
On December 17, the final T-1A Jayhawk from the 86th Flying Training Squadron took its last flight from Laughlin Air Force Base's Team XL. The first T-1A arrived at Laughlin AFB on November 19, 1993, marking the beginning of its presence there. The 86th FTS received its last Jayhawk on January 15, 1995, finalizing its fleet of training aircraft.

Serving as a trainer for large aircraft like the C-17 Globemaster III, the C-5 Galaxy, and the KC-135 Stratotanker, two-thirds of Air Force pilots have been trained on the T-1A. The three decades of service with the T-1A will be fondly remembered by those who flew it at the 86th FTS.

“The T-1A is an excellent plane, it prepared pilots for the next plane they would be moving on to,” said Capt. Nickolas Johnson, 86th FTS chief of operations. “It allows pilots to train on crew resource management, which is what they will do on the heavier aircraft.”
During its final year of operation, the T-1A logged over 15,000 flight hours at Laughlin AFB, guaranteeing pilots' expertise in long-range navigation.

For the celebration, the 86th FTS invited retired Col. James Muniz, a former instructor pilot with the unit, to be the guest speaker. Muniz started his career at Laughlin in 1999 and returned from 2005 to 2008 as an instructor pilot and chief of training.


“The T-1A is a great training platform,” Muniz said. “However, it is only that, a tool used by professionals to teach and pass on their trade and knowledge. For 30 years, the mission was accomplished professionally and safely. I think that is a testament to all our support folks, from maintenance to HARM (host aviation resource management) and SARM (squadron aviation resource management) to life support professionals doing their part, so IPs and students could do theirs.”

Airmen engaged in flight simulators, with civilian instructors guiding the simulated flights of the T-1A, and signed their names on the jet's exterior before its last take-off.

In a final farewell, the last T-1A departing from Laughlin AFB took part in a five-plane flyover, which included two T-6A Texan IIs, two T-38C Talons, and the last T-1A, tail number 346, known as the First Assignment Instructor Pilot heritage tail.

The aircraft executed two flyovers above the air traffic control tower and airfield, concluding with the T-6As and T-38Cs diverging, while the T-1A proceeded solo on its final trip to "The Boneyard" at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona.


“We stand on the shoulders of giants,” said Lt. Col Nathan Hedden, 86th FTS commander. “All of the pilots who have done this before, have left a legacy of excellent performance and excellent training. This unit has offered so much to the Air Force.”
The 47th Flying Training Wing will continue its mission of producing the best pilots in the world using the T-6A and the T-38C until the T-7A Redhawk reaches operational status.

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