They actually fixed that issue by putting the starter on a timer. So now once the trigger is pulled the starter engages every like 5 seconds i think@@derriklest2161
So u know my Brit friend at 10:46 where the pilot put the nose nearly straight up. He was doing 1 of 2 things. #1 rapidly dumping speed to get more accurate weapons on target, or #2 showing the jets INABILITY TO STALL. This plane was built in such a way that it can maintain lift at EXTREMELY LOW SPEEDS. Nearly as slow as a helicopter and the A-10 can not only maintain lift but still turn on a dime and give 9 cents change. She was designed to do that.
When I was in high school AFJROTC, we watched a movie of an A-10 flying below tree level in Germany until it came to a clearing. There was a tank set up in the clearing, when the A-10 fired two things happened: 1) pieces of the tank went away 2) the A-10 hovered while the gun was active or at least appeared to.
My Dad was an A-10 mechanic; he could put that plane back together in his sleep. He once told me it could damn near turn on its wingtip. I still have a dummy round of the GAU on my mantle. It will always be my favorite plane, though I am very biased...lol.
My platoon and I were pinned down by a superior enemy force. We called for ariel support, and cheered when we heard those beautiful engines screaming. They stayed with us until the coast was clear. God bless those flying grunts (the pilots) and the Warthogs.
as a USAF vet, we are proud to keep these winged tanks going to protect you folks in the dirt. we dont like leaving anyone behind either, so we keep this machine around to make sure you can get yourselves out when the time comes. glad you made it home brother!
@@nowthatsjustducky Saint BurrrrrAP! Specticals,Testicular, Wallet and Watch thank God! St Bert the Gaurding Angel flies over head and not to picky about pronunciation is a Hail Mary prayer to get home on your feet and not in a box under a flag. I got one leg and not even mad about it. If the angry bees don't get you the rock chips will and then Burrap! silence. Beautiful graveyard quality silence. Then his cousins the Arch Angels fly in to attend the wounded. Valks for the still living.
@@tomdodds8091 And the reason it carries so little ammunition for the gun is that 18 seconds (IIRC) of sustained fire of the cannon is enough to drop the plane out of the sky due to lack of lift. Once again, IIRC, they only kit it with 3-5 seconds of ammunition and just strap eleven gajillion (only scientific numbers, here) bombs to it for anything that survives the first pass or two. The only thing that competes with its lethality in the air is the amount of insurance claims it makes of our own people. Granted, that number has actually gone down with improved targeting tech and better intel.
@@AdeptusCaeiusIII I've seen several times where people who should know refute that claim about the gun firing too long causing the airframe to lose lift, but I'm not an engineer in any of the aero related fields, so I'm not going to argue it one way or the other. I understand the concept, and can't say it isn't valid.
@@yuningsun6914 lol ah the GAUSS. Nothing more terrifying than to hear that at 0400 doing practice runs. I miss seeing those birds at the crack of dawn. The zipper sound you hear is your body unzipping itself in half if you hear that heading towards you.
@@moesizzlik5545😂 why? Someone has to fly and manage them. Its not weird at all for someone who did for over a decade to watch a clip about those aircrafts. Actually, id think it relatively common.
the thing is a friend of my dad worked in the designing group for the warthog. its basicly that the plane was build around the gun. and he said once: if you hear the gun you werent the target. this plane is an absolute unit.
So very true. The rounds are supersonic (Mach 3 muzzle velocity), so if you're in the target area all of a sudden everything goes to hell around you, and only then (if you somehow survived) do you hear the "brrrrrrt" from the aircraft.
Capt. Kim Campbell, the pilot featured in the video who successfully brought in her damaged A-10 retired as a Colonel. She was known as ‘Killer Chick’.
Here we go again with the leftist BS. If you’re so gung ho for women to be combat troops, then how would you like it if our entire military was female only?
I know a number of years back the air force tried to retire the A10 and the marines said we'll take it. The air force said we will keep it. The grunts love it.
@@devildog17013 The only issue I could think of is that they are not carrier capable. Which would seriously hinder where and when they could be used by the Corps.
Plenty of USMC aircraft flying from the beach that carrier capability is not that big of an issue, though I would argue that the Army should get them, and not the Corps.@@michaelmartin4552
@@devildog17013 Plus I can see the division in the Wing now. After all, no need to make Naval Aviators of the pilots who will never land or take off from carriers. I can see infighting there between the Hog pilots, and all the others who are Naval Aviators and carrier rated.
I was driving a bright red and white dual tank 750 gallon propane delivery truck in Texas cotton fields in the early 80’s supplying fuel for the irrigation pumps. The glossy white tanks on my truck were about 20 feet long and about 5 feet in diameter, frequently parked for extended periods of time in the middle of a big field of a vivid green cotton plantation, making it perfect for target practice. One of the pilots came in the station where I worked and spoke with me about the truck and asked me about the radio it had. Shortly afterwards, I started getting buzzed by A-10s while I was making deliveries. It’s a shame that portable video cameras were still so big and expensive in those days. I could have recorded some amazing footage of the practice runs they were making over my head. Even though they were only making practice runs over me, they still gave me chills every time they passed overhead. The A-10 Warthog quickly became one of my favorite aircraft after that.
As a Marine Veteran who has heard the sound of that gun, it is a sound you wont forget, but it also tells you that you are not the target. That aircraft has saved and will save many 1000's of lives.
I used to see these guys fly over us where I lived here in IN. You didn't hear them until they were on top of you. One time my son was out in the yard when 3 flew over us and literally scared him to crying. He was only 3 at the time. We would see these guys at least twice a week. One time they flew over I waved at them and I could see the pilot wave back. That's how low they flew. Awesome!
I was with 10th Mountain in 89 training in Ft Pickett VA when a pair of A-10's from Virginia Air National Guard did a low pass over our company on the road at 6am. I told the guys in my squad that we'd all be dead if that was the enemy... they truly are deadly AF.
@@sharkymcshizzle7372 we are proud to fight along side you folks! you can count on the "chair force" to bring the thunder if you're ever stuck in a tight spot. we dont like leaving folks behind
We have a lake house in N IN and they still fly in pairs around there all the time on weekends. One time in the fall when my brother and myself were burning leaves, I was tending a pile, and one screamed by to our right maybe 100ft above the surface of the lake. Right at the moment we both looked over at it, the second one flew right over the top of us just barely over the top of the trees. We looked at each other and I told him "We're dead." They were doing practice runs using the smoke from the burning leaves as the target and the first A-10 was a distraction. I've also seen them doing the same thing with grain silos on farms in the area up there.
LMFAO...welp, they can take plenty to share. 😁 what was shown, wasn't even the closest to what one looks like fully decked out at top take off weight. 🤫
@@pop9095 I was the doofus who simply walked in, dropped some candies on the teacher's desk, and then passed them out to the rest of the class. Her eyes lit right up as soon as she saw them, and she just said "Thank you," as she unwrapped one.
I saw 2 of these beasts of the air in 1985 while working on a house roof in the Yorkshire Dales UK. They came screaming up the valley on a training run, the earth shook they were so low over the top of us I just about filled my pants. Loved them ever since and love to see them out training and at air shows. Great aircraft.
They were at RAF Bentwaters. They had huge numbers to deploy over to Russia to prevent Russian tanks from coming through the Fulda Gap and overrunning the rest of Europe.
@@MarkBush-en5cz We had them at RAF Alconbury as well. I was there in '88 to '90. I still remember one time walking to the back of the base along the runway to get to my backup datacenter. I didn't know it but the A-10s were practicing for an upcoming airshow. Halfway through my walk one zoomed over my head from behind, did a full loop like a roller coaster, and kept going until I couldn't see it anymore. I didn't hear anything until it started the loop directly over me. At least they weren't taking off and flying directly over the enlisted dorms angled at least 75 degrees like the TR-1s did, so people outside the base couldn't get good pictures of the nosecones. I had stuff shake off of the shelves in my room several times when they took off.
These awesome aircraft fly over my home almost daily. As a marine in my late 50’s it’s a fond memorize of seeing these in combat. I’m grateful to several A-10 pilots during my time in service. Now I watch the new generation of pilots flying around my home in the country.
I served in the U.S. army for 11 years, 3 of which were in Germany. My unit was at a training area when I had the opportunity to watch A-10’s on a live-fire range a one point, and what I observed shook me to my core. As these A-10’s rolled in on a gun-run the sound that came from the 30mm main gun scared the crap out of me! On most videos, like yours, the sound that you hear is higher pitched that what you hear in person. I don’t know that I can accurately describe the actual sound that this cannon makes, but I will try to paint a picture for you. What you hear in real life is of a much lower pitch, like when someone burps, but it is a long, prolonged burp that echoed throughout the canyon we were in, watching this happen. The sound was at such a low pitch, everyone watching could feel the “growl” that this cannon makes reverberate throughout their body. It was so impressive and absolutely frightening at the same time. It absolutely sent shivers through my body and I remember just thinking how frightened the enemy would be to see that aircraft rolling in on them, and then hearing that chain-gun open up on them. I actually felt sorry for any enemy that would come up against this aircraft. It was one of the most frightening sounds I have ever heard!!! I am not kidding!
