Cessna T-37B flies its final sortie

The Cessna T-37B jet trainer aircraft flew its final sortie out of Sheppard Air Force Base (AFB), Texas, on 17 June.

The aircraft, from the US Air Force (USAF) 80th Flying Training Wing, 89th Flying Training Squadron, had been operating as part of the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training programme at Sheppard AFB.

The USAF ceased to use the T-37 as a trainer aircraft in April 2008 when it retired the last aircraft operating out of Columbus AFB in Mississippi. Sheppard AFB will retire its final T-37 on 31 July.

The T-37 Tweet has been in service since 1959 - during which time nearly 80,000 pilots have trained on the aircraft.