Fairchild Republic A-10 Warthog

Aircraft Information
> Aircraft Make: Fairchiled Republic Model: A-10. Nickname: Warthog
> Aircraft Mil Civ Description: Tactical Jet
> FAA Category and Class: Airplane ME Land
> Engine Description: Twin jet

Aircraft Experience
> As of: 11/5/2024
> Number of Hours Flown: 2.2
> Number of Times Flown: 1
> Other Aircraft Models Associated: none

First Flown Information
> Sequence First Flown: 72
> Date First Flown: 11/14/1990
> Location First Flown: Barnes Air Guard Base, MA
> Who and/or What Organization First Flown With: Air Guard, just me!

Recollections: Top 10 experiences of my aviation career.  Flying the A-10 “Warthog”, as an IP at USNTPS on a DT-2.  As is often the case, I remember three things:

(1) The Training.  We (the student and I) showed up at the squadron and asked “what’s the training plan (for our flying)?” and the answer was remarkably simple: “Well, at the end of the hallway there’s a room with about 100 VCR tapes, we suggest the following 3 and you can watch as many others as you’d like (the only one I remember was “engine start”).  Then, after you’re happy with that, we’ll take you out to a jet and–with an IP standing perched on the cockpit–we’ll show you how to start it.  Tomorrow we’ll brief and go fly, with an IP chasing you in another airplane.”  That.  Was.  It.  Remarkably un-USAF-like (well, it was the Guard) and–really to the point–a testament to Republic having built an awesome, dirt-simple, reliable airplane.  And, that’s what we did…watched tapes for a couple of hours, practiced the start and flew the next day.

(2) The flight.  We (the “we” was me in my jet and my instructor in his own jet, chasing me) took off out of Barnes and headed to the range. We were loaded–get this–with practice bombs and 250 rounds of 30 mm ammunition.  The A-10 is known for it’s gun and, yes, they’d give me bullets to shoot and bombs to drop.  On my first flight.  Amazing.  The range was a small island just off of Martha’s Vineyard.  We first did our bombing runs (with my wingman in front now, showing me the pattern).  After that it was time for the GUN.  Our targets were a range target and a pier that jutted out into the water.  On my first pass, I squeezed briefly, to get an idea.  Like a laser.  Now, this was the first time I’d fired a gun from an airplane so I didn’t have much to compare it to, but–from talking to pilots who HAVE shot guns a bunch–the A-10 is known for it’s amazing weapon.  I could smell the cordite thru the ECS.  It smelled good.  Back around the pattern we went…same…zzzzzz-iiip!  Small burst.  And again.  I was loving it.  After several passes my IP says “ok, we gotta go, use the rest of the bullets up on your next pass or you’re gonna have to take them home un-fired”.  Unfired?  Not me!  So I chose the pier as my target, pulled (and held) the trigger and, using rudder, walked the bullets along the pier.  What an amazing weapon, even a newbie like me could tell that.  Being a test pilot, I of course had to do a bunch of “TP stuff”, HQ tasks, S&C measurements, a quick look at turn perf, etc.  It was “all good”.

(3) The airplane.  Yes, deficient on excess power (the saying goes “the A-10 throttle has two positions….MIL and OFF”….that checks). But way ahead on flying qualities (a beautiful to fly airplane), great turn performance and the weapon system was both easy to operate and even this neophyte could tell, effective.  Oh, and it’s an extremely survivable design.  All of these reasons made it clear to me why–despite much of the Air Force wishing it would go away–it has been such an effective airplane for so long. If I because the Secretary of Defense, I’d get all A-10’s transferred to the Army and extend it’s life indefinitely. It’s just a gem. As long as the US has air superiority…