48th FTS 'Alley Cats' close the book on T-1A Jayhawk era Published March 30, 2026 By Lt. Col. Eddie R. Altizer 48th Flying Training Squadron COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- The history of the 48th Flying Training Squadron is written in the skies of every major American conflict since World War I. Known as the "Alley Cats," the unit is the most decorated on base, a testament to a century of evolving missions and airframes. But for the last three decades, that legacy has been inextricably linked to the sleek, white T-1A Jayhawk. That chapter reached its emotional conclusion Nov. 26, 2025. Under a cool, windy morning sky, the final four T-1A Jayhawks touched down at Columbus Air Force Base for the last time, carrying the final student pilots of the Accelerated Path to Wings (XPW) syllabus. The first Jayhawk arrived here Jan. 25, 1996, launching its first sortie just days later on Feb. 2. Since then, the aircraft has been the silent partner in the journey of thousands of world-class, all-weather-capable pilots. From rescue and mobility to Air Force Special Operations Command and C4ISR, the Jayhawk was the bridge between a dream and a flight suit. Columbus AFB served as the home for 47 T-1As over the aircraft’s lifetime. Each jet logged tens of thousands of hours, serving as a classroom at 30,000 feet for future Air Force leaders. The Jayhawk was more than just hardware; it was a flexible platform that weathered decades of shifting doctrine. Instructors navigated an ever-changing training landscape, at one point juggling four different syllabi simultaneously. Even as the decision to divest the airframe loomed, the T-1A remained a workhorse, producing 69 additional pilots during its sunset phase. The aircraft’s final mission was perhaps its most innovative: the XPW syllabus. Designed to transform students with minimal aviation experience into Air Force pilots in just 145 days — bypassing the T-6 Texan II entirely — the XPW program proved the Jayhawk could train anyone, regardless of their background. The final formation was led by Col. Anthony McKee, Maj. Stu Evers, Maj. Hillary Redmond and Maj. Joshua Mayfield. As the wheels met the tarmac, the T-1A completed its final duty: ensuring those last four students were ready for the rigors of aerial refueling, low-level navigation, airdrop and formation flying. Behind the scenes, the transition was made possible by a maintenance team that worked tirelessly to squeeze every second of training value out of the remaining jets. Following their final touchdown in Mississippi, the aircraft made their last trek to the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group — better known as the “Boneyard” — in Tucson, Arizona. While the Jayhawk fleet now rests among the desert sands of Arizona, its DNA remains scattered across the globe in the cockpits of every transport and tanker aircraft in the Air Force inventory. The T-1A Jayhawk served its nation well. It and the generations of instructor and student pilots who wore the Alley Cat patch have earned their permanent place in the 48th’s heritage. The engines have gone quiet in Columbus, but the legacy of the Jayhawk lives on in every pilot who carries its lessons into the fight.