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Laughlin AFB T-38 Talon

Laughlin AFB T-38 Talon poster art.

Laughlin Air Force Base is a facility of the United States Air Force located in Del Rio, Texas. Laughlin AFB, the largest pilot training base in the USAF, is home to the 47th Flying Training Wing of the Air Education and Training Command. On weekdays, the airfield sees more takeoffs and landings than any other airport in the country.

The Northrop T-38 Talon is a two-seat, twin-engined supersonic jet trainer. It was the world’s first supersonic trainer and is also the most produced. The T-38 remains in service as of 2015 in air forces throughout the world. The United States Air Force (USAF) operates the most T-38s. In addition to training USAF pilots, the T-38 is used by NASA. The US Naval Test Pilot School is the principal US Naval forces operator (other T-38s were previously used as Naval aggressor aircraft until replaced by the similar Northrop F-5 Tiger II). Pilots of other NATO nations fly the T-38 in joint training programs with USAF pilots. As of 2015, the T-38 has been in service for over 50 years with its original operator, the United States Air Force.