{"id":67839,"date":"2026-10-16T20:37:19","date_gmt":"2026-10-16T18:37:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/?p=67839"},"modified":"2026-10-16T20:37:19","modified_gmt":"2026-10-16T18:37:19","slug":"the-farewell-of-the-snowbirds-to-the-cl-41-tutor-the-oldest-military-aerobatic-aircraft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/2026\/10\/16\/the-farewell-of-the-snowbirds-to-the-cl-41-tutor-the-oldest-military-aerobatic-aircraft\/","title":{"rendered":"The farewell of the Snowbirds to the CL-41 Tutor, the oldest military aerobatic aircraft"},"content":{"rendered":"

The select club of military aerobatic teams is about to lose its oldest aircraft: the Canadair CL-41 Tutor.<\/p>\n

The unreal and risky takeoff of a Canadian CF-188A Hornet fighter at RIAT 24<\/a><\/rel>
\nThe heroism of Canadian aviator Andrew Mynarski aboard a Lancaster bomber<\/a><\/rel><\/p>\n

This Canadian-made training aircraft took its first flight on January 13, 1960. The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) aerobatic team, the Snowbirds, was formed in 1971 with seven of these aircraft<\/strong> (known as the CT-114 Tutor within that air force), with two more added in 1972. Over the past 55 years, several generations of pilots have sat at their controls, and these robust aircraft have held up through the most remarkable maneuvers<\/strong>. Here, we see them in a photo posted on August 8<\/a> at the Abbotsford International Airshow in British Columbia.<\/p>\n

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Now it is time for a well-deserved rest. On October 11, the Snowbirds performed their final public show in Sacramento, California.<\/strong> It was their 2,930th performance\u2014a truly spectacular figure. The four photos below were taken during that last public demonstration.<\/a><\/p>\n

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This Friday, the Snowbirds will hold their final demonstration at their home base, CFB Moose Jaw<\/strong>, in Saskatchewan. The show is scheduled for 2:00 PM local time (8:00 PM CET). By the time you read this, their aircraft will have already taken off and will be performing their final aerobatic maneuvers.<\/p>\n

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The Snowbirds were the first Canadian aerobatic team to be designated as a squadron by the RCAF.<\/strong> The team consists of 24 personnel, and a total of 80 RCAF members work for the unit. Since 1978, its official designation has been the 431st Air Demonstration Squadron<\/strong>\u2014a name previously used by an RCAF Wellington BX bomber unit, which was established on November 11, 1942, operated from England during the Second World War, and was disbanded on September 5, 1945.<\/p>\n

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Prior to the formation of the Snowbirds, the RCAF had a short-lived aerobatic team equipped with the CT-114 Tutor: the Golden Centennaires.<\/strong> Established in 1967, the team was disbanded that same year. Four years later, its aircraft were incorporated into the Snowbirds. <\/a><\/p>\n

The retirement of the CT-114 Tutor does not mean the disbandment of the Snowbirds. The aerobatic team is now beginning a transition period toward their new aircraft, the CT-157 Siskin II<\/strong> (the Canadian designation for the Swiss-made Pilatus PC-21). The team expects to resume their demonstrations with these new aircraft in the early 2030s.<\/p>\n

You can watch a video of their final public demonstration\u2014held in Sacramento, California, on October 11\u2014right here.<\/strong> It was posted yesterday by the YouTube channel AirshowStuffVideos<\/a>:<\/p>\n