The Texan II Arrives at Columbus:

The 14th Flying Training Wing at Columbus AFB, Miss., received its first new T-6A Texan II last week. State and local officials turned out to acknowledge the arrival and mark the beginning of the end for the base’s T-37 Tweet trainers. The commander of the 14th FTW, Col. Dave Gerber, noted that the wing had been preparing for the change for almost two years, saying: “It is time for a change. … The T-6 can fly twice the range of the T-37 while using half the fuel and T-6 performs better in crosswinds allowing us to fly on days the T-37 would not.”