The skies over Texas and Arizona witnessed a historic moment as the United States Air Force conducted the final flight of the T-1A Jayhawk trainer aircraft on Jul. 15. The journey from Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base marked the official retirement of the T-1A after three decades of dedicated service.
Lt. Col. Dominique Haig, commander of the 99th Flying Training Squadron, piloted the final flight alongside Lt. Cols. Megan Pasierb and Christopher Puccia of the 39th Flying Training Squadron. They reflected on the T-1A’s significant contribution to training aircrews for over 30 years.
“They’ve been a workhorse for the past 31 years,” said Lt. Col. Haig, “preparing instructor pilots and combat systems operators for the Mobility Air Force, Air Force Special Operations Command, and Air Combat Command.”
The T-1A, a military variant of the Beechjet 400A, entered service in the early 1990s. It played a pivotal role in preparing thousands of pilots to fly essential airframes like the C-17 Globemaster III, KC-135 Stratotanker, and C-130 Hercules.
The T-1A’s retirement signifies a broader shift within the Air Force towards a modernized training fleet and tactics. The service is transitioning to the advanced T-7A Red Hawk, a new trainer equipped with state-of-the-art systems designed to provide more realistic and comprehensive training scenarios.
Lt. Col. Haig emphasized the importance of this transition: “While we are closing one chapter in Air Force pilot training, we are gearing up for the next.”
“The 99th FTS is making initial preparations for the reception of the T-7 Red Hawk. From renovating buildings to support T-7 training to T-7 academic courseware development and review. It’s a heavy lift to stand up a new Mission Design Series.”
The T-1A Jayhawk’s legacy lives on, not just in the memories of those who flew it, but also in the continuous evolution of Air Force training.
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