Once again, the Department of National Defence is talking about getting rid of the RCAF’s fleet of Canadair CT-114 Tutor jets. The aircraft, used by the military’s iconic Snowbirds, are now in their 7th decade, having been built in the early 1960s. The last “life extension” the fleet received was to carry them through 2025, and recently installed avionics could carry them through to 2030, according to a CBC report.
“The reality is the Tutor plane is well past its utility,” Defence Minister Bill Blair said in an interview with the CBC. “There are even some safety issues that are deeply concerning to me, and I’ve received assurances that through this flight season…they can manage those safely, but it continues to persist as a concern.” The minister did not elaborate on what those safety issues might be.
There have been suggestions from the public that the RCAF should consider using the recently retired fleet of BAE CT-155 Hawks. This was the aircraft that was used until recently as the jet trainer for pilots progressing on to the CF-18. However, as reported a few weeks ago, these Hawks have already been decommissioned and sent to CFB Borden in Ontario to assist with aircraft technician training at the Canadian Forces School of Aerospace Technology and Engineering.
The Hawk is the aircraft model that the Royal Air Force uses for its air demonstration team, the Red Arrows.