Two T-54A multi-engine aircraft landed at Naval Air Station (NAS) Corpus Christi, April 18. The arrival of the T-54A heralds a new generation of naval pilots who will use the trainer to earn their wings and prepare to fly aircraft such as the P-8A Poseidon, E-2D Hawkeye and C-130 Hercules. The T-54A replaces the T-44C Pegasus, an aircraft in service since 1977.
The U.S. Navy has awarded a contract to Textron in early 2023 to acquire up to 64 King Air 260 aircraft that will be designated T-54As in the Navy’s training fleet. T-44C Pegasus is the US Navy designation for the aging fleet of Beechcraft King Air 90 aircraft. Deliveries of the aircraft are expected by the end of the 2026 calendar year.
The T-44C has successfully served after continuously supporting Training Air Wing (TAW) 4’s efforts to routinely exceed Naval Aviator training requirements each year. Most recently, TAW-4 effectively utilized the T-44C to achieve 110 percent of fiscal year 2023 requirements in naval aviator training. Now the T-54A has arrived to better help students prepare for the future. The aircraft will meet advanced multi-engine and tiltrotor training requirements for the US Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and select allies through 2055.
The aircraft’s technology will capture data that will enable Conditioned-Based Maintenance Plus, a capability that allows the Navy to monitor the aircraft’s health trends over time to facilitate better maintenance planning and efficiency. The T-54 incorporates the latest avionics and navigation upgrades, including a state-of-the-art cockpit that incorporates all technological advances in the flight management system.
Captain Michael Albus, Commander of TAW-4, will oversee the introduction of the T-54A into the US Navy’s two primary multi-engine training squadrons, Training Squadrons (VT) 31 and VT-35.
“We produce the best multi-engine pilots in the world“said Albus. “The T-54A will be the training aircraft that carries this legacy into the future. With its ProLine Fusion avionics suite, combined with increased range, speed and altitude, the T-54A will ensure our Airmen are well prepared to operate complex aircraft fleets and are ready for tomorrow’s challenges in a multi- domain”.
The arrival of the first replacement Multi-Engine Trainer System (METS) in more than 45 years is historic not just for the TAW-4, but for the entire naval air training industry. This aircraft is the first of the entire CNATRA – Chief of Naval Air Training – fleet of over 650 aircraft to include a gloss gray paint scheme. This paint scheme, announced alongside a “Midway” blue paint coating for CNATRA’s T-6B Texan II aircraft, is an effort to reconnect students and instructors with the fleet. The gloss gray color of the T-54A reflects the paintwork of the P-8A Poseidon and E-2D Hawkeye.
“The T-44C Pegasus has trained generations of naval aviators on multi-engine platforms. So the arrival of the T-54A is a truly historic moment that is a testament to the Navy’s commitment to training our future pilots“said Albus. “Many will immediately notice that the new aircraft is not painted orange and white like its predecessors, over the past 70 years of naval air training.
The new gray paint scheme is designed to enhance the pride of not only our students but also our instructors”.
Two crews returned the plane to NAS Corpus Christi after the Navy took possession of the plane days earlier in Wichita, Kansas. Commander Kerry Bistline, the TAW-4 officer responsible for METS fixed wing training, was the flight leader for both crews.
“This is a highlight for me as a flight instructor at TAW-4. Being able to see this program grow from acquisition to delivery is a highlight of my 27-year career. It was a long process to ensure that the METS team understood the requirements well. I look forward to seeing this trainer fly in Corpus Christi for the next few years”.
As more T-54A aircraft arrive, the T-44C Pegasus will slowly begin to retire. Combined with the gradual repainting of T-6B Texan II aircraft, fewer and fewer orange and white planes will appear in the South Texas sky. A growing number of new students in the advanced stage of multi-engine platform training will immediately begin training on the T-54A as additional students and instructors ride the T-44C into the sunset.
Headquartered at NAS Corpus Christi, CNATRA includes five training wings in Florida, Mississippi and Texas, home to 17 squadrons. Additionally, he oversees the U.S. Navy’s flight demonstration squadron, the Blue Angels, and the training program for all Replacement Squadrons in the fleet.
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