Military Trainer Fleet Surpasses 40,000 Flight Hours in New Zealand Pilot Programme

New Zealand – The Royal New Zealand Air Force’s (RNZAF) fleet of T-6C Texan II aircraft has reached a major milestone, surpassing 40,000 flying hours since entering service in 2015. Operated by No. 14 Squadron, the Texan II remains the backbone of New Zealand’s military pilot training programme and is also flown by the RNZAF’s aerobatic display team, the Black Falcons.

• The milestone equates to approximately four and a half years of continuous flight time across the fleet.
• A total of 97 pilots have earned their brevets on the T-6C: 91 from the RNZAF and Royal New Zealand Navy, and six from the Royal Australian Air Force.
• The fleet supports high daily training output, with 18 to 24 sorties regularly conducted, underlining the aircraft’s reliability and importance to RNZAF’s pilot pipeline.
• The T-6C Texan II is expected to remain in RNZAF service for at least 30 years.

Source: Royal New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF)