T-38 Talon engine repair woes could slow pilot training for months
By Rachel S. Cohen
Mar 16 at 11:20 AM
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Airmen conduct pre-flight operations with the T-38 Talon training jet as part of undergraduate pilot training at Vance Air Force Base, Okla., Dec. 9, 2021. (Airman 1st Class Christian Soto/Air Force)The Air Force’s T-38 Talon training jet fleet is digging out of engine maintenance delays that could slow military pilot production for at least another six months.
Service officials say the main contractor, Arizona-based StandardAero, hasn’t delivered enough freshly refurbished engines to train American and foreign combat pilots. Those deliveries have lagged the usual rate for several months due to a web of complications
https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/y...ng-for-months/
In fairness, the J85 never really was engineered for longevity. It was designed to power Bomarc missiles on a single one way trip.