Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star (N933GC)

Nice. I haven't seen one of these since I was a kid. I would see them on a weekend flying into KSCH refuel then off they go again. This would have been mid 50"s.

My Vote for Best Pic this Week !!

At ages 4-5, my eyes would be as big saucers if such a jet came over my home area of Northern MN, not far from the Canadian border!

Used to see quite a few of these in the mid '50's when we lived at Wherry Housing at Nellis AFB in Nevada. Then started seeing the F100 Super Sabers as they came in to their own. Great picture of a pioneering military jet.

One day in 1959 I was 16 years old, joyriding in an Aeronca Champ at 3,000 feet when a pair of these buzzed me on either side. Scared me silly and made my day.

The Strategic Air Command had a program to give junior copilots flight time as aircraft commander using the T-33 -- called the ACE program (as I recall, ACE stood for Aircraft Command Experience). I remember my dad flying the T-33 back in the late 1960s. To the eyes of an 8 year-old, the T-33 was definitely better looking than the B-52 -- but not as cool as the FB-111A for which my dad later was a squadron commander (the 393rd at Pease AFB).

Great aircraft name. I'm sure the heart pacemaker people especially appreciate it.

I have fond memories from the 60's of being on the sand at Grand Beach, Manitoba, and being entertained by the "T-Birds" from RCAF Station Gimli. Six or eight planes would practice formation flying, and at the end of the practice time, the last guy in line would dip his wings and they would all fly back across Lake Winnipeg. My Dad had been an RCAF pilot during WWII. We were all very quiet, and paid rapt attention.

Gorgeous! How sad to see that rear seat empty!

I flew in one as a cadet at the Air Force Academy in 1968. The pilot was just back from Vietnam, this was a toy to him. We took it into the mountains around Colorado Springs, flying through some canyons. He had us knife edge at one point. He let me take the controls for a while. Incredible experience!

My Father was a Mustang pilot in China in WW II. Volunteered to reenter the AF in 1950, figuring he would go to Korea as a Mustang pilot. Turned out the AF needed photo interpretation instructors (That was his secondary job in China) more than Mustang pilots. Spent the Korean War at Lowery teaching. Continued to fly, twin props like the B-26 Invader, B-25, etc. Went to AFIT at Dayton, still flying. in 1956, was encouraged to transition to jets. Flew a cross-country in a T-33 as orientation. Hated it! Went off flying status and left the AF in 1958. He had told me that the day he no longer enjoyed flying, he would quit. He did. (as an aside, in 1957 he submitted his resignation to AF, was refused. The next spring we took a trip to Washington, D.C.
While we went sightseeing, he visited the Pentagon. That year's promotion cycle saw only one Capt who didn't make Maj. My father riffed out later that year.)

Beautiful photo. Loved seeing this classic fly at the Abbotsford 60th Anniversary Show last WE!

Those fuel tanks didn't do much for speed or maneuverability. But the look cool.

Did my advanced flying training on the CanadairT33 at RCAF Macdonald. They were powered by the RR Nene engine which instructors who had flown the US engined version said made it superior in its performance.

I Always loved that plazne the T Bird.. I flew in the FAF French Air Force on it ... we used it for IFR training.. Excellent endurance and visibility..Nice picture

What a great image!

Fantastic Light !

I worked as an Aircraft Electrician on these birds at George AFB (F-106 squadron) and Phalsbourg AB, France (F-84F squadron) 1960-1964. They were great birds to maintain, and the pilots flew them all the time

This plane just flew over me, low over Napa Valley. Fun to see.