Beechcraft T-34C Turbo Mentor

The current Red Knights of Training Squadron THREE (VT-3) picked up the torch lit by their predecessors on May 1, 1960 and continued the legacy of "Training the Best for America's Defense". By the end of 1968, VT-3 had flown almost 110,000 instructional hours and trained 902 students in the basic prop-training course for that calendar year. VT-3 remained at South Whiting Field for thirteen years until 1973, when the squadron joined VT-2 at North Whiting Field to make room for newly formed helicopter training squadrons at South Field. In April of 1977, VT-3 began the official transition from the T-28 Trojan to the T-34C Turbo Mentor. In addition, the squadron began to utilize extensive simulated flight instruction and introduced the Cockpit Procedure Trainer into the training syllabus. The first student completed the new T-34C syllabus in Aug 1978. The Red Knights continue to provide the highest quality training to student aviators from the Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Air Force, and several allied nations. Signed and Numbered by the Artist. See More.