It is used in a variety of roles because of its design, economy of operations, ease of maintenance, high performance and exceptional safety record. The aircraft is used primarily by the Air Education and Training Command for undergraduate pilot and instructor pilot training. Air Combat Command, Air Force Materiel Command and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration also use the T-38 in various roles. Two independent hydraulic systems power the ailerons, flaps, rudder and other flight control surfaces.
Critical components are waist high and can be easily reached by maintenance crews.
Refueling and preflight inspections may also be performed readily. The T-38 needs as little as 2,300 feet of runway to take off and can climb from sea level to nearly 30,000 feet in one minute. Air Force Materiel Command uses the T-38A to test experimental equipment such as electrical and weapon systems. The Training Program. The Talon first flew in 1959.