Eskisehir Aviation Park - T-33 MK III

The T-33A, produced by Lockheed Aircraft Corporation, a US aircraft maker, is the only jet training airplane in the USAF since 1948, when Cessna T-37A was released in 1957 and Northrop T-38A was released in 1961. Basic training, instrument training and experiment were used as aircraft. With a production volume of 6557 units,it has been the most used jet training aircraft in the world and has been in service for more than 40 years.

THK's transition to jet aircraft: October 16, 1950 at 8 Hv Plt. Sb.in was sent to Edwards AFB in the US-Arizona. These eight pilots are also the first jet pilots of our country (1). These pilots, whose names are listed below, completed their training flights with T-6, T-33, F-80 and F-84 respectively and returned to our country in May 1951. The first T-33s were T-33A and the first two (51-4058, 51-4059) were brought to Istanbul by sea on December 27, 1951. The other T-33s were flown from Brindisi in Italy to Balikesir. The development of the T-33A continued until 1993 and a total of 110 THKs participated. First arriving aircraft were assigned to 193.Filo. Jet Education Fleet stayed in Balikesir from 27.12.1951 to 1953, and the map was transferred to Diyarbakir. Here, the fleet served until the end of 1956 was transferred to Eskişehir. Since 1957, the name of the 111.Jet Education Fleet has been changed to the Independent Education Fleet in 1958. On July 4, 1964, the fleet was transferred to Çiğli and was renamed as the 121st Jet Training Fleet since 1970. Since 1993, T-33s have begun to leave the retirement age. Apart from this, a few T-33As in all the fleet served as training and liaison aircraft until mid-1996. A total of 58 T-33 Mk.III made by Canadair participated in THK from 1958 to 1982. 121. In addition to the Fleet, they served as training and liaison aircraft for the following Jet Bases with the T-33A.