I also saw a live fire exercise, I think the gun sounded like a giant sheet of canvas being ripped.Some came back from the 1991 Gulf war with lots of battle damage. Russians called it the Devil's cross. They were in two RAF bases in England, Alconbury and Bentwaters.
I was stationed at Davis-Monthan AFB as an EC-130 crew chief. There was one night when we were doing a full power maintenance engine run and I was in the cockpit/flight deck when one of our A-10s came in with an In-Flight Emergency (IFE) for an unsafe gun. They parked the aircraft on a taxiway near the north end of the runway, not too far from where our ramp was, then put a huge barrier pad up in front of it while they tried to clear it. We could hear the round discharge while running the engines on our own bird. I agree with you. It was a much lower pitched - and loud - "BOOOM!!" type sound that I recall hearing than what videos always seem to suggest. I'd almost equate it more to the sound of a bomb going off, or maybe even a 12-gauge shotgun type sound.
Speaking as an old grunt, I will say that every ground pounder looks at the A10 as the most beautiful death machine in existence. Every time I heard the distinctive whine of those massive engines, i KNEW the way was clear. God bless our A10 pilots! Keep on keeping my brothers and sisters alive.
I was deer hunting in a super high tree stand on a tall ridge. I was just getting my stuff together to climb down. Two A-10s came buzzing the tree line of the ridge. They banked right above me and me and the pilot made direct eye contact. As he banked I felt wind and heat from the jet engine. Was soooo loud and crazy I almost fell out of tree stand. Will never forget
My favorite fact is that the gun mounted on the front has such high recoil that it actually slows the jet down. I think it produces more force backwards than a single one of its engines does forwards. You lose more than half of your thrust while firing. Its not a jet with a big gun, its a gun with wings.
its not really the recoil force that prevents them from firing longer bursts from the gun. during early testing of the gun, the cloud of gases released from the gun tended to choke the engines out as they flew through it, so to prevent losing engine thrust they limit the gun to short bursts.
@@Knightfang1 They never said it prevented them from firing the gun in long bursts, just that the force of the recoil is roughly equal to the thrust of one of the engines, which is true.
Initial design only had one engine, but the front gun has so much recoil that it almost brought the plane to a stop. They added the second engine to keep it flying.
Fun fact I believe the technicians calculated the recoil from the gun and said if it was pointed aft and had a limitless ammo supply the plane would fly without engines.
During operation, "desert storm," an A-10 returned to base with 2/3 of a wing missing, 1 engine not working, and loads of holes caused by anti-aircraft rounds and shrapnel.
@@sathosDesert Storm, not OEF/OIF. I spent 20 years in the Air Force, and my friend and squadron mate was at the FOB a couple miles from the Iraqi border, just inside Kuwait, and saw it with his own eyes, he said it made a perfect 3-point landing, despite missing 1/2 a wing, the tip of the other wing, half of one of the two vertical stabilizers, and holes EVERYWHERE.
it bears mentioning, the one mentioned was not the worst damaged one that returned to base. one in desert storm lost most of a wing, and came back requiring full right stick to keep it flying level. the other two comments made about their speed are they were originally made without navigation, because the pilot could roll down the window and ask for directions, and the cockpits are armored against birdstrike on the back.
When I was a teen in the 80s and mowing a field for my dad, one day I suddenly heard something crazy loud and then suddenly 2 A-10s flew low right over the top of me. Consider that I was in an enclosed cab, loud AF tractor and all I could hear were A-10 engines. I also quickly realized that I probably had just played "tank" for them as they flew overhead. 😉
lmao...I'm guessing...you are correct. At that moment, you were a T-72 or T-90 MBT. at least until they passed you, then you went back to being a lawn tractor. LOL 🤔😁🤣
I love that he keeps reacting to the crackling as the sound of the gun. Little does he realize that its the sound of the rounds hitting the target. The target is usually dead by the time the famous "brrrrrrt" is heard XD
@@kevinexline5392 completely true. the muzzle velocity of that cannon is insanely high. you go splat way before everyone else hears the fart going off. but, the sound of the fart is enough to send many enemy combatants running, because they dont want to be next
I'm in Missouri and have been out on local lakes of few times when a10s fly over super low on training flights. Last Summer we were floating behind a boat and one flew over super low, the pilot tipped his wing and gave us a thumbs up It was so cool.
5:42 you can find an interview she gave on another veteran UA-cam channel on that incident and how she managed to get back safely. Insane. That woman is a badass.
Those A-10 you thought were flying over New Mexico were actually flying over Arizona. There are A-10 stationed at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson. Used to see them all the time cause the runway they use have them flying over my old job near daily.
There isn't a ground troop that I know of that doesn't love this plane and the people that fly it. To this day, it is still one of the best close air support planes flying.
I am 45 years old, and all I can say, being a civilian... is that I continually hear news about them attempting to retire this aircraft. Then the "grunts" or ground troops pretty much say what they have to say about support and all of them say they want the A-10 above them if they need help. Sure, we got the AC130 and other bombers, a few close support aircraft, but again, from this end, I hear the ground troops calling for the A10 to stay in service. So far, it's still here.
I was hearing that 12 years ago when I was still in and controlled their exercise airspace. Just a bunch of whiney politicos bitching about their maintenance costs. Literally saw one land with one engine. That thing's a beast, may it forever fart in the skies.
we in the USAF (im a vet) absolutely love our flying tank. we know how valuable it is when the crap really hits the fan for those ground troops when things go wrong. we dont like leaving people behind, so we want to keep that beast around in order to make sure everyone gets out when they need to. until they come up with something better, we will try to keep the A10 on the roster. so far, nothing has come close to the capabilities of it, even though it's been around for 50+ years.
@@ghomerhust First, thank you for your service. Also, thanks for words confirming what I have always heard from the civilian end. I love that plane, even if the only use I get out of it is in video games and news that makes it back to us on various media platforms.
@@ghomerhust Yup, created in the 70's, and there has been no other aircraft to match it's capabilities since. Sadly the Air Force has tried to axe the Hog a couple of times. Thankfully during this war they have seen the capabilities, and looking at the startup costs, designing, prototyping, etc. They have decided to upgrade the Hog instead of replacing it. I think they are extending it to 2050 with the upgrades. I haven't heard anything on how the new Hog will handle from the old Hog yet though.
They used to use my house as a target point. One would fly right over the house, turn in the bean field behind the house and come right back over it. I could see the pilot in the cockpit as he made the turn. It was AWESOME !!
In 1982 I was in the USAF and I had a neighbor at home who joined the army. He related to me once when we were both home on leave, that during war games, his unit took care of every threat but the A-10. He said they never heard it coming.
Best time i've seen an A-10, was out in middle Michigan with some friends trail riding off road. the trails circled an artillery and strike range that the National Guard used for training. lucky for us the day we were out there a pair of A-10's were practicing strike runs at targets at the range. the pilots saw us parked on the trail watching them so they changed there attack approaches to fly right over head and just as they cleared us, would open up with the cannon and rockets. better than any fireworks show i have ever seen. they did this multiple times before moving on.
I was in the Army at a training center in California. My unit and others were mock fighting against the training force that trains there. One day, during a mock exercise, there was an opposition aircraft (A-10) attacking areas on the battlefield. This one A-10 flew towards our area of operation, flipped upside down over the outside of our AO. When it got to the middle of our area the pilot turned the A-10 on its side dropped a flare (missle) in the middle of us and before leaving our area banked in a different direction of travel. We were baffled in the precision and accuracy of the A-10. After that day seeing an A-10 in action.We knew why the world feared the Warthog. Never will forget that day.
Last fall, a hurricane was headed toward Florida, so the military moved jets around. I live 50 or so miles south of Wright Patterson Air Force Base and I was so lucky to see two A-10's flying at very low altitude, fly right over my house. I've always loved the Warthog, and seeing two in flight was amazing.
One of my Commanders in the AF flew A-10s earlier in his career during the first gulf war. He said when he pulled the trigger the recoil was enough that the airspeed indicator would dip slightly.
Army base near here used to open Cannon Range to public once a year, bring lawn chair, cooler, sit and watch A-10s do their thing. They would come in just over tree tops and rip that cannon, you couldn't help but jump even with ear plugs in. They would have other jets do runs, but the A-10 was the crowd favorite. A retired pilot told me they can only fire it for a few seconds at a time cause the recoil will actually stop the plane.
