NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, Md. -- The Navy celebrated the Naval Air Training Command’s one millionth flight hour of the T-45 Goshawk, the Navy's premier jet trainer aircraft, Aug. 26 at Cecil Field in Jacksonville, Fla.

This milestone occurred less than a year after delivery of the final production T-45, and clearly demonstrates that this is an effective training system, said Cmdr. Doug Belvin, T-45 Integrated Product Team lead for the Naval Undergraduate Flight Training Systems Office (PMA-273) here.

“This milestone is another testament to the quality that this team has put into each and every T-45 that we have training our future aerial combat warriors,” said Rear Adm. Bill Sizemore, Chief of Naval Air Training. “It's an exciting time in Naval Air Training as we forge into the future with the T-45 Goshawk, converting the remaining analog models into digital/glass cockpits to mirror the aircraft in the fleet.”

The PMA-273 T-45 IPT here focuses on sustainment of the T-45 training system and according to Belvin, achieving a million flight hours with a mishap rate that is a fraction of previous strike training aircraft proves that the system and its support strategy are working.

“The combination of contractor logistics support for the aircraft and engine, and government fleet support team sustaining engineering and logistics support were instrumental in providing the tools for the Chief of Naval Air Training (CNATRA) to train and wing more than 3,600 strike pilots and 250 strike naval flight officers (NFOs), said Blevin. “PMA-273 is supported by the Fleet Support Team at Cecil Field, Fla., for airframe, avionics and logistics, at Cherry Point, N.C., for the T-45 engine, and Lakehurst, N.J., for support equipment.”

The fleet was responsible for the arrangements for the millionth flight hour commemorative flight. PMA-273 ensured coordination with industry. The event consisted of a formation flight by pilots from each Training Wing that currently operates the T-45. Training Air Wing-1 in Meridian, Miss., and TRAWING-2 in Kingsville Texas conduct intermediate and advanced undergraduate strike pilot training. TRAWING-6 in Pensacola, Fla., conducts advanced undergraduate Naval Flight Officer training. Each TRAWING has played a role in building the million operating hours amassed by the system, and thus played a role in the flight. The pilot training TRAWINGs both had aircraft in Florida in preparation for an aircraft carrier pilot qualification event, so there was a natural opportunity to conduct this commemorative sortie.

To commemorate the event, Boeing presented a plaque to CNATRA and each of the three Naval Air Training Command wings that fly the T-45 during a ceremony following a formation flight over USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) to celebrate surpassing the milestone.

For more than 18 years, the twin-seat, single-engine Goshawk has prepared student aviators to transition to front-line Navy and Marine Corps fleet aircraft, including the F/A-18 Hornet, F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, EA-6B Prowler, EA-18G Growler and AV-8B Harrier. It is also the only aircraft in the world designed to conduct carrier-based flight training.

The Goshawk, built by the Boeing Company, is a component of the fully integrated T-45 training system, which also includes high-fidelity instrument and flight simulators, computer-assisted classroom learning, an automated training-management asset, and contractor logistics support. More than 3,600 student aviators from the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and several international militaries have received instruction on the system at naval air stations in Meridian, Miss.; Kingsville, Texas; and Pensacola, Fla., before earning their wings of gold.

Boeing delivered the 221st and final T-45 training jet to the Navy in November 2009. The company continues to support the T-45 fleet by providing engineering, logistics, and support equipment in partnership with BAE Systems, which supplied the aircraft’s rear and center fuselage sections, wing assembly and vertical tail. Boeing manages the T-45's spare and repair parts supply, and supports L-3 Vertex with aircraft maintenance. Rolls-Royce provided the T-45’s Adour F405 turbofan power plant.

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Flight -- The Navy and the Boeing Company celebrated the one millionth flight hour of the T-45 Goshawk, the Navy’s premier jet trainer aircraft, at Cecil Field, Naval Air Training Command, Jacksonville, Fla., Aug. 26. Shown here in formation flight over the USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), the twin-seat, single-engine Goshawk has prepared student aviators to transition to front-line Navy and Marine Corps fleet aircraft for the past 18 years. (U.S. Navy Photo)

Formation -- The Navy and the Boeing Company celebrated the one millionth flight hour of the T-45 Goshawk, the Navy’s premier jet trainer aircraft, at Cecil Field, Naval Air Training Command, Jacksonville, Fla., Aug. 26. (U.S. Navy Photo)