The US Air Force has finally repaired all 39 T-1 Jayhawk trainer aircraft which were severely damaged when a hail storm swept through Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas, in 2016.
Unable to fly, the 47th Flying Training Wing aircraft used for advanced pilot training were grounded for repairs.
The last T-1 to be repaired returned to service Dec. 2020. Overall, the total cost to repair the 39 aircraft was approximately $134 million.
It is worth noting that the aircraft underwent the costly repairs despite the service’s plans to retire the entire trainer fleet between fiscal years 2023 and 2025.
T-1s are being phased out as the costs of upgrades have been determined to be too steep. The service estimated that the engine issues on the aircraft alone would take $500 million to rectify.
Why the hail damages cost $134 million to repair
The hail damage repairs took place at an L3 Harris facility in Waco, Texas, and at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG) – which received certification to repair commercial derivative aircraft – located on Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz.
The Air Education and Training Command reached out to the Mobility and Training Aircraft Directorate, which developed a plan to quickly repair and get the planes back into action.
“We deployed a team to Laughlin AFB, Texas to do a site survey, and we determined that the damaged aircraft would have to be sent to a depot-like facility to be repaired,” said Herman Brandon, Chief, Specialized Trainer Aircraft Branch, within the Directorate’s Legacy Trainer Aircraft Division. “From there, we established two repair lines which we knew would expedite getting the aircraft back into service.”
Initially, the directorate led repair team thought the external damage – caused by hail – was the primary concern, however upon further inspection other issues were identified.
“If you ever watched ‘This Old House’ [home improvement T.V. series], well that’s what these aircraft were like,” said Brandon. “Once we removed the skins, we found additional over and above work was required.”
Some of the additional work included removing blue water corrosion in some planes, repairing frame cracks were found, and addressing pressurization challenges.
“This was very important work,” said Brandon. “Before the repairs, not having the planes had an impact on aircraft availability rates and the Air Force’s ability to train pilots. I’m very proud of the team for getting these aircraft back to 47th Flying Training Wing.”
