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Navy Sabreliner Flying

HuggyU2

Well-Known Member
None
I recall that the Navy flew the Sabreliner until a few years ago in the NFO training role.

In that role, did the Navy operate those Sabreliners single-pilot?

If any of you were actually Sabreliner pilots... please drop me a note.
 

Brett327

Well-Known Member
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Yes. The typical crew was one contract pilot, one instructor NFO and one or more student NFOs. Students sat right seat.
 

Flash

SEVAL/ECMO
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
In that role, did the Navy operate those Sabreliners single-pilot?

If any of you were actually Sabreliner pilots... please drop me a note.

There were only a handful of Navy guys who were T-39 pilots while the rest were contract as Brett noted, at least one squadron or wing type who was the 'stan' guy and a few of the wing staff (Commodore, CSO) if they were pilots. If I remember correctly it was mentioned by a pilot or two the Navy had an FAA waiver to operated it single-pilot, @ea6bflyr was an instructor at VT-86 and probably knows all the details better.
 

ea6bflyr

Working Class Bum
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
There were only a handful of Navy guys who were T-39 pilots while the rest were contract as Brett noted, at least one squadron or wing type who was the 'stan' guy and a few of the wing staff (Commodore, CSO) if they were pilots. If I remember correctly it was mentioned by a pilot or two the Navy had an FAA waiver to operated it single-pilot, @ea6bflyr was an instructor at VT-86 and probably knows all the details better.
Flash has it right. The wing had an Active duty guy that would STAN check the contractors (I think it was call GFR). Since then, all the active duty guys I knew retired. Most of the contractors either went to the Navy T-45 sims or they walked across the street and started flying USAF T-1s as contractors in the AF CSO/WSO pipeline.

@huggyu2, PM sent.
 

Renegade One

Well-Known Member
None
I recall (admittedly from 1972) that the answer is yes. We had all AD aviators at Glynco at the time (Navy and Marine) and I recall the co-pilot seat was generally occupied by an instructor RIO most of the time, while the students all sat at either the radar repeaters in the back, or I seem to recall there were one or two stations configured as NAV stations. I seem to recall doing at least one L/L nav flight, and sitting in the co-pilot seat for that. We took turns, I guess, so 2-3 STUDS got a check in the box.
 

TimeBomb

Noise, vibration and harshness
As a flight surgeon at NAMI in the early '90s, the T-39 flights were a great deal. I was "self-loading baggage" on a number of VT-86 flights. The low-level out and in hops were a way to log a month's worth of decent quality flight time in one sitting, and score a lunch in the bargain. All the pilots were contract by the time I was there, most of whom were Vietnam-era guys. There were a few Vigilante pilots, who had some great stories. One pilot, an instructor in the jump seat, and the two studs would trade out the right seat on each half of the out and in. I never suspected a T-39 could do a Split S.
R/
 

HuggyU2

Well-Known Member
None
OK, good. Thanks to all of you for the replies, they really help out for what I need. I was contacted offline by one of you and am rolling down that path now.
 
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