October 1977. First time in service. Another nearly 50 year old plane kept viable with upgrades and new tech. While in the Pa National Guard I would often see these "absolute beasts" shooting at their impact area at The Gap. [FIG] And yes, if the plane fires it's main gun to long it will lose air speed velocity because the recoil of the gun slows the plane
Was in the USAF and our Commander always said "Our true mission is to put warhead on forehead", I always loved that saying because it put our true mission in prospective.
Honestly, you should be glad you never got to see an A-10 while you were in service. That means you where in some serious shit, and needed a bit of help.
10:44 I believe that maneuver is a "rear slip" or "dynamic deceleration", in extreme executions it is also known as the 'Cobra Maneuver". There are also side slips, and forward slips. A 'slip' is an aerodynamic condition of uncoordinated flight in which an aeroplanes motion is somewhat sideways to airflow. Uncoordinated describes the state of the aircrafts orientation to the airflow, and does not imply the aircraft is in an uncontrollable state. Coordinated flight means you are maintaining and orientation directly into oncoming airflow, using rudders, ailerons, and elevators to do so, for instance keeping your altitude and speed in a turn. You are coordinating the controls with the airflow to affect a change in direction or altitude (without 'fighting' the airflow). A side slip is what we see jet liners doing coming in to land with a crosswind. Also known as a 'crab walk'. Or when a aircraft banks and sort of slides sideways instead of actually turning (more or less sliding across the lift force generated by the wings). A forward slip can be used when landing when needing to exchange speed for altitude (if one is high and too fast for instance. Not commonly used on jet liners,, it should be pointed out...). The plane effectively pitches the nose down harder than usual exposing more of the top on the planes profile to oncoming air, basically acting as an air break and burning off speed faster than it loses altitude. That 'rear slip' or 'dynamic deceleration' is effectively the opposite of the forward slip where, as seen in the video, an aircraft noses up hard faster than the aircraft can alter its direction through the air (in the A-10s case, thanks to having 2 big honking turbofans pointed over the elevators directing the jet wash up, pushing the tail down), thus it 'slips' its direction of motion relative to the direction its pointing exchanging airspeed while maintaining altitude (mostly). Yes I am a nerd. No I am not fun at parties.
I've seen a 'Cobra Maneuver' at an air show ages ago. An F-18 Hornet came in low over the tarmac, then reared up its nose by almost 90°, then snapped forward, like, well, like a cobra. I've seen video of a Russian fighter- I forget make & model- pull the angle of attack PAST 90°, before pitching forward. An absolutely unreal maneuver to see in real life. Planes just should not do these things. And the latest generations of fighter craft, with rotating exhaust nozzles, have both broken, then re-wrote, the rules of air combat.
I don't remember if that plane was an SU-23 or SU-27. I have watched the same video or one that is similar to what you've described. Really cool to see for sure! Cheers
Just learned a few things about it I didn't know. The 30mm sits to the left of the center and fires from the pilot's 3 O'clock position. Keeps the shell casings to help with weight distribution. Front landing gear isn't centered like other aircraft. It sits to the right of the center.
Keeping casings is also quite common in anything above man-portable weapons because the casings are expensive. And in aircraft it keeps them from falling on friendlies.
After 9/11, I moved to Hartford, CT for work. I noticed the CT Air National Guard was made up of (at least partially) A-10s. I immediately applied to the CTANG, but was told I was too old (31). I gladly would have been a desk jockey just to be close to these planes. I fell in love with them as they rolled off the Fairchild assembly lines - I even bought and built a model of it the first year it was active in the mid- to late-70s. The next time I head to Cincinnati, OH for work, I plan on taking a vacation day (maybe two) and spending the entire time at Wright-Patterson Airfield, just outside of the city. It's home to the Air Force Museum, which is stunning. And I have noo doubt I will linger around any Hog they have there and just soak that pretty pig in. (My grandparents used to live nearby in Xenia, OH, and my grandfather would take my 2 older brothers and me there all the time when we visited.)
@@Nancy-g2o Wright-Patterson is awesome. Whenever I go to a city with a military museum, count me in. I drove friends and fraternity brothers nuts when I went to college in Mobile, AL, home to the USS Alabama (a South Dakota class battleship, made just before the Iowa class used in Desert Storm), and the USS Drum, a WWII Pacific theater submarine. They have added onto it so much. I also did the self-guided tour on the USS Midway and unintentionally gathered my own tour group as we walked the deck and hangar (it was a private event). I still have Lady Lex to visit in New York. One of my most enjoyable military experiences (outside of when my dad was still in the Reserves) was driving from Wilmington, NC up through Morehead City and on to Elizabeth City. We had to drive through (I think) Fort Bragg (I will respect veterans and use the name they know), and this was my first experience with Tank Crossing signs - just like Bus Stop signs, but with M-1 silhouettes and railroad ties instead of asphalt for their crossing area. So cool. The other fun one was taking the ferry from New London, CT to Fisher's Island, NY. Every so often going out or coming back you would cross paths with an LA class attack sub on the surface - their port is in Groton, CT, a little further up the Lyme River from New London. Also very cool.
in the 90s,I was stationed at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, and worked with the three different A-10 Squadrons on station. The A-10 and the P-51 Mustang are my two favorite aircraft ever made.
You need to watch the whole story of her flight. Not only did she take that bad damage, but wouldnt leave the area until the ground troops was able to get out. Good video.
My brother said the A10 was one of the infantry's favorite ground support air craft. He said you can feel it in your chest from almost a mile away when they open up with the 30mm.
Royal Marine huh? Badass. Thanks for your service. Got out of the USAF in 2006. I miss it. I was stationed at Pope AFB. A10s and C130s were stationed at our base. We'd regularly hear the brrrrrrt from the massive gun during practice and testing. Sounded like AMERICA.
I went around and around with some numbskull about one of the A-10's main jobs which is a a tank killer. It was specifically made to kill Russian tanks. He claimed the main gun couldnt puncture tank armor. The stupidity was mind boggling. I told him to look it up and never heard from him again.
Couldn't penetrate tank armor? He might have been right - if the GAU-8 were a single-fire weapon. But then, some of those pointy things under the wings... you know, missiles? ... probably could do a pretty good job even on the new Russian Terminator tank.
Some areas on a tank can't be penetrated by the gun. There's an A-10 pilots "colouring book" that shows the effective areas that pilots need to shoot for. It's a fun read :D
Youre standing around your truck with a couple of your fellow goons having a smoke when PopPopBOOMBangPOPfizZingPop. You raise your head from the ground a second later wondering wtf is going on when you hear BRRRRRRRRRRRRRB, the sound of the shots that had just demolished the truck you were standing by.
I live in a city with a large military airport. One forth of July we had a air show and the A10 made a appearance. The pilot was on hand to talk as well. My favorite military planes.
You're gonna be jealous! I live within 5 miles of a US Air Force Base, near Macon GA. Several A-10 Warthogs are stationed there, and I see them flying in pairs over my home all the time! Very exciting to see a plane that is great at protecting my country flying low over my home!
Hey OriginalHuman, I like your reactions. I would like to recommend a reaction for you. My first ship was The USS New Jersey BB-62. I was on board from June 1983 to August 07, 1987. The Video Is: Naval legends, USS New Jersey, world of war ships. If you hear a Russian speaker, you found he correct one. Admiral Bill (Bull) Halsey used the ship as his flag ship in WW-2. I Shot (pulled) the Trigger on this ship when it was my turn. 7 minute mark is the forward plotting room where I worked & fired the 16 inch 407 milometers bullets. Fair seas & warm weather to all of you Folks, (former) Firecontrolman second Class (Old CC-2) Mac.
Years ago I lived with my grandparents 40 min south of Douglas AZ. I Spent about a month helping to build a fence around Pops 40 acres. A-10's doing maneuvers would fly over nearly every day. 2, 4 even 6 of them at a time. At random a F-16 or two would dogfight with them. I'd bring a 5x8 American flag. Then wave it like mad, and be rewarded by very low-level (a few hundred feet?) fly-bys. Wing rocks and even salutes from pilots. I will never forget it! Plus I got a break from digging fence posts in the ground as hard as concrete. RIP Grandpop........
What a fantastic story! I'm sorry that your grandpa passed. Even though we all know how this ride ends, it doesn't give much comfort when we have to face it. In my mind, it's stories like this that makes America such a great place to live! Thank you for sharing a story which brought a smile to my face! Cheers
imagine me waking up at 7 am in a gp medium tent out in the field in graffenwoehr at 20 years old and hearing the A 10 firing without having a clue what it was....many questions were asked and my love affair with the A10 began : )
Still see them at Selfridge Base near Mt. Clemens, MI. Our small town nearby would have a 4th of July parade that Senator Levin would walk in. He was on the Arm Forces committee and would have a couple of A-10s do a fly over each year. Beautiful!!
Ft. Huachuca, in Sierra Vista, AZ has National Guard A-10s. I used to watch / listen to them fly around. One of my favorite planes. Such a beautiful monster.
