Silly Air Force

[quade 4]

F-22 to be redesignated F/A-22 to denote that it attacks both air and ground targets, yet they still call the F-117 the "stealth fighter"? Go fig!

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[Zenister 0]

unfortunatly that one of the first steps they are taking to 'help' retire the A-10..

grrrrrrr
wingnuts just dont understand how much can happen while that fast mover has to turn around for another pass...

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Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

[nws01 0]

I was working with a company in Atlanta next to Dobbins Air Force and I had the mechanics and all the VIP's from Boeing, Lockheed Martin and the Dept. of Defense staying at my hotel. These people were the people who were designing and developing the F-22. They would build them in Marietta at the Lockheead Martin plant and fly them out to Edwards Air Force Base for test flight. I still have several pictures / videos of this bad bird. Seeing it on the ground and taking off gave me goose bumps. It is a bad machine.

[quade 4]

Ya know, I'm not a war monger, gun nut or anything, but if I had to take my pick of the "good" as opposed to "sexy" weapons for tank busting -- I'd pick an A-10 over the F/A-22 anyday.

To retire the A-10 is just stupid.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[AggieDave 6]

Yeah, it had a schweet big fuck'n gun that it was built around...talk about a serious aircraft.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[WFFC 1]

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To retire the A-10 is just stupid.

You've got to love a gun that had a plane designed around it...

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~~~Michael

[Zenister 0]

exactly, but to the modern AF its just not "bang-Wiz" enough..

if desert storm had never happened and the A-10 hadnt had that chance to prove itself it would already be gone. As was, it was mostly at the Air Guard and Reserve level then, and thoose guys ended up with 1000s of hours of missions.

the F16 was designated as its replacement, but did not have the single strike firepower that the A10 does. the F22 will but cannot loiter the way the A10 can..

in the close air support world the ability to wing over at 50mph and attack your target a second time in under 5 sec is a godsend to the guys on the ground...

the really sad thing is they wont trasnfer that mission, and the planes that do it best to the army.

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Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

[fasterfaller 0]

I hope they keep the A-10 . That is one badass plane .

[freeflir29 0]

Yep...the AF has to have new "Sexy" stuff. Unfortunately, the powers that be see CAS as a crappy mission. They want to be doing air to air at 30,000 ft. The A-10 is old. The mechanics have been hand building replacement parts for years. The company that built it went out of business. I will give the F/A-22 one thing though. It IS a far better replacement than the F-16 which sucks or the F/A-18 which is just dangerous. (Well...the pilots not so much the airplane itself) All that "purple" "joint" crap goes out the window when it's time to aquire new stuff. Mostly because A-10's don't give constituents jobs. F/A-22's do. It does have some really cool toys on it though and can fly at 300 KIAS or so loaded which is pretty impressive for that type airplane.

[Deuce 1]

The last "purple suit" (haven't heard that since ROTC) plane was the F-4 phantom, right?

Betcha a dollar to a doughnut that if the Army had the ability to maintain the A-10, they would.

The only zoomies that give a sh*t about Close Air Support are Marine zoomies. Everybody wants supersonic capability. It's a shame, cause the current crop of problem children dictators have lots of old tanks that need to be busted.

They gotta put a gatling on a drone. Drones don't care they can't go supersonic.

[freeflir29 0]

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The only zoomies that give a sh*t about Close Air Support are Marine zoomies

and they suck at it.....

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They gotta put a gatling on a drone. Drones don't care they can't go supersonic

Well...they have done the next best thing. They put a Maverick on a Predator. Mavericks will do quite a job on ANY aromor out there.

[Zenister 0]

once..

thats exactly the problem with using fast movers for CAS.. everything quiets down while their around, but as soon as they leave.....

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Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

[jtval 0]

that was the first aircraft I worked with when I got in the mil.
I love that thing. THAT UGLY THING!!
I was a dream to work on and a kickass plane.
30 mil. 42000 rounds per minute(if the metal would hold up to the extreme heat)

Big ass bathtub the pilot sits in too!

