Gregory Colyer - T-33
- "Ace Maker"
Greg took first
flight at age 7 in a C-172 and was hooked. He learned to
fly while in the U.S Army in 1982 at the age of 18. Greg
has been an Air Traffic Controller since 1988 at Oakland
ARTCC.
The T-33 is the most
widely used jet trainer in the world. A two-seat version
of the USAF's first jet fighter, the F-80 Shooting Star,
the T-33 continues to serve in various armed forces
today.
The T-33 is a F-80 with a lengthened fuselage to make
room for the second tandem seat. It entered service
during the 1950s, and the US Navy also acquired the type
and had it modified for blue-water operation as the
TV-2. It was the USAFs first jet trainer. It soon was
dubbed the 'T-Bird' and was being produced under license
in both Japan and Canada. In Japan, Kawasaki built 210
of these trainers. In Canada, the T-33 was designated
the CL-30 Silver Star and the Allison turbojets of the
original were replaced with Canadian built Rolls-Royce
Nene 10 engines. The type still serves as a trainer for
both countries. Limited numbers were also produced for
export, some being modified to carry light armament.
While only 1,718 P-80 Shooting Stars were built, nearly
7,000 T-33s saw active service around the world.
Until recently, the T-33 continued to serve in Canada as
a target tug and general utility aircraft, having been
re-designated the CT-133. Additional examples are still
in active military service in Japan and several other
nations. About 50 are in the hands of warbird operators,
mostly in the United States.
www.T33HeritageFoundation.org
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