Snowbird pilot honors final flights of aging Canadair Tutor jets at Cold Lake air show

The Snowbirds are at 4 Wing Cold Lake this weekend to take part in an air show that will attract more than 40,000 people, marking another stop on the squadron's final rides in the iconic Canadair Tutor training jets before they are retired at the end of 2026.

Major Steven Timm, 55, is one of the pilots flying the historic red-bottomed planes on what will be their last series of flights. As a boy, he dreamed of flying in the Snowbirds after watching them at air shows. This year, he is living that dream as part of their farewell tour. "I think a lot of us grew up watching the Snowbirds, watching the Tutor, and having been around for 55 years, it's been such an iconic piece of Canadian history," Timm said. "So to be able to be a part of that, the last ride for the Tutor before its much-earned rest, is very special."

On the journey to Cold Lake Wednesday, the squadron got permission to fly low over Lloydminster and Edmonton, offering impromptu displays of aerobatics. Timm is from Surrey, B.C., and travelled with his father to Abbotsford as a boy to see the air show there. When he saw the Snowbirds, he was hooked.

Timm spent eight years of his career flying out of Cold Lake before becoming a Snowbird, so this air show holds deep meaning for him. He describes the team's role as "renting the suit," representing decades of history and serving as ambassadors for the Canadian Armed Forces. "The Snowbirds are absolutely a Canadian symbol," he said.