Snowbirds give Regina residents final glimpse of Tutor jets

Fans in the Queen City had one last opportunity to catch a glimpse of the iconic Snowbirds team in flight during a planned flyover on Monday.

Unforeseen circumstances last week led to the flyover, initially scheduled for Nov. 5, being delayed.

Read more:

• Snowbirds reschedule Regina flyover for Monday
• Snowbirds cancel Regina flyover due to ‘unforeseen circumstances’
• ‘Goodbye to a good friend’: Snowbirds’ final show to be livestreamed today

In a post to Facebook, the Canadian Forces Snowbirds account shared they were “trying again” to pass over Regina on Monday, after a practice flight. The flyover was scheduled for around 11:30 a.m., with the planes to pass over Wascana Lake, the Saskatchewan Legislative Building and Regina International Airport.

The formation was set to fly at least 500 feet above the highest point along the route.

Ed Slywka went to watch the Snowbirds fly over the Legislature in Regina. He had just finished an aquasize class when he decided to watch the flyover.

“We figured we’d stop and watch the Snowbirds one last time,” Slywka shared, “because I know that they’re done, pretty well.”

He’s seen a few Snowbirds airshows in his life, he said.

“It’s sort of exhilarating seeing the jets flying formation and, you know, they leave their streams behind. It’s kind of neat. I like it.”

Edna Dagenais was also pleased to see them fly overhead again.

“I’ve seen the Snowbirds a couple of times and they’re awesome,” Dagenais shared. “I think we’ll miss them a lot.”

Edna Dagenais was also pleased to see the Snowbirds fly over Regina on Nov. 9, 2026, one more time before their five-year hiatus begins after this year’s Grey Cup. (Gillian Massie/980 CJME)

She described feeling “peace” when seeing the Snowbirds, calling their display “beautiful.”

The thought of the Tutor jets being grounded is sad for her.

“Because they are retiring, and we won’t see them again,” Dagenais explained.

Herb Cross has followed the Snowbirds for years and came specifically to support their final flight in the Saskatchewan skies.

He’s sad about the decision to ground the fleet.

“I don’t think they should be flying those newer planes, the prop planes,” he said. “I don’t think they can do the same.”

Cross said the team will have to cut some parts of its routine once they no longer have the Tutor jets with their specific capabilities.

He agreed five years is a long time for a hiatus.

“You have seasoned pilots and when they’re flying aerobatics … they bring a few new ones in every year. So as the senior ones age out, the new ones step in and take over that role. And when you shut things down for five years, you can lose a lot of that expertise,” Cross explained.

He said he was going to be excited, however, watching the team’s final flyover for the foreseeable future.

Bev Cross, Herb’s wife, said she had conflicting feelings about the event on Monday.

“I’ve watched them every opportunity I had for many, many years, and this is bittersweet,” she said.

Bev and Herb Cross went to the Regina Legislature Building to see their beloved Snowbirds’ fleet in action one last time in the Saskatchewan Skies on Nov. 9, 2026. (Gillian Massie/980 CJME)

“I felt that way when last week or a couple weeks ago, when we were in Moose Jaw, but this is the final run.”

Bev said she has expectations that the team will return with a new display, which will be “great in its own way.

“But this was something. This was history.”

On Nov. 15, the Snowbirds will perform their final flyover at the CFL Grey Cup game in Calgary.

—with files from 980 CJME’s Gillian Massie