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Officials celebrate 50th anniversary of T-38 Talon



The U.S. Air Force celebrated five decades of T-38 Talon service in a ceremony in El Segundo, Calif., on April 10. The aircraft, which flew for the first time on April 10, 1959, has been modified by Boeing as part of the Avionics Upgrade Program. Boeing’s AUP team delivered 456 T-38C jets to the Air Force and 10 to the U.S. Navy following a contract award in November 1997.

"Every fighter and bomber pilot trained by the Air Force in the past 50 years has been trained in the T-38," said Maj. Gen. Greg Feest, 19th Air Force commander at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, who served as keynote speaker at the event. "The impact this aircraft has had on the Air Force has been profound. We have relied on the T-38 to ready our young aviators to meet the challenges of aerial combat to ensure air domination."

Thus began recognizing five decades of the venerable supersonic jet trainer’s service in developing 75,000 pilots -- and still counting -- who would strap into it to earn their wings.

"It’s an honor to have been part of supporting the T-38 advanced supersonic trainers. The commitment, skill and dedication of our workforce and suppliers will be key to continuing our service to the T-38 for years to come," said Steve Waltman, Boeing director of Aircraft Sustainment & Maintenance for the Maintenance, Modifications & Upgrades division of Global Services & Support.

Of the initial 1,187 Talons produced between 1959 and 1972 more than half are still in service. The Air Force operates most of the fleet, although Navy and NASA pilots also fly the T-38.

Maj. Gen. David Eichhorn, Air Force Flight Test Center commander at Edwards AFB, Calif., who also spoke at the ceremony, said he shares two significant milestones with the date of the T-38’s maiden flight. April 10 is his birthday, and he began his own aviation career April 10, 1977, when he entered undergraduate pilot training at Vance AFB, Okla. He said the T-38 provided the first real thrill of his pilot career.

"You run it up, plug in the afterburners and release the brake," he said of his initial T-38 experience. "Then you feel it push you back in the seat, and you go, ’Whoa! This is cool!’ The first time you do it, that’s a big, big thrill."

The Talon is not likely to end its Air Force service anytime soon as a replacement trainer would not likely see service for at least eight to10 more years. With its upgrades, including a redesigned wing that will retrofit the entire fleet, the Talon is expected to fly past 2020, which would give the first supersonic jet trainer a service life of more than 60 years.

somewhere is an ad for the T-38 stating amongst other things that, it's ability to go 1+ on one engine-