Was my dream to fly one of these when I was growing up. Grew up in the shadow of USAFA had everything lined up, congressman appointment letter and everything, then torn my Achilles tendon, complete rupture and ended my hopes and dreams in an instant. She was always my favorite aircraft, such a thing of beauty.
I live up north along the Susquehanna River in York County, PA and have seem numerous A-10 trainings flying up and back the river valley. They are sweet machines.
I live in michigan and I'm in the area where they do some training with these. They come over top of my house at tree top level multiple times in the summer. Always cool to see
I remember spending 2 weeks at Camp Grayling Michigan for annual training and a couple of those days while I was training the local Air National Guard were doing "gun runs" with A-10's and hearing that burp from the gun would just put a smile on your face knowing those were overhead watching your 6
Haha, great video! When I did pre-deployment, they were doing maneuvers above us and firing on targets. When you look up and see them, the smoke from the gun is the first thing you see. Then like 5 to 10 seconds later you hear the BRRRRRRRR! It was awesome to see and hear.
3:29 there are no missiles so from left to right electronic jammer pod a laser guided bomb a triple tree of the same bomb a cluster bomb and under the middle is a fuel tank the load will be repeated on the other side but the ew pod will be replaced by a twin rack of sidewinder air to air missiles or quad rack of stingers ATA missiles and its not even heavily loaded in that image.. it can carry far far more weight
Back in the 80's they were on an adjacent target range while we were sending 81mm mortars down our range. Most of their time in area was spent in turns with the wings vertical making the platform difficult to see, then in a split second to horizontal on target firing the gatling gun followed by release of ordinance. Their gun rounds would be on target long before you heard the discharge. Incredible & Intimidating site & sound while surrounded by comfort knowing they're on your side!!
I just came across your video, and I could not wipe the smile off my face! The emence pride I feel every time I see anything about the A-10 make me wish I was back in the Air Force! After 20 + years as a Enlisted Terminal Attack Controler (ETAC/TACP), I still get really excited seeing videos! Being a TACP, we would get our own private air show!!!
Had a friend who's brother was an A10 pilot. The thing really is a beast. The point is that it actually flies slow enough to put more ordinance on the target yet fast enough to get the hell out of trouble if necessary.
you were asking how long the A-10 was expected to be in service.. The SR-71 Blackbird was taking pictures of license plates from 10,000 feet up in the Vietnam war and since it has been retired twice but they keep bringing it back because it's replacement "isn't good enough".
They did finally retire the SR-71. They recently announced the SR-72 Darkstar, "Son of Blackbird". Not exactly a replacement, it's not a spy plane, but they're claiming it does mach 6. We know they claimed the top speed of the Blackbird was 3.2, but pilots said it was higher. I wonder what the real top end on the SR-72 is...
If an A-10 is shooting you or blowing you up down below it means there are layers of F-16s, F-15E's, and an F-22 or a few making sure that the A-10 is unmolested.
If you hear if coming, it’s already too late. They keep saying they are going to retire it but anyone that has ever had to call in this beautiful beast will never let it happen. They’re actually working on revamping it. I am lucky enough to still get to see them flying training flights occasionally.
@@kveldgorkon4611 Yeah I’ve seen it, if the A-10 was built with you know a camera pod with a zoom feature the pilot would have been able to tell it’s a British tank and not some Soviet truck, this is why the Aardvark was better.
The Hog is a twin turbofan, straight winged subsonic attack aircraft built around the legendary GAU -8 30 mm rotary autocannon. When you are up against it, the sound of the GAU-8 is the sound of freedom to live another day.
This was always my favorite war plane. Yes, the SR71 is sexy and fast, the F-15 is absolutely amazing and so on but, the A-10.... They said 16,000 lbs of armament but no, it is 26,000 lbs it can carry. It's a slow plane but it was built as you said, to be a flying tank. They wanted to get rid of it several times but, it proved itself valuble every time it was on the chopping block. And to think it was designed in the 70s.
This is a flying gun. That's why you don't want to fight it. Fighting it is like bringing a pocket knife to a tank battle. Nobody in that situation stands a chance.
Once I was driving to Shaw AFB. I saw an A-10 diving from behind. After the pass I slowed down to admire the beauty. Then my jaw dropped as it made a tight turn I did not know an aircraft could make as he came back for a forward pass. Thank you Jesus as the pilot was only practicing.
Hah, the Russians call the A-10 The Devil's Cross. They can fly from unimproved runways. By the way, A-10 training is done Tucson, AZ, and there is a base in New Mexico, and it participates in Red Flag exercises in Las Vegas. I used to train A-10 upgrade pilots at the 355 Training Wing at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ way back in the 80s.
USAF retired Aircraft Weapons Specialist checking in. I worked on A-10A's for 5.5 years in Germany, Arizona, and South Korea. Best aircraft I ever worked on, loading The Gun was always fun, especially when one engine was running during a quick turn because you could load it about twice as fast. Fun fact, the images that show the shark teeth on the nose are from the squadron that has direct historical lineage to the Flying Tigers of WWII. Edit: At 3:22 what you're looking at is a ECM pod, one parent mount GBU-12 laser guided bomb, three GBU-12s on a triple ejector rack, a CBU-87 or 89 cluster bomb, and the big gray thing in the middle is an extra fuel tank. The aircraft has 11 total hard points for carrying bombs, missiles, rockets, flare pods, ECM pods, and some can carry fuel tanks. They can also carry 16 modules of chaff and flare for defense against missiles.
For awhile they flew A10's out of Syracuse NY to train on Fort Drum NY. We were logging outside Fort Drum and many times they would come in low and you knew they were locked on our equipment! What I remembered most was the whine they made while banking! Reminded me of the noise the lower unit of an outboard motor makes when also turning. Now they fly large drones out of the Syracuse base.
i highly recommend watching Black Rifle Coffee Company's video "A-10 Pilot Takes Over 100 Anti-Aircraft Hits Over Baghdad" its a really interesting video and has a lot of good information about the A-10s capabilities
Remember: This is not a plane. This is a gun, with wings.
yup...the gun is the size of a VW. GE said, " look at this new gun we made for you Uncle Sam. " Uncle Sam said to the Air Force, " make it fly " lol
@standupnow-bo3lr its not slightly its stutter fires the gun because if it doesn't it will stall at least the old ones did.
They actually fixed that issue by putting the starter on a timer. So now once the trigger is pulled the starter engages every like 5 seconds i think@@derriklest2161
AFAIK, they built the plane around the firing platform.
It is a flying tank with guns, and wings.
Ah, the Warthog. If you hear the cannon firing, you weren't the target. :)
and I think they use depleted uranium for the cannon.
Laughs in brrrrrrt
yep the rounds have a depleted uranium core due to the density of it
@@george6252
That goes for every gun.
@@SnailHatan 30mm supersonic DU rounds are a hell of a lot less survivable than most other guns, though. The rounds reach you before the BRRRRT.
I have been pinned down several times, then you hear that distinctive gun, and suddenly you’re free to move again.
Same. It's like the fart of God going by.
Rarely do I legitimately laugh out loud, but this comment…🤣🤣🤣
If you hear the BRRRRRRRRRRRRT you weren't the target.
@Lonewolfmike the beautiful sound of enemies being Control Alt Deleted
@@Lonewolfmikeexactly.
The A10, there when you need it. It doesn't just zip over...it joins in. The pilots are fiercely loyal to the A10, and that speaks volumes.
And at times you pray for them. Brrrrrrrrrrrrrttttttttt
The two-way effect on morale for the guys on the ground is hard to quantify but absolutely exists.
So u know my Brit friend at 10:46 where the pilot put the nose nearly straight up. He was doing 1 of 2 things. #1 rapidly dumping speed to get more accurate weapons on target, or #2 showing the jets INABILITY TO STALL. This plane was built in such a way that it can maintain lift at EXTREMELY LOW SPEEDS. Nearly as slow as a helicopter and the A-10 can not only maintain lift but still turn on a dime and give 9 cents change. She was designed to do that.
When I was in high school AFJROTC, we watched a movie of an A-10 flying below tree level in Germany until it came to a clearing. There was a tank set up in the clearing, when the A-10 fired two things happened: 1) pieces of the tank went away 2) the A-10 hovered while the gun was active or at least appeared to.
My Dad was an A-10 mechanic; he could put that plane back together in his sleep. He once told me it could damn near turn on its wingtip. I still have a dummy round of the GAU on my mantle. It will always be my favorite plane, though I am very biased...lol.
My platoon and I were pinned down by a superior enemy force. We called for ariel support, and cheered when we heard those beautiful engines screaming. They stayed with us until the coast was clear. God bless those flying grunts (the pilots) and the Warthogs.
I believe the guardian angel of grunts and Marines is named Bert.
as a USAF vet, we are proud to keep these winged tanks going to protect you folks in the dirt. we dont like leaving anyone behind either, so we keep this machine around to make sure you can get yourselves out when the time comes. glad you made it home brother!
