North American T-2 “Buckeye”

Aircraft Information
> Aircraft Make: North American Aviation Model: T-2 Nickname: Buckeye
> Aircraft Mil Civ Description: Tactical Jet
> FAA Category and Class: Airplane ME Land
> Engine Description: Twin J85

Aircraft Experience
> As of: 10/30/2024
> Number of Hours Flown: 283
> Number of Times Flown: 162
> Other Aircraft Models Associated: none

First Flown Information
> Sequence First Flown: 16
> Date First Flown: 11/18/1985
> Location First Flown: NAS Meridian, MS (KNMM)
> Who and/or What Organization First Flown With: Training Squadron 19 (VT-19), “Dave”

Recollections: The T-2C Buckeye was the Navy’s Primary Jet trainer for many years.  For me, it was the jet in which I obtained my “Jet Transition” training while enroute to Navy Test Pilot School.  I flew the “mighty Buckeye” with the VT-19 Frogs in Meridian, MS.  My record keeping is poor, as my logbook records only that I flew with “Dave” (no idea if that’s a first or last name).  Training with VT-19 was quick and then I was off to Pax River to attend TPS.

I flew the airplane the whole year while a student at TPS and then later during my multiple tours at TPS as an IP.  It was an excellent airplane for the school, very safe and it could do both upright and inverted spins, including abuse spin cases.  But it was always recoverable, which gave all of us who flew it great confidence.  

The airplane was retired from the Navy (the T-2 and A-4 were replaced by a single jet, the T-45) and, after as much delay at TPS could muster–fighting off the “Type/Model/Series Police” (it’s expensive to keep a whole airplane model flying for just one use)–from TPS.  Nothing really has replaced it and I used to fantasize about buying several (they’re available) and restoring the spin program at TPS.  There was discussion about doing this, and I suspect TPS has used civilian T-2’s for Qual Evals, but it was never a steady part of the syllabus after it was retired.  Hey, Navy: Call me!  🙂