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Author Topic: End of an era in the Air Force  (Read 1390 times)

Offline Maverick

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End of an era in the Air Force
« on: August 04, 2009, 01:33:10 PM »
The last training flight of a T37 also known as the "tweet" was flown on the 17th of June. The last 4 operational models of the birds, after a retirement ceremony at Sheppard AFB, will be delivered (if not already by there by now) to the AMARC section of Davis Monthan AFB. During it's career the tweets trained 78,000 pilots for the Air Force from 1957 to 2009.

This does not include the combat version of the same bird, the OA37 or observation attack version of the aircraft which was retired some time ago. Think bird dog.

Well done and not a bad career spanning 42 years of service.  :salute

This was the front page article of the Desert Lightning News for the July 31'st edition at DM AFB.
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Offline Rich46yo

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Re: End of an era in the Air Force
« Reply #1 on: August 04, 2009, 04:20:36 PM »
Wow, thats hard to believe. What are they going to use now? F-16s?

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Offline Russian

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Re: End of an era in the Air Force
« Reply #2 on: August 04, 2009, 04:31:00 PM »
Quote from: Rich46yo on August 04, 2009, 04:20:36 PM
Wow, thats hard to believe. What are they going to use now? F-16s?



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Offline xNOVAx

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Re: End of an era in the Air Force
« Reply #3 on: August 04, 2009, 04:51:13 PM »
Quote from: Maverick on August 04, 2009, 01:33:10 PM
During it's career the tweets trained 78,000 pilots for the Air Force from 1957 to 2009.

My Dad was one of them.. Too bad to see those birds go..  :salute
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Offline Skuzzy

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Re: End of an era in the Air Force
« Reply #4 on: August 04, 2009, 04:54:57 PM »
Just a side note.  Today marks the 54th anniversary of the maiden flight of the U2 prototype.

Sorry to see the T37 go.  It was a great aircraft.
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Offline eagl

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Re: End of an era in the Air Force
« Reply #5 on: August 04, 2009, 05:14:26 PM »
I enjoyed flying the tweet.  Just a bit shy of 1000 hrs in them.  It was a great primary trainer, forgiving and very teachable.  You could really let a student go out and make mistakes in them that would tear the new T-6 apart.

I'll miss them, even though they were loud enough to cause permanent hearing damage.  It's a shame they weren't modernized/rebuilt or the basic concept recycled into new-build aircraft.  The T-6 just doesn't hold a candle to the T-37's overall value/utility IMHO.

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Offline RufusLeaking

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Re: End of an era in the Air Force
« Reply #6 on: August 04, 2009, 06:33:27 PM »
After receiving my primary training in one, I logged 161 sorties as a copilot in SAC.  T-37s (and -38s at some bases) were detached to bomb wings to allow copilots to get decision making experience prior to upgrade.

The Tweety Bird was loud and unpressurized.  On the plus side, it only required 5000 feet of runway and no external air to start. 

Many great memories.  Fort Smith FBO with the young girls and chocolate chip cookies. Easterwood field and a burger at the Cow Hop. Entering the pattern at Texarkana - "Number 2 behind the B-17."  Flying in south Texas in a non radar environment at the top of a rolling cloud deck.

The end of an era.  :salute
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Offline Strip

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Re: End of an era in the Air Force
« Reply #7 on: August 04, 2009, 06:55:54 PM »
Quote from: Rich46yo on August 04, 2009, 04:20:36 PM
Wow, thats hard to believe. What are they going to use now? F-16s?



Or the T-38, an older bird but still alot of fun I can imagine.

<S> Strip
« Last Edit: August 04, 2009, 06:58:55 PM by Strip »
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Offline avionix

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Re: End of an era in the Air Force
« Reply #8 on: August 04, 2009, 07:11:01 PM »
I remember seeing the tweet in Houston a time or two when I was doing some upset training.  Would have loved to get a couple of hours in one.
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Offline Fulmar

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Re: End of an era in the Air Force
« Reply #9 on: August 04, 2009, 07:14:05 PM »
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Offline Russian

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Re: End of an era in the Air Force
« Reply #10 on: August 04, 2009, 08:11:15 PM »
Hay! At least now they can pretend to be strippers and sit on poles.  :devil

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Offline MrRiplEy[H]

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Re: End of an era in the Air Force
« Reply #11 on: August 05, 2009, 12:54:24 AM »
Quote from: Russian on August 04, 2009, 08:11:15 PM
Hay! At least now they can pretend to be strippers and sit on poles.  :devil

(Image removed from quote.)

Uhh strippers don't sit on poles that might be a bit painful. Unless the pole is very short at least..  :rock
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Offline Die Hard

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Re: End of an era in the Air Force
« Reply #12 on: August 05, 2009, 06:18:04 AM »
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Offline Tr1gg22

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Re: End of an era in the Air Force
« Reply #13 on: August 05, 2009, 10:30:34 AM »
Quote from: Russian on August 04, 2009, 08:11:15 PM
Hay! At least now they can pretend to be strippers and sit on poles.  :devil

(Image removed from quote.)
:lol
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Offline jimson

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Re: End of an era in the Air Force
« Reply #14 on: August 05, 2009, 01:08:29 PM »
I live near DM. Wonder if they are out in the open in the bone yard.
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