Register

When a Tweet Turns Into a Smokin’ Hot Jet

Yes, engines do smoke…

[Credit: Joel Kimmel]
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • During his second solo flight in a T-37 "Tweet" at Williams AFB, a USAF student pilot experienced an engine malfunction during taxi, characterized by excessive smoke.
  • Initially dismissing a casual warning from ground control as a trainee mistake, the pilot realized the severity only after a more authoritative voice intervened and an instructor visually confirmed a thick plume of smoke.
  • Responding to the clear danger, he promptly initiated an emergency ground egress, shutting down his aircraft and highlighting the challenges of a training environment with both student pilots and air traffic controllers.
See a mistake? Contact us.

Seven Days after my first solo in the iconic T-37 while in U.S. Air Force pilot training at Williams AFB in Chandler, Arizona, I found myself strapping in for my second solo flight. To be sure, I was excited. The T-37, “Tweet” as it was affectionately called, was a small twin engine jet trainer that’d been in the USAF inventory since the late fifties. Maybe when it was brand-spanking new, the crews that flew it were awestruck. But by the time I began training in that little sucker in the early ‘80s, it was kicked around as the ugly sibling to the more beautiful and much better-performing T-38 Talon.

This Article First Appeared in FLYING Magazine

If you're not already a subscriber, what are you waiting for? Subscribe today to get the issue as soon as it is released in either Print or Digital formats.

Roger Johnson

Roger Johnson was a former banner-tow pilot, USAF F-4 Fighter Weapons School instructor pilot, and is a senior airline captain. He has published three aviation books.

Ready to Sell Your Aircraft?

List your airplane on AircraftForSale.com and reach qualified buyers.

List Your Aircraft
AircraftForSale Logo | FLYING Logo
Pilot in aircraft
Sign-up for newsletters & special offers!

Get the latest stories & special offers delivered directly to your inbox.

SUBSCRIBE