The Snowbirds are making their final appearance in the Ottawa-Gatineau region this weekend at the AERO Gatineau airshow. “They’ve been our anchor act for the last nine years our show has been on,” says John Bennett, the director general of AERO Gatineau. “They’ve been the anchor act for probably 80 per cent, 90 per cent of all the shows in Canada. They’re iconic.” The Snowbird jets have been performing in Canada since 1971, with many of the jets operational for more than 60 years. The current planes are flying a farewell tour across Canada this summer before being decommissioned, with the next iteration of the performance team not making a comeback until the early 2030’s. “The red and white airplanes, [spectators] all know the aircraft. So that’s going to be significant to see them go and have their last flight on Sunday afternoon and then land,” says Bennett. “We won’t see them flying again and until probably four years from now, and it won’t be those airplanes.” But this weekend at the Gatineau Airport, home of AERO Gatineau, spectators will get a sneak preview of the next version of the Royal Canadian Air Force’s (RCAF) performance plane, the CT-157 Siskin II. Two of the Swiss-made aircraft will be on display for enthusiasts to take in for the first time. “These are the first two of 19 that are going to serve in the Future Aircrew Training program,” said Harrison Ruess, spokesperson for SkyAlyne, the prime contractor for the Future Aircrew Training program. “They’re going to be based in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, and we’re very fortunate that they’re on their way to delivery in Moose Jaw this weekend, and so we got them to stop here along the way.” “They flew in from Switzerland in the last two days,” adds Bennett. “This is the first place they landed in Canada. The public can see them. They’re going to be at our show Friday night, Saturday, and Sunday.” The RCAF has announced that the CT-157 Siskin II will replace the current CT-114 Tutor Snowbird models. The exact ones on display at AERO Gatineau are not part of that fleet though. Airshow attendees will be able to see one of the Siskin II models up close on the ground, while the other will offer a sneak preview performance in the skies. “The CT-157 delivers a jet-like performance, so it goes about the same speed is what the CT-114 Tutors do, but it actually has higher G-limits and can turn and roll tighter than they can. So, it’ll be able to put on, I think, a very compelling show,” says Ruess. Bennett says in their nine years, the Snowbirds have been the anchor act of their airshow and serving as an iconic attraction at others for decades. “We’re getting a lot more community engagement across Canada this year,” said Brendan Pellow, a second-year Snowbirds pilot. “Knowing that it is last year of the Tutors and getting to meet the people from coast to coast and hearing their stories of what the last 55 years looked like for them.” The AERO Gatineau airshow opens Friday at 5 p.m. with the first Snowbirds show taking flight at 6:30 p.m. There is no onsite parking available at the Gatineau Airport, but offsite lots with shuttle service is being offered. Tickets and more information is available on the Aero Gatineau website.