Didn't mean to leave out the support guys and gals that allow these birds of prey to cover us in times of need. God bless.@@ghomerhust
@@nowthatsjustducky Saint BurrrrrAP!
Specticals,Testicular, Wallet and Watch thank God!
St Bert the Gaurding Angel flies over head and not to picky about pronunciation is a Hail Mary prayer to get home on your feet and not in a box under a flag.
I got one leg and not even mad about it.
If the angry bees don't get you the rock chips will and then Burrap!
silence.
Beautiful graveyard quality silence.
Then his cousins the Arch Angels fly in to attend the wounded.
Valks for the still living.
I believe a-10 pilots are referred to as stick operators not fighter pilots
The A-10 answers the age old question “What if a gun could could fly?”
The plane was more or less built around the gun… it’s essentially a gun with a plane attached.
“See that gun?”
“Yes sir”
“Make it fly.”
“Yes sir”
@@yuningsun6914Yup, that's exactly what they did. They built a plane to carry that gun.
@@tomdodds8091 And the reason it carries so little ammunition for the gun is that 18 seconds (IIRC) of sustained fire of the cannon is enough to drop the plane out of the sky due to lack of lift. Once again, IIRC, they only kit it with 3-5 seconds of ammunition and just strap eleven gajillion (only scientific numbers, here) bombs to it for anything that survives the first pass or two. The only thing that competes with its lethality in the air is the amount of insurance claims it makes of our own people. Granted, that number has actually gone down with improved targeting tech and better intel.
@@AdeptusCaeiusIII I've seen several times where people who should know refute that claim about the gun firing too long causing the airframe to lose lift, but I'm not an engineer in any of the aero related fields, so I'm not going to argue it one way or the other. I understand the concept, and can't say it isn't valid.
@@yuningsun6914 lol ah the GAUSS. Nothing more terrifying than to hear that at 0400 doing practice runs. I miss seeing those birds at the crack of dawn. The zipper sound you hear is your body unzipping itself in half if you hear that heading towards you.
I was an A-10 crew chief for 12 years, 4 of which were in the desert. An amazing aircraft.
Thank you.
haha..bullshite
@@moesizzlik5545😂 why? Someone has to fly and manage them. Its not weird at all for someone who did for over a decade to watch a clip about those aircrafts. Actually, id think it relatively common.
@@moesizzlik5545 So.....I guess military vets can't watch UA-cam videos and post comments?
Thank you for your service Sir
Back when I was a Ranger one of the most comforting sounds was the "Bwaaap-bwaaaaaaap" of those A10 layin' down the lead. STILL makes my heart warm.
30mm depleted uranium rounds, by the thousands...gives me the heebies just thinking about it and they're not mad at me.
the thing is a friend of my dad worked in the designing group for the warthog. its basicly that the plane was build around the gun. and he said once: if you hear the gun you werent the target.
this plane is an absolute unit.
So very true. The rounds are supersonic (Mach 3 muzzle velocity), so if you're in the target area all of a sudden everything goes to hell around you, and only then (if you somehow survived) do you hear the "brrrrrrt" from the aircraft.
Capt. Kim Campbell, the pilot featured in the video who successfully brought in her damaged A-10 retired as a Colonel. She was known as ‘Killer Chick’.
I have her book, Flying in the Face of Fear. I love it!
@@susanwahl6322 good tip, ill have to look that one up!
Well deserved too! She’s well known across Infantry Units both Army and Marines.
Here we go again with the leftist BS. If you’re so gung ho for women to be combat troops, then how would you like it if our entire military was female only?
Love her moniker!!
I know a number of years back the air force tried to retire the A10 and the marines said we'll take it. The air force said we will keep it. The grunts love it.
You know it. We Marines would have taken those planes in heartbeat. Marine grunts treat those things with reverence.
@@devildog17013 The only issue I could think of is that they are not carrier capable. Which would seriously hinder where and when they could be used by the Corps.
@@michaelmartin4552 Very true. You would definitely need to fly them in ahead of time.
Plenty of USMC aircraft flying from the beach that carrier capability is not that big of an issue, though I would argue that the Army should get them, and not the Corps.@@michaelmartin4552
@@devildog17013 Plus I can see the division in the Wing now. After all, no need to make Naval Aviators of the pilots who will never land or take off from carriers. I can see infighting there between the Hog pilots, and all the others who are Naval Aviators and carrier rated.
When the plane that erases everything on the ground just says "I fart in your general direction" 😂
I read that in the fake French accent 😂
Or written by a dnd player...
Long live the A10
Well, that's a French insult, and that's kinda insulting to the A-10. In this case, it should be, "Hold my beer, watch this!"
Hell yeah.
I was driving a bright red and white dual tank 750 gallon propane delivery truck in Texas cotton fields in the early 80’s supplying fuel for the irrigation pumps. The glossy white tanks on my truck were about 20 feet long and about 5 feet in diameter, frequently parked for extended periods of time in the middle of a big field of a vivid green cotton plantation, making it perfect for target practice.
One of the pilots came in the station where I worked and spoke with me about the truck and asked me about the radio it had. Shortly afterwards, I started getting buzzed by A-10s while I was making deliveries. It’s a shame that portable video cameras were still so big and expensive in those days. I could have recorded some amazing footage of the practice runs they were making over my head. Even though they were only making practice runs over me, they still gave me chills every time they passed overhead. The A-10 Warthog quickly became one of my favorite aircraft after that.
I can honestly tell you they have saved our grunt asses and I would never want it to go away
As a Marine Veteran who has heard the sound of that gun, it is a sound you wont forget, but it also tells you that you are not the target. That aircraft has saved and will save many 1000's of lives.
I used to see these guys fly over us where I lived here in IN. You didn't hear them until they were on top of you. One time my son was out in the yard when 3 flew over us and literally scared him to crying. He was only 3 at the time. We would see these guys at least twice a week. One time they flew over I waved at them and I could see the pilot wave back. That's how low they flew. Awesome!
I was with 10th Mountain in 89 training in Ft Pickett VA when a pair of A-10's from Virginia Air National Guard did a low pass over our company on the road at 6am. I told the guys in my squad that we'd all be dead if that was the enemy... they truly are deadly AF.
@@sharkymcshizzle7372 we are proud to fight along side you folks! you can count on the "chair force" to bring the thunder if you're ever stuck in a tight spot. we dont like leaving folks behind
We have a lake house in N IN and they still fly in pairs around there all the time on weekends. One time in the fall when my brother and myself were burning leaves, I was tending a pile, and one screamed by to our right maybe 100ft above the surface of the lake. Right at the moment we both looked over at it, the second one flew right over the top of us just barely over the top of the trees. We looked at each other and I told him "We're dead." They were doing practice runs using the smoke from the burning leaves as the target and the first A-10 was a distraction. I've also seen them doing the same thing with grain silos on farms in the area up there.
Atterbury?
@@necrosiskoc9617 that is awesome. We had a pair of em buzz a golf course i was playing a couple years ago flying just as low...cheers
The armament load under the wings reminded me of my mother saying, "If you're going to take that outside, you have to take enough to share."
LMFAO...welp, they can take plenty to share. 😁 what was shown, wasn't even the closest to what one looks like fully decked out at top take off weight. 🤫
Right...."Did you bring enough for the whole class?!" "As a matter of fact Miss Teacher...I brought that many and some spares, is that OK?"
@@pop9095 I was the doofus who simply walked in, dropped some candies on the teacher's desk, and then passed them out to the rest of the class.
Her eyes lit right up as soon as she saw them, and she just said "Thank you," as she unwrapped one.
Well Bro I think they figured that out man
Another pilot returned with a 3ft hole in his wing with landing gear blown out.
I saw 2 of these beasts of the air in 1985 while working on a house roof in the Yorkshire Dales UK. They came screaming up the valley on a training run, the earth shook they were so low over the top of us I just about filled my pants. Loved them ever since and love to see them out training and at air shows. Great aircraft.
They were at RAF Bentwaters. They had huge numbers to deploy over to Russia to prevent Russian tanks from coming through the Fulda Gap and overrunning the rest of Europe.
@@MarkBush-en5cz We had them at RAF Alconbury as well. I was there in '88 to '90. I still remember one time walking to the back of the base along the runway to get to my backup datacenter. I didn't know it but the A-10s were practicing for an upcoming airshow. Halfway through my walk one zoomed over my head from behind, did a full loop like a roller coaster, and kept going until I couldn't see it anymore. I didn't hear anything until it started the loop directly over me. At least they weren't taking off and flying directly over the enlisted dorms angled at least 75 degrees like the TR-1s did, so people outside the base couldn't get good pictures of the nosecones. I had stuff shake off of the shelves in my room several times when they took off.
These awesome aircraft fly over my home almost daily. As a marine in my late 50’s it’s a fond memorize of seeing these in combat. I’m grateful to several A-10 pilots during my time in service. Now I watch the new generation of pilots flying around my home in the country.
