T-41 Goes on Display at Maxwell

The Air Force Officer Training School at Maxwell AFB, Ala., has dedicated a retired T-41 Mescalero in tribute to the thousands of young airmen who began their flying careers in the tiny high-wing aircraft. “There are other monuments on this complex that celebrate our heritage, but none more fitting than this aircraft that truly was the introduction to flight for many fledgling aviators,” said Col. Timothy O’Brien, OTS commander, at the Oct. 29 dedication ceremony. The T-41 now on display was previously assigned to Craig AFB, Ala., as well as the former OTS at Lackland AFB, Tex., and Maxwell’s own aero club. The Air Force employed the T-41, the military version of the Cessna 172, for more than 30 years to screen flight trainees prior to OTS and primary flight training. (Maxwell report by Kimberly L. Wright)