Description
The first Texans arrived to the Colombian Air Force on November 27, 1940. Between 1941 and 1942, 100 units were completed in versions B, C and D. Their registrations occupied all the numbers of the 700 series. From the beginning, they were destined for the Military Aviation School in Cali and the Palanquero Air Bases in Puerto Salgar, Cundinamarca and Apiay in Meta. Following the gradual disappearance of this material due to accidents and other reasons, at the beginning of the 60s, it was decided that the remaining aircraft would be concentrated at the Melgar Air Base, from where they operated until 1967, when they were withdrawn from service after 25 years of uninterrupted operation.
The Texans were part of the Combat and Reconnaissance Squadron that was created in Barranquilla, but that depended on Palanquero during the Second World War. After the war, they were used in the fight against insurgents in the center of the country and in the Eastern Plains, fulfilling countless combat, liaison and supply missions. However, their main function was training; thanks to them, numerous generations of military pilots graduated, being a pillar in the transition from biplanes to monoplanes. This equipment suffered 36 fatal accidents and at the end of its operational life there were only 4 Texan AT-6s left, called T-6 in their final stage.
The remaining aircraft were destined as museum pieces to adorn the premises of the Military Aviation School, the FAC Non-Commissioned Officers School, the Air Combat Command No. 4 and the Military Air Transport Command. In this last unit, the FAC-777 had been preserved in perfect operating conditions until 1981, but the problems presented for its proper maintenance forced it to be sold through Banco Popular. Another T-6 is located at the Casamata Club of the Infantry School north of Bogotá, on the Carretera Central del Norte.
This template only contains a single page PDF file
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.