First RCAF CT-157 (PC-21) venturing outside

In wintery conditions, the first Pilatus PC-21 for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) was seen venturing outside with Pilatus at Stans (Switzerland) on 6 January 2026.

The construction of this aircraft, serial 157201 (c/n 363), has progressed since it was first seen on the PC-21 assembly line in July 2025. The Canadian designation for the PC-21 is CT-157 Siskin II, named after the Armstrong Withworth Siskin, the RCAF’s first true fighter aircraft in 1926.

In November 2024, SkyAlyne signed contracts for the purchase of 19 PC-21 trainers under the Future Aircrew Training (FAcT) Programme. The PC-21s will be based at Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, replacing the Beechcraft CT-156 Harvard II (which might be better known as the T-6A-1 Texan II) currently operated for the RCAF. So far, the first five CT-157s have been noted at Stans with first deliveries expected in the next few months.

Credit photo: Stephan Widmer