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A-10 "Grunts in the Sky"


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My favorite plane growing up was the F-15, which explains my license plate "F15 EAGL".

However, I have always liked the A-10. Here's a good article about it, including some of the struggles to keep the Air Force from retiring it. There is also a 21 minute video that is worth watching with all actual footage and interviews with pilots and also boots on the ground. It doesn't have a lot of footage of flying, but does a good job of showing the relationship between the A-10 pilots and the guys on the ground.

http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/17332/the-usaf-has-finally-released-a-glowing-film-about-the-a-10-it-tried-to-suppress

 

 

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Awesome Jet!  Had the same Revell 1:48 scale model.  Buddy in college went on to fly them. He taught a DM for a bit.  I have not heard one maintainer or pilot ever bitch about the airplane.  Only those that didn't fly it or work on it complained!  They should build another run of them.  It sure puts the F35 to shame so far!  I'd love to fly one, the ablity to put the nose on a target and fly circles around it must feel good! 

-Matt

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5 minutes ago, MB65E said:

Awesome Jet!  Had the same Revell 1:48 scale model.  Buddy in college went on to fly them. He taught a DM for a bit.  I have not heard one maintainer or pilot ever bitch about the airplane.  Only those that didn't fly it or work on it complained!  They should build another run of them.  It sure puts the F35 to shame so far!  I'd love to fly one, the ablity to put the nose on a target and fly circles around it must feel good! 

-Matt

Being able to fly any of the fightears would be a rush 

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During college I worked summers on Lake Wateree in SC. Shaw AFB is across the lake and based a number of A10's. I must say it was awesome to see one of them coming across the lake low enough to have to deviate around the 20 ft mast on my sail boat. It was a rush for the kids as well. On days off we'd just sit on the boat out in the lake and watch them practice maneuvers right over and around us.

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My cousin used to fly them at DM and other bases. He also flew the F16 and A7. He said the A-10 was the most fun to fly. Somewhere in the boxes in the garage is a photo of me sitting in the cockpit of an A-10 pulling the trigger and making gun noises like a little kid.

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23 hours ago, Andy95W said:

Thanks for posting this, Richard.  

There are at least 3 former Infantrymen here (Ned, Scott, and me) that feel very strongly about the A-10!

Signal Corps actually, but during my time as an infantry battalion SigO I do recall sitting next to my battalion 2i/c and being handed two from the brigade TACP, then picking them up from their IP, lining them up on the Lawfield Road and letting them go after anything that moved north of Northing 08.

They were our friends and went downtown for us!!!

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When at Ft. McCoy (Wisconsin) in the field A-10’s would conduct gunnery training.  The BRRRRrrrrrraaaaat!!!!! Of their Gatling Cannon was simply awesome!  I would HATE to be on the receiving end of that.  I served without ever seeing combat deployment.  Having A-10’s dishing to enemy out front had to be...special.  Thankful to the jockeys and those that listened “for real” overseas instead of training.

An awesome machine.  Keep ‘em flying!

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1 hour ago, Ftlausa said:

I guarded the A-10s while enlisted in the Air Force.  Of all the different kinds of planes I guarded, the Warthog was the one I most wanted to fly.  The F15 being a close second.   

Mine would be an F16. From my understanding, it can still out dogfight any of the later generation fighters. Yes I understand the dogfight is obsolete, but still............

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1 hour ago, Mcstealth said:

Mine would be an F16. From my understanding, it can still out dogfight any of the later generation fighters. Yes I understand the dogfight is obsolete, but still............

It’s more the pilot than the plane.  

The f-16 has good thrust to weight, but it’s AoA limited.

the F-15C has good thrust to weight and good AoA command.

the F/A-18 has poor thrust to weight, but outstanding AoA capability.

the tomcat sucked all around.

the Raptor is awesome all around.

the F-35 has yet to be proven.

Ive had the great luck to fly and instruct in two of the jets above... and they are both Sweet rides.  But it’s the training that makes these jets great.  I’d bank on the pilot over the plane, any day of the week.

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