Helicopter North America Military Aircraft Procurement Aircraft Orders and Deliveries Airbus

SkyAlyne, Airbus Helicopters mark RCAF FAcT milestone as first CT-153 Juno completes initial Canadian test flights

The first CT-153 Juno (Airbus H135) completed initial Canadian test flights in Fort Erie, Ontario, including display of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) livery. SkyAlyne is also set to acquire 19 CT-153s for RCAF Future Aircrew Training, with deliveries beginning mid-2026.

Discovered 2026-05-13T07:44:33.347404-07:00 | 2026-05-13T07:44:33.347404-07:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

Validates progress in the RCAF Future Aircrew Training (FAcT) rotary-wing element, showing the CT-153 is moving from integration to Canadian flight-test execution (in parallel with other SkyAlyne trainers, including factory acceptance on the first CT-157 Siskin II).
Confirms near-term fleet scale-up: SkyAlyne’s 19-aircraft CT-153 acquisition starts delivering in mid-2026, tightening the schedule between test activity and operational training capacity.
Highlights Airbus Helicopters’ Canadian sustainment/acceptance pathway for an H135-derived trainer variant—an important signal for how the program will de-risk procurement, acceptance standards, and readiness for pilot instruction.

Reported By

FlightGlobal Vertical Mag Wings helicoptersmagazine.com Skies Magazine