Selfridge?
Thank you for your sacrifice and service 🫡🇺🇸
"Any landing you walk away from is a good landing" Chuck Yeager
And if you can re-use the aircraft then it was an *excellent* landing.
I served in the U.S. army for 11 years, 3 of which were in Germany. My unit was at a training area when I had the opportunity to watch A-10’s on a live-fire range a one point, and what I observed shook me to my core. As these A-10’s rolled in on a gun-run the sound that came from the 30mm main gun scared the crap out of me! On most videos, like yours, the sound that you hear is higher pitched that what you hear in person. I don’t know that I can accurately describe the actual sound that this cannon makes, but I will try to paint a picture for you. What you hear in real life is of a much lower pitch, like when someone burps, but it is a long, prolonged burp that echoed throughout the canyon we were in, watching this happen. The sound was at such a low pitch, everyone watching could feel the “growl” that this cannon makes reverberate throughout their body. It was so impressive and absolutely frightening at the same time. It absolutely sent shivers through my body and I remember just thinking how frightened the enemy would be to see that aircraft rolling in on them, and then hearing that chain-gun open up on them. I actually felt sorry for any enemy that would come up against this aircraft. It was one of the most frightening sounds I have ever heard!!! I am not kidding!
But at the same time blowing a load. Or is it just a marine thing
I also saw a live fire exercise, I think the gun sounded like a giant sheet of canvas being ripped.Some came back from the 1991 Gulf war with lots of battle damage. Russians called it the Devil's cross. They were in two RAF bases in England, Alconbury and Bentwaters.
I was stationed at Davis-Monthan AFB as an EC-130 crew chief. There was one night when we were doing a full power maintenance engine run and I was in the cockpit/flight deck when one of our A-10s came in with an In-Flight Emergency (IFE) for an unsafe gun. They parked the aircraft on a taxiway near the north end of the runway, not too far from where our ramp was, then put a huge barrier pad up in front of it while they tried to clear it. We could hear the round discharge while running the engines on our own bird. I agree with you. It was a much lower pitched - and loud - "BOOOM!!" type sound that I recall hearing than what videos always seem to suggest. I'd almost equate it more to the sound of a bomb going off, or maybe even a 12-gauge shotgun type sound.
If it makes you feel any better, the targets would probably be vaporized before they heard the terrifying sound.
Not a chain gun, but a rotary cannon.
Speaking as an old grunt, I will say that every ground pounder looks at the A10 as the most beautiful death machine in existence. Every time I heard the distinctive whine of those massive engines, i KNEW the way was clear. God bless our A10 pilots! Keep on keeping my brothers and sisters alive.
I was deer hunting in a super high tree stand on a tall ridge. I was just getting my stuff together to climb down. Two A-10s came buzzing the tree line of the ridge. They banked right above me and me and the pilot made direct eye contact. As he banked I felt wind and heat from the jet engine. Was soooo loud and crazy I almost fell out of tree stand. Will never forget
Two of my sons served in Iraq. They said the devastation that the A 10 created on the striking run is awesome and terrifying.
It's a beautifully horrific scene no doubt. Best sound in the world when you get to hear a loud brrrrtttt followed by silence.
My favorite fact is that the gun mounted on the front has such high recoil that it actually slows the jet down. I think it produces more force backwards than a single one of its engines does forwards. You lose more than half of your thrust while firing. Its not a jet with a big gun, its a gun with wings.
its not really the recoil force that prevents them from firing longer bursts from the gun. during early testing of the gun, the cloud of gases released from the gun tended to choke the engines out as they flew through it, so to prevent losing engine thrust they limit the gun to short bursts.
@@Knightfang1 They never said it prevented them from firing the gun in long bursts, just that the force of the recoil is roughly equal to the thrust of one of the engines, which is true.
Considering the plane is designed around the gun yes, it's a gun with wings.
Initial design only had one engine, but the front gun has so much recoil that it almost brought the plane to a stop. They added the second engine to keep it flying.
Fun fact I believe the technicians calculated the recoil from the gun and said if it was pointed aft and had a limitless ammo supply the plane would fly without engines.
During operation, "desert storm," an A-10 returned to base with 2/3 of a wing missing, 1 engine not working, and loads of holes caused by anti-aircraft rounds and shrapnel.
They literally showed that in the video…
@@sathosDesert Storm, not OEF/OIF. I spent 20 years in the Air Force, and my friend and squadron mate was at the FOB a couple miles from the Iraqi border, just inside Kuwait, and saw it with his own eyes, he said it made a perfect 3-point landing, despite missing 1/2 a wing, the tip of the other wing, half of one of the two vertical stabilizers, and holes EVERYWHERE.
it bears mentioning, the one mentioned was not the worst damaged one that returned to base. one in desert storm lost most of a wing, and came back requiring full right stick to keep it flying level.
the other two comments made about their speed are they were originally made without navigation, because the pilot could roll down the window and ask for directions, and the cockpits are armored against birdstrike on the back.
missing literally half the tail and a massive gaping hole in one wing. i can't believe the video he's reacting to didn't mention that.
"That is an ugly plane" F-15 pilot.
"It wasn't built to do pretty things." A-10 pilot.
They were our close air support in desert storm. It was a comfort knowing they were always in radio range, litterally minutes away at all times.
When I was a teen in the 80s and mowing a field for my dad, one day I suddenly heard something crazy loud and then suddenly 2 A-10s flew low right over the top of me. Consider that I was in an enclosed cab, loud AF tractor and all I could hear were A-10 engines.
I also quickly realized that I probably had just played "tank" for them as they flew overhead. 😉
lmao...I'm guessing...you are correct. At that moment, you were a T-72 or T-90 MBT. at least until they passed you, then you went back to being a lawn tractor. LOL 🤔😁🤣
@@nadjasunflower1387 full size tractor, so I was probably a decent substitute.
My butt would've clenched that tractor seat for dear life lmao
I love that he keeps reacting to the crackling as the sound of the gun. Little does he realize that its the sound of the rounds hitting the target. The target is usually dead by the time the famous "brrrrrrt" is heard XD
Yeah the general idea is that if you're in battle and hear the "brrrr", then it wasn't intended for you. Otherwise, you'd never hear it.
@@kevinexline5392 completely true. the muzzle velocity of that cannon is insanely high. you go splat way before everyone else hears the fart going off. but, the sound of the fart is enough to send many enemy combatants running, because they dont want to be next
I'm in Missouri and have been out on local lakes of few times when a10s fly over super low on training flights. Last Summer we were floating behind a boat and one flew over super low, the pilot tipped his wing and gave us a thumbs up It was so cool.
The last time I was fishing on Table Rock, two of them were flying around doing maneuvers. They are so cool.
The average fighter pilot"My plane has a gun"
The average A10 pilot"My gun has a plane"😁
5:42 you can find an interview she gave on another veteran UA-cam channel on that incident and how she managed to get back safely. Insane. That woman is a badass.
Those A-10 you thought were flying over New Mexico were actually flying over Arizona. There are A-10 stationed at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson. Used to see them all the time cause the runway they use have them flying over my old job near daily.
There isn't a ground troop that I know of that doesn't love this plane and the people that fly it. To this day, it is still one of the best close air support planes flying.
An A-1 Spad on steroids!
there are lots of ground troops that hate them. just not OUR ground troops.
I rank the A10 side by side with the M1911/M1911A1 as the baddest war machines ever made and will ever be made
there are lots of ground troops that don't like it. they're on the other side.
I am 45 years old, and all I can say, being a civilian... is that I continually hear news about them attempting to retire this aircraft. Then the "grunts" or ground troops pretty much say what they have to say about support and all of them say they want the A-10 above them if they need help. Sure, we got the AC130 and other bombers, a few close support aircraft, but again, from this end, I hear the ground troops calling for the A10 to stay in service. So far, it's still here.
I was hearing that 12 years ago when I was still in and controlled their exercise airspace. Just a bunch of whiney politicos bitching about their maintenance costs. Literally saw one land with one engine. That thing's a beast, may it forever fart in the skies.
we in the USAF (im a vet) absolutely love our flying tank. we know how valuable it is when the crap really hits the fan for those ground troops when things go wrong. we dont like leaving people behind, so we want to keep that beast around in order to make sure everyone gets out when they need to. until they come up with something better, we will try to keep the A10 on the roster. so far, nothing has come close to the capabilities of it, even though it's been around for 50+ years.
@@ghomerhust First, thank you for your service. Also, thanks for words confirming what I have always heard from the civilian end. I love that plane, even if the only use I get out of it is in video games and news that makes it back to us on various media platforms.
@@JeremiahNotABullfrog Thank you for your service.