My photos

My Videos

[freeflir29 0]

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everything quiets down while their around

Nahh...not even that. It's the fact that a fast mover pilot has so many differen't missions that he has to train for that he does none of them well. Plus, it's a lot harder to pick out a truck or tank, under camo netting, in a tree line, at 550 KIAS than it is at 180 KIAS. I got to laugh my ass off once when one of the AF OC's at JRTC presented a "Fridgidaire" badge to an airborne FAC (A-10 driver). This guy was really good. He would fly around at low level. Skimming the trees looking through binos while trying to find the OPFOR. He spotted something but couldn't tell what it was. Since the Army guys didn't have anyone at that grid we gave him clearance to shoot. Turns out it was just an old refridgerator someone had dumped in the woods. The OC went right to the grid and realized exactly what the pilot had seen. So, he peeled the badge off it and brought it to the AAR. He also once found a single HMMV in trees under camo netting with his binos and an IIR Maverick. He loved his job too. He rolled in on it and keys the mike..."And guns, guns, guns, BRRRRRRRRRUUUUPPP" I was sitting on the ground chuckling. I really don't think they would have to pay that guy to come to work.

[rhino 0]

A10 Kicks ass!! I was stationed "as an Air Force brat" in Myrtle Beach for 8 years.. I loved that plane!!

Rhino

[BikerBabe 0]

LOL...as an Air Force acquisition weenie, I'm in a unique position to comment here...

Just because the airplane works, it's good, and it is the only thing in the inventory to fulfill the mission doesn't mean that the AF will keep it around.

Witness the EF-111 and the SR-71.

You would not believe the politics that go on in the acquisition arena...I bet it's worse than being in Congress. If half the stuff I saw wasn't classified, it would make a hell of a political intrigue novel. Or at least a damned fine 20/20 exposé. $200 hammers are nothing, folks.

Not that my job is that exciting...more frustrating, really. Yes, the AF has been itching to retire the A-10 for years, but the Army won't let us. Good for the Army.

Never meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup!

[Viking 0]

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He also once found a single HMMV in trees under camo netting with his binos and an IIR Maverick. He loved his job too. He rolled in on it and keys the mike..."And guns, guns, guns, BRRRRRRRRRUUUUPPP" I was sitting on the ground chuckling. I really don't think they would have to pay that guy to come to work.

that would be one cool ass picture. The guy "driving" the hog with his knees and a pair of binos stuck to the window LOL.

Also so let me get this straight he used the IR sensor on the mavrick as a FLIR unit?!?! do they teach that?

I swear you must have footprints on the back of your helmet - chicagoskydiver
My God has a bigger dick than your god -George Carlin

[Zenister 0]

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Also so let me get this straight he used the IR sensor on the mavrick as a FLIR unit?!?! do they teach that?

they do to the only other really effective CAS platform pilots....AH64's

what has been suggested and shot down many many times is to move the A10s into Army Aviation..

but the AF has a fit anytime the army suggests getting back into fixed wing flight..

hell they now want to direct the ground battle from the air..
"Battle Management Platform" my ass, dont they know how cheap anti-radiation missiles are?

whats going to push the pendulum the other way is the development of cheaper lighter more effective manpak SAMs..once every infantry man becomes a threat to that million dollar aircraft the wingnuts will wake up.. anyone think a flyby-wire inherently unstable airframe can take the damage an A-10 can and still make it home??

____________________________________
Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

[wingnut 0]

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the wingnuts will wake up.. anyone think a flyby-wire inherently unstable airframe can take the damage an A-10 can and still make it home??

hey i happento be THE wingnut!!!! and as a "fly by wire" aircraft crew chief, i'd say your 100% right!!!!! still love my airframe though, the f-16 rox for what it does well.....

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"i have no reader's digest version"

[Viking 0]

plus it looks sexy as all hell!!!! damnit that plane gives me stiffy!! i said that outloud didn't i....

I swear you must have footprints on the back of your helmet - chicagoskydiver
My God has a bigger dick than your god -George Carlin

[quatorze 1]

I like the way the flight controls are set up. I work in aviation maintenance and one of my good buddies used to be a crew cheif on the -16's and that is a badass little plane.

I'm not afriad of dying, I'm afraid of never really living- Erin Engle

[Viking 0]

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but the AF has a fit anytime the army suggests getting back into fixed wing flight..

why? Isn't it all about the defence of the country? Oh wait i forgot the Airforce is more a Corparation than anything else *runs for cover*

I swear you must have footprints on the back of your helmet - chicagoskydiver
My God has a bigger dick than your god -George Carlin

[quatorze 1]

Isn't it all about the defence of the country? Oh wait i forgot the Airforce is more a Corparation than anything else *runs for cover*

[Viking 0]

i can't help it. Its mid-night and i am bored so why not kick up a shit storm...

I swear you must have footprints on the back of your helmet - chicagoskydiver
My God has a bigger dick than your god -George Carlin

[quatorze 1]

Let the kicking begin, third shift at work sux ass too.

I'm not afriad of dying, I'm afraid of never really living- Erin Engle