a series of low-level passes. The Snowbirds and their B-25 escort subsequently returned to the museum for a final circuit over the grounds. Hundreds of spectators lined the airfield — some waiting upward of two hours for the chance to see the Tutors and shake hands with the pilots.

The decision to retire the CT-114 Tutor fleet was announced officially May 19th by Defence Minister David McGuinty and Royal Canadian Air Force Commander Lt.-Gen. Jamie Speiser-Blanchet at 15 Wing Moose Jaw. “This decision was not taken lightly,” Speiser-Blanchet stated. “This is a significant moment. And it is an emotional one because of the extraordinary connection that this team has built with Canadians.” The Tutors have been in continuous service with the Snowbirds since 1971 and are now approaching 65 years of age as an airframe design, making ongoing maintenance increasingly costly and complex.

The pairing with the B-25 carried particular symbolic weight. Number 431 Squadron — the official designation of the Air Demonstration Squadron — traces its lineage to November 11th, 1942, when it formed at RAF Burn flying Wellington medium bombers. The squadron later transitioned to Halifax IIIs and then to the legendary Avro Lancaster, the same aircraft now preserved at the museum. To honor the Snowbirds’ milestone season, the museum temporarily repainted one side of its Lancaster in the authentic World War II color scheme of a 431 Squadron RCAF aircraft. However, the four-engine bomber remained grounded on June 19th due to maintenance. The B-25 thus became the primary warbird partner for the formation pass.

Dave Rohrer, President and CEO of the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum, reflected on the moment. “It means everything,” he said. “They’ve been such great ambassadors to Canada for so many years. And for us to have them in the Hammer and take the time to come here, it means a great deal because our whole mission as the Canadian Warplane Heritage is to remember our military aviation heritage.”

The Snowbirds’ replacement platform will be the CT-157 Siskin II — a modern turboprop trainer based on the Swiss Pilatus PC-21 — scheduled to enter service in the early 2030s. The demonstration team will remain headquartered at Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. The 2026 farewell tour continues with stops in Columbus, Ohio, and Eastern Canada before the final performances in California next month.

Sources

• CBC News Canada — Hamilton — “Snowbirds in Hamilton”