One of two last flying US made B-57s, possible the last one at all in the air. This one and the other one operational as of 1998 are operated by NASA and often contracted out to the National Science Foundation. This one is based in Houston and is attached to the Johnson Space Center's flight ops housed at Ellington Field. Prior to 1998 this aircraft was in glorious natural metal, highly polished. Today it is in standard NASA white with a blue stripe and NASA's logo on the tail. The other WB-57 was based at Edwards AFB in California, so I am told, and might be retired. This aircraft flies at least every Thursday on weather related science missions. I met the pilot at the filling station quite by chance one morning and he was quite happy to talk about this old relic.
