Phoenix-Mesa Gateway, 31 Jul 09; Last of the Tweets

[dunny]

Hello,

Not been out and about much recently, but I had a pretty good day at Gateway Airport last Friday. By the standards of Gateway, it was a pretty quiet day, but the highlight was a flight of three T-37s, en route to the Utah Test and Training Range. These were the last aircraft in service, so to see them in operation was a priviledge.













Plus a couple taken the previous evening of a very pleasing catch:




Not military, but thought it would be OK to add too:


For more about the retirement of the T-37, see the GAR report here:

Goodbye Tweety Bird

At the end of July 2009, the USAF quietly said goodbye to one of its longest serving types, the Cessna T-37 Tweet. Paul Dunn caught one of the final T-37 missions.

Thanks for looking,
Paul

[TonyO]

I have to get myself over there again just to get myself some T-38s, adore them that PHi Air Medical ASTAR is rather nice too...a high-resolution one would look good in the mag Mr D!!!

[Higgsr71]

Paul,

Gateway is a great location for shooting and certainly gets more then its fair share of very nice visitors, the first Talon and first Goshawk shot are very nice fella as are the night shots.

A nice piece on the Tweets retirement, another historic chapter closed that seems to have past most by rather quietly which seems to be the norm these days sadly.

Cheers
John

[bigcrow]

Superb Paul, love the Beale Talon...

[McG]

1st Talon and Goshawk for me Paul. Impressed by the lack of heat haze. What sort of time of day were these taken? Hope to get some action like that in a few weeks time.

[Geoff Hibbert]

Nice one Dunnster, shots 1 and 3 are quality and a great report too.

I do sometimes wish I had your job, if only I could remember all those TLA's I'd be able to crack it (and the T isn't for Tie Rack by the way )

[dunny]

Thanks for the comments guys.
Geoff, you'd get through far too many of your travel sickness bands in my line of work!! Mind you, we do have our own toilet in the flight deck!

[Glenn Beasley]

Excellent work Paul, as Geoff says your career does have its perks! Gateway is such a friendly place too.

[agdickie]

Night shots are brilliant Captain Dunny, little bit of blue in the sky lifts the shot too

[KarlADrage]

The first and the night shots are particularly pleasing, Mr Dunn. Right place, right time for the Tweets too!