For the A-10 fans...

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atomchaser said:
They are so ugly they fly by repelling the ground.
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LMAO!

We used to "go camping" at Udairi Range in Kuwait with the MEU, and these guys doing Southern Watch in A-10's would fly over, see our little camp, tip over on the left wingtip and circle about 2-300 ft over us, just looking down. You could actually see the pilot's face.

After they did it a few times, we got together and the next guy got a crisp salute (not done in the field, but c'mon, what'd HE have to worry about? :neener: ) from everybody on the hill. He saluted, waggled his wings, and "floored" it, or whatever you call it when the throttles go to the stops, swung wide and went over us at about 100 feet. Very, very cool.

And yes, I loved the A-10 before Desert Storm, still got the big poster somewhere! :D

S/F

Farnham
 
I think it was actually the other way around, AFhack

If I remember right Fairchild designed it first and then sold it to the Air Force:cool: But I may be wrong, I know a lot more about naval aircraft and WWII vintage. Just before the Gulf War I was in PLDC on a field exercise. We had no idea there was a range next to us until an A-10 came in low and cut loose with the cannon. Probably the closest I have ever come to crapping my pants as an adult.:eek:
 
I liked them way before they were cool.
We were at Grafenwoer in 83, when we had A-10s shoot up down range and then had a Cobra hover along side our line of tanks and crank off some rounds:cool: :cool:
 
1911Ron said:
I liked them way before they were cool.
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They were ALWAYS cool...:cool:

The first model I built without my Dad or brother's help was an A-10.
I tried to give it a European woodland camo job, but that didn't work out too well...:uhoh:
My dog ended up eating it along with half of my Micronauts collection...
 
Here in the Philadelphia area A-10s fly out of Willow Grove Naval Air Station as part of the PA National Air Guard. Often driving on the PA Turnpike near the Willow Grove exit one is treated to the sight of these bad boys as they practice takeoffs and landings. Sadly Willow Grove will become a thing of the past as it was cut in the last round of base closings.

I was able to buy a practice round of 30 mm ammo many years ago at a gun show. That's one big cartridge. I'd love to know how many grains of powder that it holds.
 
Some of you might not know this, but...

A few of our aircraft have government mandated warning stickers on them. The A-6, A-10, F-14 and B-1 come to mind. The warning says: "If you can read this, you're screwed".
 
The first time I saw A-10s was in 1977 at NAS North Island San Diego.

Kinda off topic, but I used to live in Scotland when I was working with the Royal Navy at RAF Edzell. My house was out in the open on the side of a gently sloping hill and sometimes I got lucky and would catch Tornados flying across the yellow rape fields below me. They were about 50 feet off the deck.

Rape fields http://www.beenthere-donethat.org.uk/layermarney07big.html
 
They were ALWAYS cool...

You betcha, Razor!

I don't remember the first time I saw an A-10, almost certainly was early 70s. Watching it fly, it reminded me of a bat.

I didn't appreciate how effective they were until after the Storm, but they were always cool.
 
Pilgrim said:
My squadron went to Cold Lake, CFB in 1982 for Maple Flag, the Canadian equivalent to the USAF Red Flag.

Cold Lake has this huge range to the north which includes 'enemy' airfields, truck parks, supply dumps. They also had an 'enemy' armor column consisting of concrete replicas of Soviet tanks. They 'had' until the A10s shot up the column with the 30 mm gun. After that they had piles of concrete rubble.

Pilgrim
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Fun place eh (cold lake)...My last college instructor observed the exact same thing you are speaking of...
 
Ah, found it!

I used to live near a Naval Air Station, so I had gotten used to seeing A7s, A6s, F/A-18s and such flying about. Even got used to the occasional F-16 from the Air National Guard base.

But, I just about had a heart attack trying to get my camera when I saw this formation approaching. I'm still kicking myself for not having my "good" camera ready to go. Had to use a cheap point and shoot. :banghead:
 

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ka50 said:
meh, real men fly F-16's and Su-37's :neener:
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Fighter Pilots make movies, Attack Pilots make history.:neener:

As a Marine Ordie, it always struck me as odd that the Corps was using brand new Harrier II+ and going to the JSF (Both of which go against long-standing Navy policy by only having one engine,) while the chAir Force was actually sticking with something tried and true, (With two engines,) instad of getting the latest whiz-bang stuff.

