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Sep 18, 2026
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Snowbird replacements ‘extremely manoeuvrable, powerful,’ RCAF commander says
Original article ↗Key figures
The turboprop planes will soon be headed to 15 Wing Moose Jaw, where the air force eventually will station 19 of them to serve as its main training fleet.
View image in full screen The Pilatus CT-157 Siskin II training aircraft conducts fly-bys as part of an event in Gatineau, Que., on Thursday, Sept.
The Swiss Air Force has been training its pilots on the Pilatus aircraft since about 2008, and Australia’s Roulettes aerial demonstration team also flies the same planes.
The new planes will replace the air force’s CT-156 Harvard II trainers, also known as the T-6 Beechcraft.
The fleet of Siskins will work alongside other types of trainers under the new Future Aircrew Training program, which covers 71 training aircraft split up across five fleets.
Quoted verbatim from the article — not summarised.
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Article Excerpt
CANADA
Snowbird replacements ‘extremely manoeuvrable, powerful,’ RCAF commander says
By Kyle Duggan The Canadian Press
Posted September 18, 2026 12:47 pm
3 min read
RELATED: Saying goodbye to the iconic Snowbirds at 77th annual Canadian International Air Show – Sep 5, 2026
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The Royal Canadian Air Force welcomed on Thursday the first two of its new trainer aircraft, the CT-157 Siskin II — the same planes that will replace the old Tutor jets flown by the Snowbirds aerial demonstration team.
The turboprop planes will soon be headed to 15 Wing Moose Jaw, where the air force eventually will station 19 of them to serve as its main training fleet.
Acquiring the Siskin II, also known as the Pilatus PC-21, is part of the RCAF’s plan to modernize its fleets and overhaul its training.
RCAF Commander Lt.-Gen. Jamie Speiser-Blanchet said the modern aircraft are well suited both to aerial acrobatics and to preparing pilots for the more advanced aircraft the air force is bringing online.
“It has an advanced cockpit and capabilities and the design is just a very contemporary one that is used by other allies as well. We’re very excited that we’re able to bring this on board,” she said.
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The commander made the comments just after one of the new planes buzzed overhead in a ceremonial first flypast at the airport in Gatineau, Que.
View image in full screen
The Pilatus CT-157 Siskin II training aircraft conducts fly-bys as part of an event in Gatineau, Que., on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026. Adrian Wyld / THE CANADIAN PRESS
The current Snowbirds will hold their last show in the National Capital Region in Gatineau, Que., this weekend. After their final flight at the Grey Cup in Calgary in November, the Snowbird team will start a hiatus that could last until 2030.
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As the RCAF brings in the new planes for pilot training, the federal government is still working on procuring extra Siskins for the Snowbirds team.
Speiser-Blanchet said these are “excellent” stunt planes…
Read full article at Global News ↗
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