A former U.S. Air Force T-43, a Boeing 737 plane, once located at George Bush Intercontinental Airport and popular among urban explorers, is on the grounds no more.
The training plane which sat on the airport property vacant and drew many questions from travelers, has been demolished and no longer exists on airport property, according to a release from the Houston Airport System.
“The decommissioned aircraft was obtained by the Houston Police Department in 2010 from the U.S. Department of Defense as part of the Texas 1033 Surplus Property Program. HPD and regional law-enforcement agencies used the aircraft for tactical training at IAH,” according to the Monday release.
The training platform was used by HPD SWAT, Special Response Group, Bomb Squad and K-9 units.
After 37 years of military service, it was decommissioned and sent out of service. HPD, in 2010 however, was the first law enforcement agency in the United States to be granted a decommissioned, fully functional aircraft from the Department of Defense.
It was housed in an airplane “graveyard” in Arizona before officials with HPD and then-U.S. Rep. Ted Poe brought it to Houston for police training.
The aircraft has not been used for training in Houston in recent years and became the target of unauthorized visits, vandalism and social-media posts, according to the airport system.
Recently the plane was sold at an auction for demolition and recycling.
“Houston Airports reminds the public to stay in designated areas and to avoid entering nonpublic airport property, work sites, fenced areas or service roads,” according to the release. “There are no public access or viewing opportunities at the former aircraft site.”