I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY ARE STILL AROUND!
The Cessna T-37 is the USAF Air Training Command's standard two-seat primary trainer. Well over 1000 of them were built and versions of them are used even today by foreign countries for training as well as for military surveillance and low-level attack duties.
Back in the late 60's (Vietnam Era) when I was in the Air Force and a crew chief on twin engine jets, I worked the T-37. Then it was called the "Tweetie Bird", for its loud screaming little J-69 engines.
I came to learn every screw, nut, bolt, wire and system of this fantastic aircraft. Then, their skin was stainless, requiring many hours of polishing to get that gleam which made us proud of our planes. Many were the nights for Boost Pump changes, engine changes and other required tasks done in sub-freezing temperatures of the flat lands of West Texas at Reese Air Force Base. Its a great little plane and fun to fly. It even outlasted Reese AFB which closed a few years ago.
All Air Force Pilots train in the T-37 before moving on to other aircraft. I remember one day when a civilian student pilot came out to the flight line with his Instructor to fly a sortie in my plane (Tail number:00249). It was the first time I ever saw a civilian fly in a military plane. Turns out there were two of them, and they were assigned to pilot training school at Reese, both were doctor/scientist, they were NASA Astronauts. One dropped out of the program, the other became a legend. His name is Story Musgrave. More on him another time.