Air Force Academy Accepts Four T-19A Kestrels

Overview

• The Air Force Academy formally accepted delivery and cleared four T-19A Kestrel aircraft for operations based at Davis Airfield on Thursday, November 12, 2026.
• The two-seat, single-engine aircraft are GB1 Gamebird airframes built by Game Aerospace Composites and officially designated by the Air Force as the T-19A Kestrel after completing military certification flights.
• The acquisition was funded primarily by a roughly $3 million donation with about $400,000 in initial Air Force spending for spares and equipment and an estimated $1 million per year set aside for sustainment.
• Academy leaders selected six active-duty pilots to form an initial cadre that will draft an aerobatic training syllabus, run demonstration flights at recruiting events and air shows, and mentor a small annual cohort of cadets.
• Officials frame the Kestrel as a targeted, near-term boost to aviator training rather than a cure for a multi-year shortfall of about 2,000 pilots and say the program will complement longer-term efforts such as fielding the delayed T-7 trainer.