I knew something was going on when I started getting messages today about a loud plane flying low over Quincy and Hannibal today. I have confirmed it was a Navy plane flying over Missouri and Illinois today and it has a fascinating history among pilots.

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I received this screenshot via Messenger today about a low-flying plane over Quincy. This is what the Flight Radar 24 app showed. It was later spotted flying southward along the Mississippi River.

Infographic, Flight Radar 24 app
Infographic, Flight Radar 24 app
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That plane, a Beechcraft T-6 Texan II, is a Navy plane which looks like this from the cockpit.

Military Footage Archive - MFA via YouTube
Military Footage Archive - MFA via YouTube
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I have known fighter pilots in my life that have shared that this was one of their first training planes back when they began their careers.

Wikipedia defines the Beechcraft T-6 Texan II like this:

The Beechcraft T-6 Texan II is a single-engine turboprop aircraft built by the Raytheon Aircraft Company (Textron Aviation since 2014). A trainer aircraft based on the Pilatus PC-9, the T-6 replaced the United States Air Force's Cessna T-37B Tweet and the United States Navy's T-34C Turbo Mentor during the 2010s.

I haven't been able to find out (yet) who was flying this plane over the Hannibal/Quincy area Wednesday morning, but very possible this was a student plane. I'll admit that I'm just guessing at this point. Just know the plane that buzzed over our heads in both Missouri and Illinois today has quite a colorful history among pilots.

Classic Planes & Classic Cars, Pig Piney Wyoming

Gallery Credit: Glenn Woods

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