The image of a jet, frozen in takeoff has been seen by generations of people driving along Winnipeg's Portage Avenue, but for the first time in decades it's not there.

The Lockheed T-33 Silver Star, a training plane used to introduce RCAF pilots to jet-powered flight, has been removed from its pedestal in Woodhaven Park near Sturgeon Creek for some much-needed TLC.

After being exposed to the elements for many years, it's showing its age.

A fresh coat of paint is coming to the T-33, which has been on display since 1967. (Gary Solilak/CBC)

The jet is set to get some fresh paint while repairs are made to the pedestal on which it has been mounted since 1967.

The plane was lifted from the podium by crane on Tuesday and lowered to the ground, where it is being supported on steel brackets and stacks of wood in a fenced-off area.

A spokesperson for the city said it is anticipated the project will be completed sometime in the fall.

The T-33 was a training plane used to introduce pilots to jet powered flight. (Google Street View) A crane lifted the jet off its pedestal on Tuesday. (Lyzaville Sale/CBC)

The Silver Star was introduced in the 1950s and was the air force's primary trainer for fighter and interceptor jets. It was also used by the RCAF's Golden Centennaires, an aerobatic team formed to mark the country's 100th anniversary that pre-dated Canada's world-famous Snowbirds.

A plaque on the podium that usually holds up Winnipeg's Silver Star commemorates the founders of the original Stevenson Airport in St. James in 1927 and the servicemen and women who trained in St. James during the Second World War.