Tag Archives: a-10

A-10 Crashes in Germany, Harrier Down in Mideast, 2 UAVs in US

An A-10 Thunderbolt II (Warthog) crashed near Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, on Friday, according to the US Air Force.  The pilot ejected and was airlifted to a hospital; locals said he complained of a back injury.  As is the usual procedure, the incident will be investigated and a report issued in a month or more.

The A-10 has recently been used in Libya, most publicly attacking boats along the coast.

The Marine Times reports an AV-8B Read more

Fighter Pilot Describes Mission over Libya

As reported in the New York Times, US Air Force Capt. Ryan Thulin, an F-16 pilot stationed in Aviano Air Base, Italy, describes his recent (and first) combat mission, over Libya.

Of note, he flew an 8-hour mission out of Italy, refueling at least twice on the way in and the way out.  He dropped at least two 500-lb precision weapons on targets in Libya.

The Associated Press picture of Thulin accompanying the article shows him sporting a mustache.  He’s not participating in the fighter pilot tradition of growing a mustache while deployed, as he’s flying from his home base.  It’s just coincident timing:  the war in Libya occurred during Mustache March.

As an aside, the New York Times reports A-10s and AC-130s have entered the theatre, which may represent a shift in strategy from the generally high-altitude precision bombardment that has happened to date.

A-10 Crash Blamed on Pilot Error

The crash of an A-10C Thunderbolt II (aka Warthog) at Moody AFB in May has been attributed to “human error,” according to an Air Force press release.

According to the report, the cause of the mishap was specifically attributed to the pilot’s initial decision not to abort the takeoff. After deciding to abort, the pilot applied an inappropriate braking procedure based on his perception of being at a lower airspeed. Additionally, pilot-static [sic, pitot-static] system blockage, task misprioritization, distraction and procedural error were all substantially contributing factors to the mishap.

The months long turn around in the publication of the results of the investigation is not without precedent.

The Next UCAV: The A-10 Warthog

According to a report at the Air Force Times, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is working on a project that will enable ground forces to control the weapons systems on an A-10 — or even control the A-10 itself as an “unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV).”

The A-10 could be manned or unmanned; an unmanned plane would loiter autonomously but would be under the control of an A-10 pilot at a ground control station when responding to an attack and for all takeoffs and landings.

The pilot would give “coordinated consent” for the launch of weapons; the JTAC would fire the weapons using a portable computer. With the computer, the JTAC would access the A-10’s sensors, punch in coordinates for its targeting pods and determine the predicted blast radius and effectiveness of the weapons.

While the concept is intriguing, it masks the true improvement to air support Read more

Christian Fighter Pilot, Super Bowl Winner Mentors Officers

2Lt Ben Garland, a recent Academy graduate, apparently has an assignment to pilot training that he is reconsidering.  If he changes his mind and does something else instead, he could avoid the 10 year minimum commitment to the Air Force for pilot training and do something else he loves: play in the NFL.

Garland has received counsel from at least one other person who was in a similar situation many years ago, a man who is famous in both the Air Force and the NFL:  Chad Hennings, a Christian fighter pilot Read more

Navy Set to Fly “Green Hornet”

Similar to the bio/synthetic fuel powered Air Force aircraft, the US Navy has embarked on an alternative fuels effort with its “Green Hornet.”  The Navy plans to fly the F/A-18 Super Hornet on Earth Day, April 22nd.

The “Green Hornet” was a backdrop to President Obama’s remarks at Andrews AFB (now Joint Base Andrews) on his energy policy.  During his remarks, Obama also recognized the Air Force’s efforts and the recent flight of the A-10 on biofuel.

Because the Navy operates different engines and has slightly Read more

1 2 3 4 5