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Background
— Snowbird Aircraft Replacement Project ( SARP ) |
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Update: On 13 Oct 2009,
Czech news agency CTK reported Canadian interest in 9 surplus Aero L-159 trainers for the Snowbirds (below). An earlier opportunity for surplus Swiss
Hawk 66s was missed when those aircraft were bought for the Ilmavoimat (Finnish Air
Force).[1]
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Snowbirds, SARP and 431 Air Demonstration Squadron
Aerial displays are a dangerous business. It is part of the spectacle. Jet aircraft like the CT-114
Tutors flown by the Snowbirds leave little margin for error. If things go wrong the results are
usually tragic. [2] The CF faces two issues: the age of Snowbird CT-114s, and that the Tutors
are no longer operational trainers. A part of the raison d'être for an air demonstration team is
to showcase the aircraft that a recruit would fly. But Canada no longer owns its trainers.
Instead, contractor-leased aircraft are used (for all but operational training).
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The existance of more modern leased aircraft – CT-155 Hawks
and CT-156 Harvard IIs –
suggested obvious alternatives to the aged CT-114. No Statement of Requirement had ever been produced for either
Snowbirds Air Demonstration Team or for their aircraft. In 2002 this was rectified and a $600M Snowbird
Aircraft Replacement Project was begun (although few funds are budgeted before 2009 ). Funding may be vague but
a favorite was clear from the outset.
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Since CT-155s replaced Tutors as trainers, it made sense that Hawks would be the Snow- birds
mount. The RAF Red Arrows team has flown Hawk T.1As for years. After 2008, the CF CT-155s face
mid-life upgrade or replace- ment. The CF has expressed interest in RAF Hawk Mk.128s, a new fighter
lead-in model, for use at Cold Lake. [3] If acted upon, this would free-up 9 original (but mid-lifed) CT-155s
for Snowbirds use.
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Unsolicited Bid: Variations on a Hawk Theme
DND had also received a proposal from ARINC Engineering and Venga Aerospace who offered a 20 lease on used,
upgraded Hawks.[4] DND' response was "non-committal". The companies claimed their proposed
lease/maintenance deal would cost the same as the current Snowbirds budget but with
33% fuel cost savings due to more modern engines. The used Hawk 66s have since been sold.
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Turboprop Alternative for the Snowbirds?
Harvard IIs have also been mentioned as a potential Snowbird mounts (the Australian Roulettes
use similar PC-9s). Some feel that propeller-driven aircraft lack the prestige of jets, but there are precedents
– the RCAF's Goldilocks flying the piston-engined name sake of today' Harvard, for
example. Despite this, the concept of Harvard IIs as Snowbird mounts is almost certainly a
non-starter. [5]
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Of late, virtually nothing has been heard of potential Snowbird replacement aircraft generally or of SARP
specifically. SARP first appeared in the VCDS' Capital Equipment Annex 2003 with $208M allocated after FY07/08.
In 2004, the amount for SARP increased to $608M. After that, this Project vanished without trace until
the media picked up the ARINC/Venga unsolicited bid proposal story. It's entirely likely
that a Project Office is beavering away on SARP in the bowels of NDHQ but the Department' old habits of
excessive secrecy show signs of re-emerging. [6] Hardly the way to win the PRbattle!
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"Course you don't get bloody wafers with it!" Aero L-159s for CF?
ČTK reported "RCAF" interest in 9 Czech L-159s for the Snowbirds, noting that the Czech AF has been
trying to sell 47 surplus Albatross for some time. The aircraft in question are L-159A ALCAs, an armed
trainer (the Snowbirds would need two seat L-159T conversions). [7] The L-159s would be substantially
cheaper to buy than Hawks [8] but many objections to the choice are already being voiced [9] such as the
downsides of operating such a small fleet.
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Note: See SARP
Aircraft Specs Page for details on the Canadair CT-114 Tutor, BAE CT-155
Hawk, and Raytheon CT-156 Harvard II.
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[1] These stored Swiss Hawk 66 aircraft were the focus of the unsolicited bid by Venga and ARINC (see footnote
4, below). According to Finnish sources, Ilmavoimat purchased the 18 Swiss Hawk 66s for €40M
"...which equals the price of two new Hawk-category trainers".
[2] The Snowbirds team becomes a political issue whenever pilots are killed. On 18 May 2007, Capt
Shawn McCaughey was killed when his Tutor crashed during practice at Malmstrom AFB near Great Falls,
Montana. Back in late 2004, two
Snowbirds at practice collided. One pilot ejected safely but Capt Miles Selby was killed. (Six months later,
another pilot ejected when his Tutor lost thrust over Thunder Bay.) Prior to the untimely death of
Capt Selby, four Snowbirds pilots were lost while flying: Capt Michael VandenBos
(training, 1998); Capt Shane Antaya (airshow, Toronto 1989); Capt Gordon de Jong (airshow, Grande Prairie
1978); Capt Lloyd Waterer (airshow, Trenton 1972).
[3] As reported by Flight International at the end of March 2006. Phase IV (Fighter Lead-In Training) of
NFTC is currently performed by nine CT-155s with 419 Sqn at Cold Lake. In the future, it is possible that we will see
a mixed fleet of Hawk 128s ('CT-155As'?) at Cold Lake while refurbished Hawk 115s (mid-lifed
CT-155s) continue on as pilot trainers at Moose Jaw and with the Snowbirds (with suitable mods).
[4] The initial proposal involved surplus Hawks from the Middle East. ARINC and Venga then turned their
attention to Switzerland where retired Hawk 66s were in storage. These earlier model Hawks had less
powerful engines and less sophisticated cockpits than the later CF CT-155s. However, retired Swiss aircraft
are stored in climate-controlled conditions. As noted above, the Hawk 66s have now been sold.
[5] The Australian example demonstrates the pros and cons of the CF' preferred, privatized Alternative Service
Delivery approach. While the RAAF have an older, lesser powerful variant, as owners they are free to modify their
aircraft for any role they see fit. Australia bought 67 Pilatus PC-9As. Most are used as trainers but seven are used
by the Roulettes (6 + 1 spare but, since all RAAF PC-9s are now painted in the Roulettes scheme,
replacement aircraft can be readily swapped in). Of even more interest are the three Forward Air Control PC-9s of 77
Squadron. The USAF is now considering following the lead of the grey-painted RAAF FAC PC-9s. Canada does
not have this option.
[6] All militaries love their acronyms but DND seems to go out of its way to deliberately choose confusing
combinations. SARP has been used before: for the Small Arms Replacement Project (C7/C8/C9). SARP is also used
by ICAO for Standards And Recommended Practices.
[7] The surplus L-159As are single-seaters. Makers Aero Vodochody have begun converting stored L-159s into
L-159T two-seat trainers (two-seat L-159Bs are new-builds). Why are two-seaters important to the 431 Sqn?
Snowbirds ground crew are flown from show to show.
[8] The cost of used L-159As is bandied about – estimated at US$18M each, an excellent price considering the
Honeywell TFE1042 engine alone cost about US$2.5M – but to this must be added the cost of
conversion to L-159T1 standard with its complete rear cockpit rebuild.
[9] This includes the usual knee-jerk responses to "non-Western" aircraft, ignoring that Aero has produced 'westernized'
L-39 derivatives for a decade. Carry-on Cold Warriors might also note that Aero is also a supplier to both the
Alenia C-27J and Boeing F/A-18E programs.
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