Retired Air Force Col. Ralph “Hoot” Gibson, who shot down five enemy fighters during the Korean War, died Jan. 2 as the result of an accidental fall in Tucson, Ariz., where he lived. According to a bio sketch at the Chanute Air Museum, Gibson joined the Army Air Forces in 1943 and graduated from flying school the following year. He later trained in jet aircraft, flying the F-86 with the 4th Fighter Group during the Korean War. During the Vietnam War, Gibson commanded the 433rd Tactical Fighter Squadron, flying 105 combat missions in the F-4. Here also is an obituary in the Tucson Citizen.
The last remaining T-1 Jayhawk at JBSA-Randolph, Texas, took its final flight to the "Boneyard" at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., on July 15. The 99th Flying Training Squadron will train pilots using T-6 and simulator until it gets T-7 Red Hawk in fiscal 2026.