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All you Navy trained types check your log book for time in T-28B Bureau #137782. It has been meticulously restored on a rivet-by-rivet basis over the past 3-4 years and is now gracing the skies over Tulsa, OK. Painted in dark, glossy blue with white lettering, it is a joy to behold. I flew it in March '69 on a cross country instrument flight to NAS Jax with Bill Hodde while going through VT-6. Several other Popasmoke members have time in it...it has been around.
History...Delivered from the factory to the Navy at Corpus in Mar '54.
Served with just about every T-28 squadron in the Training Command until surplused by TraWing 5 at Whiting and flown to the Davis-Monthan boneyard in 1978.
Purchased by individual in 1980 when it was flown to a field in the California desert (near Fresno, I think) and sat padlocked and essentially derelict for 18 years.
Purchased by current owner in 1998, flown to Tulsa and hangared for disassembly and rebuild.
Back in the air in May 04.
Odd thing is that the owner, who was an Air Force pilot in the early fifties, also has a beautiful NAVY T-34B painted in the old chrome yellow color of VT-1. It's Bureau # is 144008. It has a new spar from a Beech Baron and a more powerful engine, but that's all I know about it.
Anyway, if you're ever coming through Tulsa and would like to see the lovely blue beast, give me an e-mail and I'll try to set up a viewing. Not much chance of a back-seat ride, but the owner loves to show it off, as well he should!!!
Keep your turns up and your head down...Peachbush 25.
Posted : 2004-06-17 10:24
Thanks Jerry
Yet another bird restored or being restored that my log book tells me we had some air time together.
😀
Posted : 2004-06-17 11:06
Jerry, it's good to hear that 137782 is back flying. Thanks for the history on the old bird. As many times as the bureau number is posted in my log book it had to be the one intrusted to me while I was an instructor at VT-6 from June 68 to June 70. Even though only the bureau number is posted in the log book and not the call sign I still remember it as Navy 2P210. For our cross country flights we always went to places that we were familiar with so we can stay ahead of our studs. Jackson, Miss, was my place. One day (March 29, 1969) I felt I needed a change of destination. So you and I headed to Navy Jax. Thank God you did a great job...I was never lost just slightly disoriented. Don't get to TUL anymore, but if I do I sure will get in touch.
Of course I had to check out the T-34 number. I don't know if 144008 was assigned to VT-1 at Sauffley, but 144004 was. It took me on my second flight in the Training Command on July 28, '65.
Posted : 2004-06-17 21:30
