The Canadian Forces Snowbirds are currently on their final farewell tour before being grounded at the end of the 2026 season until the early 2030’s. The aging CT-114 Tutor fleet is being retired after 55 years of service due to maintenance and lifetime limits. The Royal Canadian Air Force will transition to the new CT-157 Siskin ll ( Pilatus PC-21 ) aircraft. I knew I had to go and see them at the Abbotsford International Airshow. They always give me goosebumps when I watch them fly their nine plane formations. At 600 km/hr they are only 1.2 metres ( 4 feet ) apart. When the two solo aircraft perform their head-on passes they are about 10 metres apart when they cross. What I like about some of my photos is that you can see the pilots in their cockpits. Their close-proximity flying and collective precision was excellent. I have seen them at so many airshows during my life and I will miss them. Click on the first photo to see a larger version and then use your left and right computer keys to scroll through the gallery.