@@ghomerhust Yup, created in the 70's, and there has been no other aircraft to match it's capabilities since. Sadly the Air Force has tried to axe the Hog a couple of times. Thankfully during this war they have seen the capabilities, and looking at the startup costs, designing, prototyping, etc. They have decided to upgrade the Hog instead of replacing it. I think they are extending it to 2050 with the upgrades. I haven't heard anything on how the new Hog will handle from the old Hog yet though.
They used to use my house as a target point. One would fly right over the house, turn in the bean field behind the house and come right back over it. I could see the pilot in the cockpit
as he made the turn. It was AWESOME !!
In 1982 I was in the USAF and I had a neighbor at home who joined the army. He related to me once when we were both home on leave, that during war games, his unit took care of every threat but the A-10. He said they never heard it coming.
Best time i've seen an A-10, was out in middle Michigan with some friends trail riding off road. the trails circled an artillery and strike range that the National Guard used for training. lucky for us the day we were out there a pair of A-10's were practicing strike runs at targets at the range. the pilots saw us parked on the trail watching them so they changed there attack approaches to fly right over head and just as they cleared us, would open up with the cannon and rockets. better than any fireworks show i have ever seen. they did this multiple times before moving on.
Warthog drivers are cool.
I was in the Army at a training center in California. My unit and others were mock fighting against the training force that trains there. One day, during a mock exercise, there was an opposition aircraft (A-10) attacking areas on the battlefield. This one A-10 flew towards our area of operation, flipped upside down over the outside of our AO. When it got to the middle of our area the pilot turned the A-10 on its side dropped a flare (missle) in the middle of us and before leaving our area banked in a different direction of travel. We were baffled in the precision and accuracy of the A-10. After that day seeing an A-10 in action.We knew why the world feared the Warthog. Never will forget that day.
Last fall, a hurricane was headed toward Florida, so the military moved jets around. I live 50 or so miles south of Wright Patterson Air Force Base and I was so lucky to see two A-10's flying at very low altitude, fly right over my house. I've always loved the Warthog, and seeing two in flight was amazing.
One of my Commanders in the AF flew A-10s earlier in his career during the first gulf war. He said when he pulled the trigger the recoil was enough that the airspeed indicator would dip slightly.
Army base near here used to open Cannon Range to public once a year, bring lawn chair, cooler, sit and watch A-10s do their thing. They would come in just over tree tops and rip that cannon, you couldn't help but jump even with ear plugs in. They would have other jets do runs, but the A-10 was the crowd favorite. A retired pilot told me they can only fire it for a few seconds at a time cause the recoil will actually stop the plane.
I can tell you from experience as a solider there's no sound more satisfying than hearing air support fly in with a A-10 close support in tow.
October 1977. First time in service. Another nearly 50 year old plane kept viable with upgrades and new tech.
While in the Pa National Guard I would often see these "absolute beasts" shooting at their impact area at The Gap. [FIG]
And yes, if the plane fires it's main gun to long it will lose air speed velocity because the recoil of the gun slows the plane
Was in the USAF and our Commander always said "Our true mission is to put warhead on forehead", I always loved that saying because it put our true mission in prospective.
Was the reply "APPLY DIRECTLY TO THE FOREHEAD!" ?
If not, it should have been. :)
@@georgeerhard1949🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 omg if not what a lost opportunity!
Honestly, you should be glad you never got to see an A-10 while you were in service. That means you where in some serious shit, and needed a bit of help.
"That would hurt in the morning"
No, that hurts right fucking now lol
10:44 I believe that maneuver is a "rear slip" or "dynamic deceleration", in extreme executions it is also known as the 'Cobra Maneuver". There are also side slips, and forward slips. A 'slip' is an aerodynamic condition of uncoordinated flight in which an aeroplanes motion is somewhat sideways to airflow. Uncoordinated describes the state of the aircrafts orientation to the airflow, and does not imply the aircraft is in an uncontrollable state. Coordinated flight means you are maintaining and orientation directly into oncoming airflow, using rudders, ailerons, and elevators to do so, for instance keeping your altitude and speed in a turn. You are coordinating the controls with the airflow to affect a change in direction or altitude (without 'fighting' the airflow).
A side slip is what we see jet liners doing coming in to land with a crosswind. Also known as a 'crab walk'. Or when a aircraft banks and sort of slides sideways instead of actually turning (more or less sliding across the lift force generated by the wings).
A forward slip can be used when landing when needing to exchange speed for altitude (if one is high and too fast for instance. Not commonly used on jet liners,, it should be pointed out...). The plane effectively pitches the nose down harder than usual exposing more of the top on the planes profile to oncoming air, basically acting as an air break and burning off speed faster than it loses altitude.
That 'rear slip' or 'dynamic deceleration' is effectively the opposite of the forward slip where, as seen in the video, an aircraft noses up hard faster than the aircraft can alter its direction through the air (in the A-10s case, thanks to having 2 big honking turbofans pointed over the elevators directing the jet wash up, pushing the tail down), thus it 'slips' its direction of motion relative to the direction its pointing exchanging airspeed while maintaining altitude (mostly).
Yes I am a nerd. No I am not fun at parties.
Outstanding explanation!
I've seen a 'Cobra Maneuver' at an air show ages ago. An F-18 Hornet came in low over the tarmac, then reared up its nose by almost 90°, then snapped forward, like, well, like a cobra.
I've seen video of a Russian fighter- I forget make & model- pull the angle of attack PAST 90°, before pitching forward.
An absolutely unreal maneuver to see in real life. Planes just should not do these things.
And the latest generations of fighter craft, with rotating exhaust nozzles, have both broken, then re-wrote, the rules of air combat.
I don't remember if that plane was an SU-23 or SU-27. I have watched the same video or one that is similar to what you've described. Really cool to see for sure! Cheers
Just learned a few things about it I didn't know. The 30mm sits to the left of the center and fires from the pilot's 3 O'clock position. Keeps the shell casings to help with weight distribution. Front landing gear isn't centered like other aircraft. It sits to the right of the center.
No it’s dead center. They built the plane around the gun. The front landing gear is off set to the left to keep it in the center.
Keeping casings is also quite common in anything above man-portable weapons because the casings are expensive. And in aircraft it keeps them from falling on friendlies.
Takes 77hp to drive the gun
After 9/11, I moved to Hartford, CT for work. I noticed the CT Air National Guard was made up of (at least partially) A-10s. I immediately applied to the CTANG, but was told I was too old (31). I gladly would have been a desk jockey just to be close to these planes. I fell in love with them as they rolled off the Fairchild assembly lines - I even bought and built a model of it the first year it was active in the mid- to late-70s.
The next time I head to Cincinnati, OH for work, I plan on taking a vacation day (maybe two) and spending the entire time at Wright-Patterson Airfield, just outside of the city. It's home to the Air Force Museum, which is stunning. And I have noo doubt I will linger around any Hog they have there and just soak that pretty pig in. (My grandparents used to live nearby in Xenia, OH, and my grandfather would take my 2 older brothers and me there all the time when we visited.)
Dad took us to Wright-Patterson years ago, in the 60s. I would love to see the place now. Though I was in love with the B-52 and the X-15.
@@Nancy-g2o Wright-Patterson is awesome. Whenever I go to a city with a military museum, count me in. I drove friends and fraternity brothers nuts when I went to college in Mobile, AL, home to the USS Alabama (a South Dakota class battleship, made just before the Iowa class used in Desert Storm), and the USS Drum, a WWII Pacific theater submarine. They have added onto it so much. I also did the self-guided tour on the USS Midway and unintentionally gathered my own tour group as we walked the deck and hangar (it was a private event). I still have Lady Lex to visit in New York.
One of my most enjoyable military experiences (outside of when my dad was still in the Reserves) was driving from Wilmington, NC up through Morehead City and on to Elizabeth City. We had to drive through (I think) Fort Bragg (I will respect veterans and use the name they know), and this was my first experience with Tank Crossing signs - just like Bus Stop signs, but with M-1 silhouettes and railroad ties instead of asphalt for their crossing area. So cool. The other fun one was taking the ferry from New London, CT to Fisher's Island, NY. Every so often going out or coming back you would cross paths with an LA class attack sub on the surface - their port is in Groton, CT, a little further up the Lyme River from New London. Also very cool.
in the 90s,I was stationed at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, and worked with the three different A-10 Squadrons on station. The A-10 and the P-51 Mustang are my two favorite aircraft ever made.
You need to watch the whole story of her flight. Not only did she take that bad damage, but wouldnt leave the area until the ground troops was able to get out. Good video.
My brother said the A10 was one of the infantry's favorite ground support air craft. He said you can feel it in your chest from almost a mile away when they open up with the 30mm.
Can confirm. 18.5 years as an US Army grunt.
Royal Marine huh? Badass. Thanks for your service.
Got out of the USAF in 2006. I miss it. I was stationed at Pope AFB. A10s and C130s were stationed at our base. We'd regularly hear the brrrrrrt from the massive gun during practice and testing. Sounded like AMERICA.
I went around and around with some numbskull about one of the A-10's main jobs which is a a tank killer.
