T-33 trainer - Fort Garland, CO
Posted by: 
beagle39z
N 37° 25.560 W 105° 25.241
13S E 462779 N 4142214
This United States Air Force T-33 jet-powered trainer, donated to Costilla County, is on display at the Veteran’s Memorial Park, on Fort Garland’s east side, just south of U.S. Highway 160. The airplane is meant to be a tribute and memorial to all military veterans.
Waymark Code: WM6XPV
Location: Colorado, United States
Date Posted: 08/02/2009
Views: 16
The partially disassembled ex-training jet arrived by flat-bed trailer courtesy of Worldwide Aircraft Recovery, of Omaha, Neb. The plane was reassembled and installed on a 12-foot high pylon, to become a permanent part of the county’s memorial park.
The T-33 was at a private museum in Battle Mountain, Nev. The people there lost interest and since Costilla County wanted an airplane, it came here.
The T-33 “T-Bird” trainer, developed from the Lockheed P-80/F-80 “Shooting Star” jet fighter became the nation’s first jet pilot training platform. Three feet was added to the fuselage of the F-80 and a two-seat cockpit put into the design. Design work on the trainer began as early as 1943 and the first T-33s were built in 1948. Some 5.600 were produced from 1948 to 1959. The T-33 has seen service in the air force of 20 different countries around the world and continued to fly right into the 1980s.
The T-33 has been used as a high-speed courier of classified documents, as a ferry for pilots on their way to pickup tactical aircraft, as simulated “enemy” aircraft, testing our defenses, as a leader for long distance flights over water, as well as the nation’s first trainer for jet pilots. Some T-33s retained two machine guns for gunnery training. In some countries, the T-33 was even employed as a combat aircraft. Pilots certified for propeller-driven aircraft trained in the T-33 on their way to piloting jet-powered combat aircraft.
This T-33, serial #57-6560, made its first flight in 1948 piloted by Tony LeVier.
Type of Aircraft: (make/model): Lockheed T-33 “T-Bird” trainer
Tail Number: (S/N): S/N #57-6560
Construction:: original aircraft
Location (park, airport, museum, etc.): Veteran’s Memorial Park
inside / outside: outside
Other Information:: Not listed
Access restrictions: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
Photo of aircraft (required - will be interesting to see if the aircraft is ever repainted or progress if being restored)
Photo of serial number (required unless there is not one or it is a replica)
Photo(s) of any artwork on the aircraft (optional but interesting)
Tell why you are visiting this waymark along with any other interesting facts or personal experiences about the aircraft not already mentioned.