Snowbirds End 55-Year Tutor Era at Moose Jaw Base

For 55 years, the Canadian Forces Snowbirds and the Canadair CT-114 Tutor have been inseparable in the Canadian sky. On Friday, Oct. 16, that chapter reached its ceremonial close with a final home-base demonstration at 15 Wing Moose Jaw, Sask.

The red-and-white Tutors have finished their final season with the team, which will now pause flying until replacement aircraft are built and delivered in the early 2030s.

Moose Jaw farewell demonstration and livestream

The Moose Jaw event is normally a private occasion for families and the people who support the squadron. This time, it was livestreamed, allowing a far wider audience to share in the farewell.

The livestreamed farewell at Moose Jaw follows earlier coverage of the aircraft’s last public appearances, including Calgary Hosts Snowbirds' Final CT-114 Tutor Flight at 113th Grey Cup, which marked another milestone in the Tutor’s retirement. That broader backdrop helps frame the emotion in Moose Jaw as the squadron prepared to close out a 55-year chapter.

For Snowbirds team lead Major Maciej Hatta, the emotional weight of the moment was clear. “It’s definitely sad, especially as we come towards the tail end of things this summer,” he said before the final demonstration.

Hatta called the aircraft’s 55 seasons with the Snowbirds “quite a legacy,” reflecting the attachment built over generations of airshows, community celebrations and flyovers.

CTV News reported that low clouds and strong winds forced the team to postpone a season-closing practice from Thursday to Friday. The season-closing practice was rescheduled for Friday.

Snowbirds memories and alumni

Lieutenant-Colonel Guillaume Paquet, the Snowbirds’ commanding officer, said the final season had prompted strong reactions from people who grew up watching the team.

“The reality is we’ve been touring this country for 55 years, so everyone has a story, a childhood memory,” Paquet said.

Those stories include former Snowbirds pilot Dennis Beselt, who returned to Moose Jaw for the farewell alongside other alumni. Beselt, who flew with the team and later led it, described the Tutor as “a spectacular little machine.”

For him, the aircraft was tied to a childhood ambition formed while watching Tutors overhead near Moose Jaw. “Obviously it was a dream of mine, and I’m lucky enough to be one of those guys where the dream came true,” he said.

The farewell was also a moment to recognize the people behind the visible spectacle: the pilots, technicians, support crews and families whose work sustained the team’s seasons.

The end of the Tutor era

The Tutor’s retirement was driven by accidents and engineering challenges, and the Royal Canadian Air Force concluded further life-extension work was no longer practical.

The end of the Tutor’s aerobatic career does not quite mean the end of its public appearances. A final Grey Cup flyover remains scheduled in Calgary on Nov. 15.

After that, the Snowbirds will stop flying the Tutor and enter a lengthy break. Their replacement will be the Pilatus PC-21 turboprop, designated the CT-157 Siskin II.

Paquet has acknowledged that much remains uncertain about the transition.

Snowbirds transition to replacement aircraft

The replacement aircraft are expected to be built and delivered in the early 2030s, when the Snowbirds are set to resume their demonstration role.

Beselt said the hiatus raises concerns about the experience that has traditionally been handed down within the team. “A lot of what the team does from year to year is handed down from year to year,” he said.

Still, the Moose Jaw farewell centred on appreciation rather than finality. The Tutor’s era with the Snowbirds has ended, but the memories it created remain firmly rooted in communities across Canada.

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