The 48th FIS was activated at Dow Field in November 1946 with P-47s. In October 1947 a transition into P-84Bs was completed. These were flown until the unit was temporarily deactivated on 2 October 1949. The 48th FIS was reactivated in November 1952 at Grenier AFB in Manchester NH with F-47s, replacing the New Hampshire ANG's 133d FIS. A relocation to Langley AFB was completed in early 1953 along with a transition into F-84Gs and then F-94Cs in the fall of 1953. In the summer of 1957 the squadron completed a transition into F-102As followed by another in the fall of 1960 to F-106As. The 48th FIS flew F-15s from 1982 to 1991, where many of the F-15 were transferred to the Missouri ANG, the Hawaii ANG, and 3 or 4 going to the Boneyard. The squadron is now the 48th Flying Training Squadron flying T-1A Jayhawks out of Columbus AFB Mississippi.

Winner Hughes Achievement Trophy 1971

Flight Markings
The colored stripes painted on the intake splitter plates (front part of the intake forward of the vari ramp) were Flight Markings to signify which flight an aircraft of the unit belonged to such as 'A' Flight, 'B' Flight, 'C' Flight. In the latter day of the 48 FIS A Flight was Light Blue, B Flight was Red, and C Flight was unbanded (no color). Even later year markings for the 48th had all intake splitter plates painted blue, while the Flight Markings shifted to the pitot tubes with A Flight Blue, B Flight White and C Flight now being the T-33's.