Finish of an period as last Jayhawk departs Pensacola, marking shift to all-simulator coaching for Fight System Officers.
The 451st Flying Coaching Squadron retired their last T-1A Jayhawk to Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona on July 28, 2025. This brings T-1A operations to an finish for the 451st FTS and 479th Flying Coaching Group as coaching for Undergrade Fight System Officers strikes to simulator solely coaching for the second a part of the UCO syllabus. UCOs are non-pilot officers who fly in crewed plane.
The ultimate T-1A for the 451st FTS, serial #90-0405, departed from NAS Pensacola, Florida, on July twenty eighth with 12, 187.2 hours, 15,901 landings utilizing the ‘Raider 01’ radio callsign. It arrived at D-M with signatures, messages and even a shark’s mouth drawn on the nostril. This has grow to be a typical custom for plane being retired by the unit. On June 6 a proper ceremony, piano burn on the seaside and alternative for images with the few remaining jets was held to mark the pending finish of T-1A Jayhawk coaching. 90-0405 is now awaiting induction to D-M for long-term storage.
The T-1A has been a typical website within the skies above the area for the final 15 years and was operated by the USA Air Drive below a shared-basing settlement with the USA Navy. The 451st FTS is a part of the bigger 479th Flying Coaching Group which stood up at NAS Pensacola on Oct. 2, 2009. The primary T-1As modified for the UCO mission arrived on July 23, 2010, with precise coaching of scholars starting within the fall of 2011.
The 479th FTG operated T-6A Texan II turboprop trainers within the Undergraduate Fight System Officer Coaching position with follow-on to the T-1A Jayhawk. Fight System Officers should not pilots, however important crewmembers on multi-place fighter plane and half of a bigger crew on fight plane comparable to bombers, tankers, reconnaissance and digital warfare platforms.
Whereas most plane have gone to the 309th Aerospace Upkeep and Regeneration Group, Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, three have been transferred to aviation technical coaching packages/colleges to be used as upkeep trainers.
