I caught the Snowbirds departing Summerside PEI at the end of June. In May, the Federal Government has announced the procurement of new aircraft for the team, and as a result they will be stood down after this season until the arrival of the new planes in 2030.

The current Canadair CT-114 Tudor jets date back to the 1960’s but are Canadian, and to my eye anyway look great. They were used as the primary jet trainer from 1963 to 2000, and the snowbirds have been flying them since 1971.

The new planes will be CT-157 Siskin II (based on the Swiss-made Pilatus PC-21 turboprop). A turboprop design, these planes have more power and beter performance then the tutors, and will be really unique in the Airforce demo squadron realm. I look forward to them.

The Province of Nova Scotia contracted four Air Tractor AT-802 water bombers and one Cessna Caravan Bird Dog from Forest Protection Limited to supplement the provinces wildfire crews. Based in Debert, these aircraft can manage drops and place retardant to control the forward spread of flames. I found myself with an hour to kill in this area, so drive by to take a look.

The $6.5million contract for these planes was announced on May 13. It will run until September 30 but can be extended if needed.

the Air Tractors primarily drop retardant, and need to be reloaded on the ground with pumps. The Debert airport has a refilling setup established with a water supply and tanks for mixing retardant.