A duo of T-38s! | TheaterFire

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Possible-Fox1125@reddit

I live in San Antonio Tx Used to work line service at signature few years back they have the military contract and would get all the military trainers in there on the weekends and empty our fuel tanks especially when the big ones like c17 and c130 come in shit was so cool seeing the different aircraft up close and the badass crew on board 🤘

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anomalkingdom@reddit

IMHO one of the sexiest aircraft ever built.

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Bored-In-Denver@reddit (OP)

Agreed!

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CannonAFB_unofficial@reddit

An A and a C model. Nice!

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GeneratedUserHandle@reddit

Those are both non PMP-d A models. The ballast in the back may make them former B models.

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Canikfan434@reddit

We get T-38s here at HSV frequently. Think they’re out of Columbus AFB.

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RaptorGanoe@reddit

They are out of here at Langley AFB, VA. Notice the FF on the tails. Dead giveaway

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Moose135A@reddit

The second one has a TY tail code for Tyndall AFB, but I think the Tyndall -38s may have been moved to Langley after the hurricane damage a few years ago.

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RaptorGanoe@reddit

Yes we have all of Tyndalls T-38s and Raptors g here at Langley

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Moose135A@reddit

Probably are out of Columbus, HSV was somewhere we’d drop in to on instrument or navigation rides.

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Canikfan434@reddit

Just saw a single T-38 the other day shooting approaches. It hit me while writing this that I haven’t seen any T-1s here in a long time. They were way more prevalent than the 38s as a rule. Hmmm.

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Moose135A@reddit

The Air Force has been retiring the T-1; I don't recall how many are left, but I think they are supposed to be gone in the next couple of years as the T-7 comes online and more of the 'heavy' training moves to simulators.

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devoduder@reddit

These two are likely used for F-22/35 proficiency training. Langley & Tyndall operate both aircraft.

T-38 is an amazing jet, got the break the sound barrier in one years ago.

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AOGWardog1229@reddit

Yeah, they are. 904 has been based at Langley now for a while, surprised it still sports Tyndall identification

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AOGWardog1229@reddit

Yeah, they are. 904 has been based at Langley now for a while, surprised it still sports Tyndall identification

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Conscious-Fact6392@reddit

I miss doing the air starts on these. Never got old.

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AOGWardog1229@reddit

I actually hate it sometimes when the hose doesn't want to connect or disconnect.

And after working with the NASA ones too, I don't like turning the valve manually lol

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I_am_lonely_cheese@reddit

The NASA ones are nice, you don't have to manually switch the air valve, they can do that from the cockpit.

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Bored-In-Denver@reddit (OP)

I’ve only done air starts on 737s.

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Conscious-Fact6392@reddit

It was a blast. The hatch was toward the aft right between the exhausts. You hooked up the hose and got the cart fired up. A second ground crew would relay messages from the pilot. Pilot would fire one engine, and then signal for the second. You would use a wrench to divert the air to the second engine. Right under the exhausts the whole time. It was something!

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Bored-In-Denver@reddit (OP)

Thankfully 737s have the bleed air system, so once you start one, you can put air into the other. No wrench needed. 😄

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AOGWardog1229@reddit

Tyndall and Langley aircraft (both Langley as the Tyndall fleet got moved to Langley if I recall)

I work as KPHF, about 10 miles from Langley, we get these in on the norm. I have fueled and launched 904 and 702 more times than I can count.

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JimfromMayberry@reddit

I wonder, besides age, what’s with all the dents on the T38s?

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HumpyPocock@reddit

Just as a preamble of sorts, suspect that the lighting in the photo is going to do an excellent job of exaggerating any dents.

Regardless, AFAIK it’ll be —

stress due to forces through the skin ie. loads in flight etc as a combination of bending, torsion etc remembering that the skin is extensively riveted to underlying structural members which will transmit loads quite effectively
actual dings and dents accumulated thru operations and maintenance etc over the decades

Post on F-16.net

NB that link includes links to photos showing T-38’s under different lighting conditions and angles

Plus reminder that the last T-38 rolled off the assembly in 1972 ie. just over five decades ago… however looks like they might’ve been re-skinned at some point (?)

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JimfromMayberry@reddit

Thanks for the input. I understand that various stresses can cause visible “wrinkles” (B52, for example). These just look to me more like dings. I’m sure that 50+ years of service will cause that. I guess I’m so used to seeing them in their typical white paint scheme, that I either haven’t seen or noticed them. Assuming that they must not affect aerodynamics, it’s probably not a priority nor cost-effective to pound them out…especially for a trainer.

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Popular_Common3692@reddit

they are speed dents from excessive fuel usage

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JimfromMayberry@reddit

Not sure what this means, but thanks.

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Popular_Common3692@reddit

i have a friend and he told me he was driving so fast that the dent in his roof was from the speed and anytime i see dents on fast things i think of him it was obviously caused by something else but it was funny

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JimfromMayberry@reddit

Ok, thanks. I thought I was having a stroke…trying to figure out what you meant

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Puzzleheaded-Car3562@reddit

One of the prettiest little jets ever made. Compares in the looks department with such airplanes as the Hawker Hunter, Saab Gripen, Mirage III and early F16.

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bloregirl1982@reddit

Aah the famous Mig 28 !!!!

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ArtemisOSX@reddit

[insert Mig-28 joke here]
Great shots!

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Puzzleheaded-Law-429@reddit

Ha I came here to ask if these were the enemy fighters from Top Gun! I knew they looked familiar.

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JMC509@reddit

Just back from doing 4g inverted dives.

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Superory_16@reddit

At 2 meters, well more like 1.5 really.

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Greyhound-Iteration@reddit

*Mig 28 😂

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whitekeys@reddit

An elegant piece of machinery.

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Ldghead@reddit

"Jester's dead!"

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CountDraculablehbleh@reddit

Pretty neat where I live these are quite a common sight I don’t think I’ve ever seen a NASA T-38 in person before

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Bored-In-Denver@reddit (OP)

I grew up near Ellington in Houston so I saw the NASA ones almost daily, used for astronaut training.

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JaviSATX@reddit

I grew up near JB Randolph, and I’ve always loved the way the T-38’s looked. Every time on that part of town I enjoy seeing and hearing them soaring around.

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woodworkingguy1@reddit

T-38's, never been this close before!

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Bored-In-Denver@reddit (OP)

😄

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