| (From AVWeb) The Canadian Forces Snowbirds aerobatics performance team has flown the CT-114 Tutor since 1971 and now, according to documents obtained by Canada's The Citizen, they are in the early stages of finding replacement aircraft. Amid tight budgeting guidelines and looming modernization costs across the whole of the Canadian Forces, authorities are prepared to spend $755 million for a new Snowbirds jet fleet. Tutors have been in the Canadian Forces inventory since the 1960s and the Snowbirds currently operate eleven of them. Nine fly formation maneuvers when two solo aircraft are included. Two jets are kept available as spares. It is not yet clear if the military will be replacing all of the aircraft to create a fleet of equal number. But the current Tutors are scheduled to retire by year-end 2020. |
