That was odd - black T-38 trainer?

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aliensporebomb

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This afternoon I left one of our offices in South Minneapolis to head to another office and an aircraft was spotted maybe 2000 feet AGL and descending on the glide path to the Minneapolis St. Paul international airport soon to land was an all BLACK T-38 trainer.

We don't see many T-38s around here much less black ones.

Just saying that it looked pretty slick.

It came in from the northwest and was headed southeast.

Anyone else see a black T-38 around?
[/size]Anyone have photos? If I'd been thinking I could have grabbed a shot with my camera but...I missed it.
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaTOb0L-yvI
 
http://modelingmadness.com/scotts/decals/2bobs/tb48063.htm
http://www.airliners.net/photo/USA---Air/Northrop-T-38A-Talon/1911301/L/
http://www.airliners.net/photo/USA---Air/Northrop-T-38A-Talon/2042157/L/
http://www.airliners.net/photo/USA---Air/Northrop-T-38A-Talon/2059898/L/
 
It belongs to the Holloman F-22 unit. Sometimes units have T-38s, to go fly to keep certain requirements current, that do not have to be done in a certain kind of aircraft. Putting hours on F-22s, B-52s, U-2s is quite expensive, better to save the wear and tear and to put the hours on something else.
 
The all-black ones from Holloman are holdovers from when it was the F-117A wing. I remember seeing a black T-38 travel around with the F-117A to airshows in the USA.
 
SOC said:
The all-black ones from Holloman are holdovers from when it was the F-117A wing. I remember seeing a black T-38 travel around with the F-117A to airshows in the USA.
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IIRC black T-38s are also used by the guys at Whiteman and Beale. The black Holloman T-38s were originally from the F-117 program after they transitioned from using the A-7s as trainers and chase planes in 88/89.
 
Not shot under the best conditions - wrong lens, back-lit and flying almost directly overhead, but I shot these during the Fair St. Louis Air Show on July 3, 2011.
 

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Castle Air Museum (near Merced, CA) have one in black. Looked newly arrived when I was there last year (BTW - lovely place and great staff).
 
The Artist said:
Not shot under the best conditions - wrong lens, back-lit and flying almost directly overhead, but I shot these during the Fair St. Louis Air Show on July 3, 2011.
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This is nowhere near the all-black camo! It's olive green and light gray I think.
 
Is anyone aware of a T-38 or F-5 in red. Thought I saw that today though I figure it was prob just morning sun playing tricks on my eyes? I mean surely, it's not like there's still an F-20 flying around.
 
XP67_Moonbat said:
Is anyone aware of a T-38 or F-5 in red. Thought I saw that today though I figure it was prob just morning sun playing tricks on my eyes? I mean surely, it's not like there's still an F-20 flying around.
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Now THAT would be interesting!!
 
Well the plane was partly in a left bank over my store at about and altitude of maybe about 1000ft, give or take. It was about 9:30AM my time so the upper half was in shadow. But from I could see, the paint job was reminiscent on the F-20's. Not an exact match but similar.

Also reminded of the Swiss demonstration birds, though I didn't see red crosses on the wings.

Normally, I don't even give the black or gray versions a second thought. That's why this one caught my eye. Obviously it wasn't an F-20. But the paint job brought to mind the Tigershark.

The left bank leveled out so the plane was heading on a northerly course toward Biggs Field or El Paso International. At which point I wound up going back in the store to help some customers.

But there's my little minor mystery contribution to this thread.
 
And fifteen photos of the black Talons found on Flickr:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/burneraviation/3239013583/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/burneraviation/2951101316/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/burneraviation/2950165845/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/burneraviation/2950164281/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/burneraviation/3200490958/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/burneraviation/3199643529/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/burneraviation/3235197103/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/burneraviation/3406383754/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/burneraviation/3588014886/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/burneraviation/3587170458/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/burneraviation/3599042693/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/burneraviation/3666141730/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/burneraviation/3999901332/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/burneraviation/3985060685/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/burneraviation/4186527264/


... all found in this page initially, along with many more nice Talon pictures:
http://www.flickriver.com/photos/burneraviation/sets/72157610325391385/
 
XP67_Moonbat said:
Normally, I don't even give the black or gray versions a second thought. That's why this one caught my eye. Obviously it wasn't an F-20. But the paint job brought to mind the Tigershark.
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Could it be this Canadian commemorative scheme? The aircraft depicted in these photos sports a commemorative paint scheme evoking the glorious pas of the 419th « Moose » Squadron. Of course they also sported a very red large maple leaf on the all white underside, so if you saw none, then it probably isn't be the one...

f-5.jpg


cf-5-3.jpg


Source: http://www.rcaf-arc.forces.gc.ca/v2/equip/hst/freefight-fra.asp
 
Know what? I think that's it. Like I said, I was in the middle of helping out with a cart run so I didn't really have the opportunity to get a long look at it. Just enough to be reminded of the F-20 similarity.

But now that I look at that Boeing bird, I'm pretty sure that what I saw.
 

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