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Author
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Topic: Heritage Aviation Park (KY): NASA T-38 901
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alanh_7
Member Posts: 1259
From: Ajax, Ontario, Canada
Registered: Apr 2008
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posted 05-29-2014 04:07 PM
   
I recently had a conversation with General Dan Cherry (USAF Ret.) about the F-4 he flew during the Vietnam War and he pointed me to a website he is affiliated with for the Aviation Heritage Park in Blowing Green, Kentucky. His F-4 side number 550 now resides there and on June 14, 2014, they will have on permanent display NASA T-38 tail number 901. A NASA T-38 Talon, with the tail number 901, has arrived in Bowling Green, KY to be added to the Aviation Heritage Park collection of historical aircraft. The plane is the fifth acquisition for the park whose goal is to promote the stories of prominent aviators from the region.The T-38 was flown by astronaut and U.S. Marine Col. Terry Wilcutt, a Russellville native and Western Kentucky University graduate. NASA decommissioned T-38 No. 901 in 2011, and it was sitting in the boneyard of Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. until the park acquired it. Unlike the other planes at the park, which are on loan, the T-38 was given outright to Warren County, and it’s in better condition than several of the other planes when they first arrived in Bowling Green. The plane was used by astronauts who flew missions during the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs, including John Glenn, Alan Shepard and Neil Armstrong. See pictures of the arrival of the Talon and read the history of our T-38 here. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 3648
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 05-29-2014 09:14 PM
The Apollo Image Gallery has this photo of Apollo 15 astronaut Jim Irwin and T-38 number 901. The photo is dated two days before launch. |
onesmallstep
Member Posts: 1365
From: Staten Island, New York USA
Registered: Nov 2007
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posted 05-30-2014 11:12 AM
Interesting to note that this NASA T-38 is the second to wear tail 901. The first, s/n 63-8181, was lost along with Gemini 9 prime crew Bassett and See in a crash at Lambert Field, St. Louis, in 1966. A nice tribute to their memory. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 48928
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 06-15-2014 12:45 PM
Bowling Green's ABC affiliate WBKO provides coverage of the T-38's unveiling. "If you can plant the dream by having them come out and look at those airplanes and know that local people from this community flew those and flew them successfully, hopefully they'll realize that they can do that too," [astronaut Terry] Wilcutt said.Adding this aircraft to the park will be one of those examples. "Just a phenomenal piece of history that people can literally walk up to and touch and really connect with people who have done some tremendous and amazing things for this country," [Aviation Heritage Park president Jim] Wright said. He said the plane will move to the park in October. |
astro-nut
Member Posts: 1025
From: Washington, IL
Registered: Jan 2006
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posted 07-19-2014 01:52 PM
Does any collectSPACE member have a list of all the T-38 jets that NASA has had in their inventory? It would be neat to see a list of them all and where they are now. |
Lou Chinal
Member Posts: 1378
From: Staten Island, NY
Registered: Jun 2007
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posted 07-20-2014 01:11 PM
I don't, but if you would like to see the log books for this airplane I could arrange it. |
cspg
Member Posts: 6314
From: Geneva, Switzerland
Registered: May 2006
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posted 07-20-2014 03:43 PM
quote:
Originally posted by astro-nut:
...all the T-38 jets that NASA has had in their inventory?
Wikipedia says that NASA operates 32 jets and that number should fall to 16 by 2015. |
BMacKinnon
Member Posts: 235
From: Waterford, MI. USA
Registered: Jul 2007
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posted 10-19-2014 04:03 PM
My son Robert and I attended the dedication ceremony of the T-38 on Saturday. Had a nice visit with General Bolden after the ceremony. We also met General Dan Cherry (his F-4 is at the Park), Col. Arnie Franklin (his F-111 is at the Park) and NASA astronaut Terry Wilcutt, whom the T-38 was dedicated to as the pilot. The backseater for the T-38 was dedicated to the late Dave Finney of NASA. Dave was the chief of the Johnson Space Center Aircraft Operations Division in the Flight Crew Operations Directorate. Plus we saw and visited with former NASA astronauts Hoot Gibson and his wife Dr. Rhea Seddon! Excellent event and a great tribute to the men that the planes represent!  
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BMacKinnon
Member Posts: 235
From: Waterford, MI. USA
Registered: Jul 2007
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posted 10-19-2014 04:04 PM
 
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BMacKinnon
Member Posts: 235
From: Waterford, MI. USA
Registered: Jul 2007
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posted 10-19-2014 04:04 PM
 
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mmcmurrey
Member Posts: 184
From: Austin, TX, USA
Registered: Jun 2012
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posted 10-30-2014 08:31 PM
quote:
Originally posted by astro-nut:
Does any collectSPACE member have a list of all the T-38 jets that NASA has had in their inventory?
I recently visited a relative that worked on NASA aircraft at Ellington AFB. On retirement he got a framed set of lithos (6) with a variety of T-38s. My eyes are not what they used to be but here are the tail numbers with registration numbers: - 20/N020NA
- 21/N021NA
- 23/N023NA
- 14/N014NA
- 15/N015NA
- 16/N016NA
- 66/N066NA
- 904/N904NA
- 908/N908NA
- 909/N909NA
- 955/N955NA
The NASA lithos were S93-31646, S94-41978, S92-48765, S72-41385, S97-15641 and JSC2001-01565. Hope this helps. |
Lou Chinal
Member Posts: 1378
From: Staten Island, NY
Registered: Jun 2007
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posted 10-31-2014 10:20 AM
He doesn't have 901 by any chance? |
mmcmurrey
Member Posts: 184
From: Austin, TX, USA
Registered: Jun 2012
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posted 10-31-2014 10:59 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Lou Chinal:
He doesn't have 901 by any chance?
If you are referring to my listing you can check the lithos that I listed and maybe you can see 901 in one of the pictures. Like I said my eyes are not what they used to be and these were framed on a wall. |
astro-nut
Member Posts: 1025
From: Washington, IL
Registered: Jan 2006
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posted 11-01-2014 02:36 PM
Thank you for the T-38 inventory numbers. They are very helpful. Thanks again. |
mmcmurrey
Member Posts: 184
From: Austin, TX, USA
Registered: Jun 2012
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posted 11-05-2014 09:41 AM
In the pictures from the Heritage Park, is there any significance to their tail flash of 01 vs NASA tail flash of 901? I realize you can paint anything you desire once you own it.
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Blackarrow
Member Posts: 3497
From: Belfast, United Kingdom
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 08-25-2022 12:29 PM
quote:
Originally posted by onesmallstep:
A nice tribute to their memory.
I have a picture of Ron Evans strapped into the cockpit of T-38 No. 901 during training for Apollo 17. Was it really "a nice tribute" to reuse serial number 901 after the crash which took the lives of astronauts See and Bassett in 1966? I doubt if many astronauts of that era were (or admitted to being) superstitious, but even so... I might add that, as a tribute to Grissom, White and Chaffee, the name Apollo 1 was not reused. |
David C
Member Posts: 1359
From: Lausanne
Registered: Apr 2012
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posted 08-25-2022 02:46 PM
Skipping a mission number is one thing. Gradually accumulating a fleet full of missing numbers is quite another. That may sound romantic to a non-operator, but it’s real bad for morale. It’s why no military in the world does it, and nor does NASA.
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Blackarrow
Member Posts: 3497
From: Belfast, United Kingdom
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 08-25-2022 05:37 PM
I take your point. Thank you for clarifying this to the complete satisfaction of this "non-operator." |
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