Air Force retires last T-1A Jayhawk, closing out three decades of pilot training

The U.S. Air Force retired the final T-1A Jayhawk on Aug. 20, ending more than three decades of service for the twin‑engine trainer that prepared generations of pilots for the airlift and tanker fleet. The last operational aircraft, tail number 94-0119, flew from Vance Air Force Base to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona, where it will join the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group, known as the “boneyard.” The jet’s heritage paint honors the 24th Pursuit Group and its 3rd Pursuit Squadron from the Philippines, including the squadron’s December 1941 attacks. Entering service in January 1992, the T-1A became the standard advanced trainer for mobility-track pilots.