Deke Slayton’s North American Aviation pilot’s kneeboard that he used during flight training with the Lockheed T-33A subsonic jet trainer in the late 1950s. The gray plastic kneeboard, 10˝ x 6˝ x 2˝, features pads and a canvas belt strap to the curved underside, and the top bears spring-loaded clips to either end, with the upper end containing an inset pencil sharpener and a small window identifying the pilot as “D. K. Slayton.” Included with the kneeboard are 11 checklist pages for the T-33 aircraft, which includes an unfilled “Pilot’s Flight and Flight Log” dated June 1958, a “T-33A Condensed Checklist, Emergency Procedures” dated January 15, 1959, and various data charts for cruise control, take-off distance, power settings, and emergency radar assistance. In fine condition, with some scattered marks, and some stains to belt.
A group of four Lockheed T-33A jet trainers were operated at the NASA Flight Research Center from 1958 to 1973. The T-33 was the first U.S. Air Force jet trainer and it was primarily used for support and flight research. However, during the Mercury Program, the T-33 was replaced by the T-38 in 1961 as NASA’s new go-to advanced jet trainer.
