T-33 Shooting Star
Our T-33, in The Copperheads livery of the 197th Fighter Interceptor Squadron — a tribute to the Arizona Air National Guard, past, present, and future.
History comes alive when you can touch it. The Arizona Air National Guard was established in 1946 at Luke Field by Barry Goldwater Sr. — flying the P-51 Mustang — and entered the jet age in late 1953 with delivery of their first T-33. The 197th Fighter Interceptor Squadron flew it for instrument training, jet introduction, VIP transport, and target towing into the mid-1960s.
Our T-33
Privately owned, operated by AAHG. A Canadian-built T-33 Mk. III with the more powerful Rolls Royce Nene-10 engine, served with the Royal Canadian Air Force until 2005, then a retired Canadian airlines pilot, then a French owner in Reno. We brought it to Arizona in 2021.
The paint
Late 2021, flown to Kingman where Straube's Aircraft Paint replicated the original scheme of The Copperheads of the 197th FIS. Ronnie Olsthoorn provided the painstaking and exact stenciling — in our estimation, the most authentic T-33 paint scheme in the US.
On the family it honors
Deepest thanks to Jeff Welker, whose late father Dale was the photographer for the Arizona Air National Guard. His father's photos played a key role in replicating the paint scheme.
Where to see it
Air shows and fly-ins around the southwestern United States. The airplane is an absolute pleasure to fly — and it's easy to be taken back to the early days of jet aviation.
The Copperheads, in flight.
Air-to-air and ramp shots of the AAHG T-33, painted in the original 197th FIS scheme.
The nose art — by Ronnie Olsthoorn, on Straube's paint. 
Head-on at golden hour. 
Low over the Sonoran. 
Full profile · ARIZ ANG 35397. 
An overcast pass. 
Black and white, over the fields. 
Banking turn over the desert. 
Canopy up · on the ramp.
Films, partner sites, and credits referenced on this page.
ARIZ ANG 35397 — gear down, The Copperheads on the nose, Goldwater on the rail.