Advanced Turbine Trainer Plane Passes Milestone with Colombian Delivery

Beechcraft's turbine-powered trainer plane passed an impressive milestone this week with the delivery of the 1,000th T-6 Texan II, which found its home with the Colombian Air Force. 

Their fleet of 5 T-6C trainers are assigned to the Air Combat Command No. 1 (CACOM-1), headquartered at Capitan Germán Olano Moreno Air Base in Palanquero, Colombia. The global fleet of Texans has proudly carried on the tradition of its WWII forebear, acting as a premier turbine engined, advanced trainer plane for militaries around the world as a transitional model between lower-powered piston aircraft and jet trainers. 

The most common Texan is the Joint Primary Aircraft Training System (JPATS) T-6A or T-6B, predominantly operated by the USAF and USN. The T-6C is the exported military flight trainer variant of the lineup, like lucky number 1,000, while the T-6C+ is the armed variant of the same aircraft for COIN operations as a light attack aircraft. A T-6D variant has also been made, which serves as the US Army trainer aircraft in lieu of the A/B models. 

“It’s an honor to celebrate the 1,000th delivery of a truly legendary aircraft,” said Ron Draper (pictured) CEO of Textron Aviation. “The world’s most advanced global air forces and pilots trust us to deliver a great aircraft that enables them to make the world a better, more secure place. Our world-class workforce goes above and beyond to design, manufacture, deliver and support the world’s premier military flight trainer. It is an honor that partner nations continue to put their confidence in the Beechcraft T-6 Texan II as the gold standard in training capabilities.”

Textron remains proud of the Texan's pedigree. “Together, our team has crafted an integrated training system that is the world’s most advanced, most sought-after capability for producing pilots — in particular, 4th and 5th gen pilots,” said Tom Hammoor, president & CEO of Textron Aviation Defense LLC. “Our nation has relied on the T-6 for more than 20 years to train its flight students. Prior to that, the United States relied on the Beechcraft T-34 Turbo Mentor, the Beechcraft T-34 Mentor and the Cessna T-37 Tweet. That means that every pilot across the Department of Defense has learned to fly in a Beechcraft or Cessna aircraft for nearly 70 years.”

FMI: www.textron.com