Flew these in VT-4 as a student (Pensacola) and again in VT-9 as an instructor (Meridian). What a great airplane! 50 years of students bending them in all directions and they still flew great. Only jet in the inventory you could intentionally spin. The only plane I ever knew that could take off with a problem and it would "magically" fix itself before you landed. The best flight of my life was FLCP at NALF Choctaw, FL. Signal RTB I went low transition to 300 kts, flew the 3mile arc at 500ft! (That's 90 deg AOB and at least 4Gs) for 180 radials, then pop to 1000ft (had to roll inverted to maintain altitude). Came back into the break at P'cola at 420 Kts/ 6.5 Gs. All as a student solo. Got a little scolded for thinking I was a Blue Angel but nothing serious. Explained away 3 over-stress codes because the fuel load was low. God, what a great day
I remember these fondly, having gone through VT-26 in Beeville, circa '80-'81. Carrier qualified aboard Lexington. I do see a box by your right elbow with some blinking lights that I don't recognize.
Thanks, I had no idea there was a civilian one still flying. I am a USAF VT3 grad but when I went to T38's several friends went to the buckeye then T45.
Brings back memory's! Flew T2-A, our first jet trainer, and T2-C at Meridian, Miss. and did gunnery and CQ in the T2-B at Pensacola all in the later 1960's; it was the start of an adventure.
Awesome jet, my brother was in VT-23 in the early 80's I got the pleasure of NAS Kingsville Tx. Got to see plenty of these and TA4-J's Fly Navy and Marine Corps
Me too. My favorite quotes from Skipper Brown. 1. Some pilots compare themselves to others by counting flight hours. Other pilots like to brag about how many traps they have. Real fighter pilots just count their MiG kills (Lobo had one). 2. He once quoted his grandmother as saying "Nobody cares that you're a fighter pilot except little boys and other fighter pilots." 3. Addressing his officers prior to an event in which the uniform would be mess dress, he explained how to remember the proper orientation for the cummerbund. "If you can place tortilla chips in between the folds and they don't fall out, you're wearing it correctly."
