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The following article was printed in the Trentonian, April 13, 2005.
(Trentonian) Aviation era ends on 8 Wing tarmac
Ernst Kuglin
Local News - Wednesday, April 13, 2005 @ 10:00
A piece of aviation history landed at 8 Wing/CFB Trenton Tuesday afternoon.
It was the last flight of the famous T-33 Silver Star, known by air force personnel as the T-Bird.
Just before 1 p.m., Capt. Greg Castagner approached the base from the west, sending the jet into a high loop over the Bay of Quinte.
Minutes later CT-133452 softly touched down on the 8 Wing tarmac and taxied to the Aerospace and Telecommunications Engineering Support Squadron (ATESS) hangar, where the venerable aircraft will be prepared for storage, and possibly sold to another country.
The last of a long line of Silver Stars will be packaged and sent to CFB Mountain View, where it will be stored with about 140 other surplus aircraft.
The Silver Star was officially retired by the air force at the end of March.
Tuesday’s last flight was a final farewell, a flight that included stops at CFB Winnipeg and Ottawa before touching down for the last time at CFB Trenton.
“You’ll have to forgive me if I shed a few tears,’’ said Castagner, just minutes after he left the cockpit for the last time.
The pilot with the Aerospace Engineering and Test Establishment at 4 Wing/CFB Cold Lake began flying the T-33 in 1990.
“It’s beautiful, it’s a pilot’s airplane,’’ said Castagner.
“It’s a sad day, but it was a really great flight.’’
Yesterday’s retirement of the last of the T-Birds ends more than 50 years of T-33 operations by the Canadian Forces, Royal Canadian Air Force and Royal Canadian Navy.
About 656 T-33s were produced by Canadair under license from Lockheed beginning in 1951.
The T-33 was employed in the primary jet training role until supplanted in the late 1960s by the CT-114 Tutor jet trainer.
“You have to remember the flight control system was designed on a drafting board ... it was one of the first attempts at real modern technology.
“There were no on board computers,’’ said Castagner.
Castagner handed over the log book to ATESS commanding officer Lt. Col. Kirk Shaw.
“We’re a unique squadron,’’ said Shaw. “We look after aircraft from cradle to grave. This plane is historic.’’
Even though the the fleet of T-Birds received instrumentation upgrade in 1997, Castagner said pilots had to be careful not to get into what he called “unrecognizable flight characteristics. “The instrumentation panel was well lit and sometimes made night flying a challenge,’’ he said.
The Air Force acquired the first T-33 in 1950, with 20 more delivered in 1951.
The last T-33 produced by Canadair sits packaged and wrapped for surplus outside the ATTESS tarmac.
Until March 31, 2002, the T-33s served in the combat support role, simulating enemy aircraft and missiles, calibrating air defence radars and conducting a host
of other missions in support of Canada’s Air Force, Army and Navy.
Four T-33s remained in service as test support aircraft at the Aerospace Engineering Test Establishment (AETE) at 4 Wing, which is responsible for all airworthiness testing for the Canadian Forces. The T-33s were used for a wide range of missions such as aircrew proficiency, equipment calibration and flight-test support.
Lockheed produced a total of 5,691 T-33s, which have served more than 30 air forces.
In its last years, the T-Bird provided electronic warfare training and enemy force simulation to NORAD and the Navies of Canada and the U.S. The T-33 was also used for target and banner tow in air-air and surface-air gunnery, Close Air Support (CAS) and FAC training for the army.
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Sorry for rambling a bit off of the topic but I couldnt help myself. sniff sniff sob sob, someone hand me a hankie please.
regards, tom
