On May 28, 2025, the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Commander, Lieutenant General Eric Kenny, unveiled the RCAF liveries (paint schemes) and designations for the fleets of aircraft that will be serving with the RCAF in the Future Aircrew Training (FAcT) program.
The names and liveries for the new FAcT fleets pay tribute to the 101-year history of the RCAF, while reflecting a forward-looking vision for Canada’s modern Air Force. The approach to naming and painting FAcT aircraft was thematic. Given that 2024 marked both the RCAF Centennial and the kickoff of the FAcT program, Canada’s Air Force is taking the opportunity to commemorate 100+ years of RCAF flight operations and training history, while we also stepping into the next generation of military aircrew training in Canada.
About the ‘Reflect Forward’ livery
Each aircraft will bear a colour scheme that is primarily two colours: yellow, to reflect the historical ‘training yellow’ of the Commonwealth Air Training Plan aircraft that dominated Canadian skies from 1940 to 1945, and dark blue to reflect the modern colours of today’s trainers and Air Force.
There is also a white and red line, symbolizing Canada’s national flag, binds the colours together— this stripe being reminiscent of the RCAF’s ‘Lightning Bolt’ worn by various aircraft since 1948.
Together, these colours pay tribute to our successful historic training initiatives and Canada’s continuation of excellence in aircrew training as the RCAF looks to the next one hundred years. This combination of honouring our history, while advancing into the future is what drove the name of the livery: Reflect Forward.
It’s also very important that each time a RCAF student aircrew step into one of these aircraft, they understand the significance of what it means: they are joining an institution with a very proud history and a bright future.
There is also a very practical reason for this two-tone livery: the dark blue, when used in conjunction with the high visibility yellow provides contrast against a variety of terrains and weather conditions, making it easier for pilots to see other aircraft in the sky and against the ground, especially when flying over summer prairie terrain and in winter conditions when snow is on the ground. In other words, this is an important blend of form and function, where visibility is chiefly important for training aircraft.