The Gulf Coast Wing SNJ is a true World War II veteran, which served as an instrument trainer at Pensacola Naval Air Station in the last couple of years of the war. Green trim reveals its assignment as a Marine Corps aircraft, but its roots are in Texas, having been manufactured in Dallas in 1943. Nick-named the "pilot maker" during the War, the AT-6 Texan/SNJ was the final rung of the training ladder for combat fighter pilots. After months of work in trainers with less power and lower performance, those who cut the mustard were moved on to the T-6 Texan advanced trainer (or SNJ advanced trainer if you were a Navy pilot) - the final hurdle before moving into combat aircraft. The men who qualified in the SNJ moved on to assignments in aircraft such as Corsairs, Avengers, and Helldivers.

In the coming year, this aircraft and its stable mate, the World War II era Twin Beech 18, will continue to present “America Trains for War,” a performance that describes and displays their contribution to aviation training during the war, including the loops, rolls and turns that were originally developed as combat maneuvers. 

Last year, we were able to start touring the SNJ with a newly installed engine, thanks in part to our supporters in a previous 12 Planes of Christmas campaign. The new engine is performing beautifully, and our SNJ has taken dozens of passengers into the air since then. But one last task remains: her radios are reaching the end of their useful life and need to be replaced with a new suite of modern avionics, which includes two new radios, a GPS and an intercom for communications and navigation. While the full suite will top $20,000, your help will fund the critical first piece of this installation: an advanced GPS navigation system. 

The Gulf Coast Wing tours routinely from April to November each year to airshows, barnstorming events, civic events, and flyovers, carrying the history of WWII military aviation to the public. We engage with ROTC units, scout troops, Civil Air Patrol, schools, and even universities. Our SNJ is wonderfully popular with the public and with the help of our supporters can continue her career bringing history to life, one amazing flight at a time.