I remember reading an article in 1990 about how they were phasing out the "Outdated" A-10 and replacing it with A/E-16s, (F-16s modded for AtG.) Fortunately Gulf War 1 showed the value of the A-10.

They look so big, when I finally saw one aboard, MCAS Yuma, (Flying from Davis-MothanAFB Tuscon,) I couldn't believe how small it was. It's pretty much just that big old gun wrapped in titanium with some flight control surfaces.

The design and placement of the engines is genius, (For FOD protection and protecting a CAS aircraft,) too bad the Navy/Corps can't figure that out with regard to the JSF.

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Who can tell me why the black elliptical shape is painted on the fuselage?

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The black ellipse on the bottom of the fuselage is to confuse the quarry on aspect and turn direction-it simulates a canopy on that side when viewed from a distance.
 
Every now and then some Hogs will come down to Florida and play over at the Avon Park Air Force Range, which is near Sebring, about 30 miles south of DizzyWorld. The aircraft using the range are cleary visible (and audible!) to anyone fishing the right section of the Kissimmee River. In addition to A-10s the range is also used by F-16s from Homestead and many out-of-state units who come down for training when the winter weather is too bad to fly up north. We also have off-shore aerial combat ranges in the Gulf of Mexico. One of my hobbies is monitoring their air-to-air and air-to-ground radio communications. It's a lot of fun listening to the fighters working with the AWACS aircraft and being vectored in on a flight of "bogies."
 
It didn't help the last time I was in a dogfight with one, but a mistake in perceived turn direction for even a few seconds is valuable.
 
This is what I get to see everyday with the exception of the Ohio F-16. We call them Snowbirds. :D

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A friend of mine was skiing once up in New Hampshire, and had just gotten off the ski lift at the top of the mountain. This particular ski resort happens to be under the Yankee 1 & 2 MOAs, and he heard jets. He looked, and a four-ship flight of A-10s was coming around the side of the mountain, below him. He was enjoying the sight when they got jumped by a four-ship of F-15s! He said that for about 30 seconds there was the most amazing furball of Eagles and Warthogs in the valley:what: , and then the sky was empty except for a single Eagle being chased away by one of the A-10s:D

I've always wished I'd been there to watch that.
 
I'm sure the Eagles got their butt waxed by the hogs.

First mistake is to try to get into gun range on an A-10. Them hogs just have to chop the throttles and open the boards and they can damn near fall out of the sky. Watch the Eagle buzz by, close the boards, hammer the throttle, swing the nose in and let the Gau-8 blaze them out of the sky.:neener:
 
Lennyjoe said:
I'm sure the Eagles got their butt waxed by the hogs.

First mistake is to try to get into gun range on an A-10. Them hogs just have to chop the throttles and open the boards and they can damn near fall out of the sky. Watch the Eagle buzz by, close the boards, hammer the throttle, swing the nose in and let the Gau-8 blaze them out of the sky.:neener:
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A-10 in a ground attack A/C. I don't think it would stand much of a chance against an F-15 in a dog fight under most conditions (>5,000 ft). The A-10 did have at least one air-to-air kill in GW1. The story I heard was that an A-10 caught an Iraqi heliocopter flying and the A-10 pilot fired at him while using the rudder pedals to move the noise A-10 across the path of the chopper.
 
We all know how realistic video games can be *rolleyes*

BUT

In flight games a lack of speed is often a friend. Slow down into a tighter turn radius than your enemy and they are screwed.
 
The A-10s actually had two air-to-air helicopter kills in GW1, both with the cannon. One of them tried to use a Sidewinder, but couldn't get a lock.
 
I used to stay at the south end of Myrtle Beach just so I could lay out on the beach and watch them fly. This was back in the mid-80s.

I also have a very nice A-10 print done the year they left, I believe it was. I think that needs to bet framed and hung in the Man Room. Woo-hoo!

Now I go to a different beach, and watch the Marines fly their Harriers. Gotta love those CAS guys.
 
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