High Flight T 38 Talon Version

Do you remember when television stations did not broadcast 24 hours a day? If you stayed up very late back then, you may remember that, at the end of the broadcast day, they signed off with patriotic videos. These videos were, generally, scenes across America or tributes to the military with the STAR SPANGLED BANNER, AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL or TAPS in the background.

While they all were uplifting, I found one version very special to me. It moved me as a child, and it became even more special to me as I pursued my dream to become a pilot and during my subsequent career as a pilot. That sign off was the HIGH FLIGHT video. That video showed a jet flying while HIGH FLIGHT, the poem by Royal Canadian Air Force Pilot, John Gillespie Magee, Jr, was recited. Several editions of the video were aired over the years. The first edition featured a Lockheed F-104, Starfighter, which was a favorite fighter of mine as a boy growing up. Later versions were produced featuring other aircraft. My favorite edition, by far, was the one that featured the Nortrop T-38, Talon.

The T-38 has been the Air Force's supersonic trainer for well over 40 years, now. Until recently, every Air Force officer that earned his pilot wings flew the T-38. With its pure white paint scheme and sleek design, I believe the T-38 was the most beautiful airplane ever built... and still is to this day! I remember getting chills watching it knife through the clear blue skies at Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma, where I attended Pilot Training as a young Lieutenant, hoping to earn my wings. Anyone who has been to my home has seen the T-38 painting by world renowned artist, Rick Broome, hanging prominently over the mantle of my fireplace.

When I watched the HIGH FLIGHT video with its breathtaking flying scenes, I, actually, relived the excitement and exhilaration I experienced each time I strapped myself into that jet. And combining those breathtaking flying scenes with the immortal words of John Gillespie Magee, Jr in his poem, HIGH FLIGHT, left me choked up.

Recently, I had the good fortune to find a copy of the T-38 HIGH FLIGHT video. You can experience the thrill and exhilaration of flight that I and a privileged few have. Turn up your computer volume and experience the wonder of flight. I suggest selecting "Full Screen".