AETC holds T-7A Red Hawk official arrival ceremony, marking new era in pilot training
U.S. Air Force Lt Col Michael “Hyde” Trott, 99th Flying Training Squadron commander, and Steve Schmidt, Boeing T-7A Red Hawk pilot, drink a Coca-Cola after during the arrival ceremony at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, Jan. 9. 2026. Drinking a Coca-Cola is a 99th Flying Training Squadron tradition going back to when it was the famed Tuskegee Airmen’s 99th Pursuit Squadron. Named in honor of the Tuskegee Airmen, the T-7A Red Hawk will be assigned to the 99th Flying Training Squadron “Red Tails” and will integrate into the pilot training pipeline across AETC over the coming years. (U.S. Air Force photo by Zelideth Rodriguez)