Williams Gateway

[Chad Veich]

I dropped by Williams Gateway airport today for a look around and was rewarded with the arrival of a beautiful T-38 Talon. Not unusual for Williams you say? Not so, this one was very nicely painted up as Thunderbird #1. The Talon took up a parking space among its' active duty gray camoflauged brethren and I could find no indication of a civil registration so I assume it is a USAF aircraft. Anybody know why the Air Force would be driving around a T-38 in Thunderbirds paint? A commemorative paint job possibly? As I was on the job and in a work truck I did not have a camera with me unfortunately. Other interesting "blowtorches" on the field included a Fouga, Lockheed TV-2, the ex-Combat Jets F-104, and a trio of Marine A-4 Skyhawks that appeared to be stored on the ramp. I assume these are ex-Marine aircraft now with a civilian owner but I was not able to get close enough to really inspect them. All in all a worthwhile way to kill my lunch hour!

[Tulio]

Chad:

I was at Williams a couple of times, back in 2000 and the F-104 was there, as well as other T-38s, wings and fuselages, I am sure, part of the modification process undertaken there.

The A-4s should be the former Israeli AF Skyhawks that are now privately owned and operate under contract as adversary aircraft for the US armed forces programs.

The Israeli camouflagle pattern should be evident, but I do not know if the ones you are mentioning, are either Marine A-4s or are the ex-Israeli aircraft, re-painted.

Is there still a Lufthhansa training school there?

Saludos,


Tulio

[Randy Haskin]

Anybody know why the Air Force would be driving around a T-38 in Thunderbirds paint?

That is Ross Perot Jr's T-38, which I think was purchased from Chuck Thornton at some point in the past (not sure of N-number or SN). He hires a former actual Thunderbird pilot to fly it, too.

The airplane is very interesting...it has a semi-glass cockpit which is of a custom design, and not the same as the NASA T-38s or the new USAF T-38C avionics. Guess when you have the name "Perot" and the $$$ that goes with it you can do things like have your own avionics suite built.