It was specifically made to kill Russian tanks. He claimed the main gun couldnt puncture tank armor.
The stupidity was mind boggling. I told him to look it up and never heard from him again.
What did you do to him MATE?!
It's not called "a tank killer" cause it sounds cool. :)
🤣@@robertsettle2590
Couldn't penetrate tank armor? He might have been right - if the GAU-8 were a single-fire weapon. But then, some of those pointy things under the wings... you know, missiles? ... probably could do a pretty good job even on the new Russian Terminator tank.
Some areas on a tank can't be penetrated by the gun. There's an A-10 pilots "colouring book" that shows the effective areas that pilots need to shoot for. It's a fun read :D
Youre standing around your truck with a couple of your fellow goons having a smoke when PopPopBOOMBangPOPfizZingPop. You raise your head from the ground a second later wondering wtf is going on when you hear BRRRRRRRRRRRRRB, the sound of the shots that had just demolished the truck you were standing by.
The sound is even more traumatic up close. One of my favorite warplanes. Your body vibrates from the percussions.
I forgot to add, Thank you for your service. I know that you're Royal Marines, but you're an ally and deserve respects also. Thanks for sharing.
seconded. a brother in uniform.
Ditto.
4th, From 1 Marine to another, SEMPER FI, McDougal
I live in a city with a large military airport. One forth of July we had a air show and the A10 made a appearance. The pilot was on hand to talk as well. My favorite military planes.
You should hear those Guns in person! Your ears explode and your chest can feel it! Thanks to God it’s on our side! 🇺🇸 🇬🇧 🇩🇪 🇫🇷
You're gonna be jealous! I live within 5 miles of a US Air Force Base, near Macon GA. Several A-10 Warthogs are stationed there, and I see them flying in pairs over my home all the time! Very exciting to see a plane that is great at protecting my country flying low over my home!
Hey OriginalHuman, I like your reactions. I would like to recommend a reaction for you. My first ship was The USS New Jersey BB-62. I was on board from June 1983 to August 07, 1987. The Video Is: Naval legends, USS New Jersey, world of war ships. If you hear a Russian speaker, you found he correct one. Admiral Bill (Bull) Halsey used the ship as his flag ship in WW-2. I Shot (pulled) the Trigger on this ship when it was my turn. 7 minute mark is the forward plotting room where I worked & fired the 16 inch 407 milometers bullets. Fair seas & warm weather to all of you Folks, (former) Firecontrolman second Class (Old CC-2) Mac.
Years ago I lived with my grandparents 40 min south of Douglas AZ. I Spent about a month helping to build a fence around Pops 40 acres. A-10's doing maneuvers would fly over nearly every day. 2, 4 even 6 of them at a time. At random a F-16 or two would dogfight with them. I'd bring a 5x8 American flag. Then wave it like mad, and be rewarded by very low-level (a few hundred feet?) fly-bys. Wing rocks and even salutes from pilots. I will never forget it! Plus I got a break from digging fence posts in the ground as hard as concrete. RIP Grandpop........
What a fantastic story! I'm sorry that your grandpa passed. Even though we all know how this ride ends, it doesn't give much comfort when we have to face it. In my mind, it's stories like this that makes America such a great place to live! Thank you for sharing a story which brought a smile to my face! Cheers
Other pilots joked that it was so slow that it took its bird strikes in the rear.
lmfao
Yes, that was one of the jokes I heard.
That's freaking hilarious! Bet you wouldn't say it to the warthogs face though!!!!! Lmao but for real...
@@danielcromer7277 You are right. I sure wouldn't. The Warthog might show up overhead.
People that's until you poked it with a stick
imagine me waking up at 7 am in a gp medium tent out in the field in graffenwoehr at 20 years old and hearing the A 10 firing without having a clue what it was....many questions were asked and my love affair with the A10 began : )
Still see them at Selfridge Base near Mt. Clemens, MI. Our small town nearby would have a 4th of July parade that Senator Levin would walk in. He was on the Arm Forces committee and would have a couple of A-10s do a fly over each year. Beautiful!!
Ft. Huachuca, in Sierra Vista, AZ has National Guard A-10s. I used to watch / listen to them fly around. One of my favorite planes. Such a beautiful monster.
Was my dream to fly one of these when I was growing up. Grew up in the shadow of USAFA had everything lined up, congressman appointment letter and everything, then torn my Achilles tendon, complete rupture and ended my hopes and dreams in an instant. She was always my favorite aircraft, such a thing of beauty.
Come to Middle River, MD. We have an Air National Guard squadron of A-10s at Martin's State Airport. Cheers.
I live up north along the Susquehanna River in York County, PA and have seem numerous A-10 trainings flying up and back the river valley. They are sweet machines.
I live in michigan and I'm in the area where they do some training with these. They come over top of my house at tree top level multiple times in the summer. Always cool to see
I remember spending 2 weeks at Camp Grayling Michigan for annual training and a couple of those days while I was training the local Air National Guard were doing "gun runs" with A-10's and hearing that burp from the gun would just put a smile on your face knowing those were overhead watching your 6
There are a bunch of these in my home town Tucson, Arizona at Davis Monthan AFB. Grew up watching them fly round almost daily.
Haha, great video! When I did pre-deployment, they were doing maneuvers above us and firing on targets. When you look up and see them, the smoke from the gun is the first thing you see. Then like 5 to 10 seconds later you hear the BRRRRRRRR! It was awesome to see and hear.
The A-10 Fairchild Warthog is a plane built around a Vulcan GAU 30mm in Titanium. The A-10 has a face that every ground pounder loves.
3:29
there are no missiles
so from left to right
electronic jammer pod
a laser guided bomb
a triple tree of the same bomb
a cluster bomb
and under the middle is a fuel tank
the load will be repeated on the other side but the ew pod will be replaced by a twin rack of sidewinder air to air missiles or quad rack of stingers ATA missiles
and its not even heavily loaded in that image.. it can carry far far more weight
In summary: the entire selection of "fuck you" for the target(s)
LMAO! Exactly! 🤣🤣😂😂🤣🤣
Back in the 80's they were on an adjacent target range while we were sending 81mm mortars down our range. Most of their time in area was spent in turns with the wings vertical making the platform difficult to see, then in a split second to horizontal on target firing the gatling gun followed by release of ordinance. Their gun rounds would be on target long before you heard the discharge. Incredible & Intimidating site & sound while surrounded by comfort knowing they're on your side!!
And that's why Cobra uses it for its Rattler. I've always loved that particular plane this looks good and it packs up punch.
I just came across your video, and I could not wipe the smile off my face! The emence pride I feel every time I see anything about the A-10 make me wish I was back in the Air Force! After 20 + years as a Enlisted Terminal Attack Controler (ETAC/TACP), I still get really excited seeing videos! Being a TACP, we would get our own private air show!!!
Had a friend who's brother was an A10 pilot. The thing really is a beast. The point is that it actually flies slow enough to put more ordinance on the target yet fast enough to get the hell out of trouble if necessary.
you were asking how long the A-10 was expected to be in service.. The SR-71 Blackbird was taking pictures of license plates from 10,000 feet up in the Vietnam war and since it has been retired twice but they keep bringing it back because it's replacement "isn't good enough".
They do keep upgrading them, thank goodness.
They did finally retire the SR-71. They recently announced the SR-72 Darkstar, "Son of Blackbird". Not exactly a replacement, it's not a spy plane, but they're claiming it does mach 6. We know they claimed the top speed of the Blackbird was 3.2, but pilots said it was higher. I wonder what the real top end on the SR-72 is...
the A-10, if you can hear it firing... it wasnt meant for you. XD
If an A-10 is shooting you or blowing you up down below it means there are layers of F-16s, F-15E's, and an F-22 or a few making sure that the A-10 is unmolested.
If you hear if coming, it’s already too late. They keep saying they are going to retire it but anyone that has ever had to call in this beautiful beast will never let it happen. They’re actually working on revamping it. I am lucky enough to still get to see them flying training flights occasionally.
"When you hear the wail of the A-10s gun, it is already too late."
if you can hear it you weren't the target
A Marine. These guys are God's! The 30mm goes burp and you know your safe
9:13...Spotter: You think he's dead? Response: Let's make sure.
LMAO!🤣🤣😂😂🤣🤣
the sound of the bullets hitting the ground is even more insane
The fart sound that slays. No escape
We VERY PROUDLY call it: BRRRRRRTTTTT!!
That title needs a correction: “Why no British tank wants to fight the A-10” I will never forgive the A-10 for destroying a scorpion…
Check out in you tube "British Combat Footage.'.British Soldiers nearly killed by a A10 Thunderbolt"
@@kveldgorkon4611 Yeah I’ve seen it, if the A-10 was built with you know a camera pod with a zoom feature the pilot would have been able to tell it’s a British tank and not some Soviet truck, this is why the Aardvark was better.
You can thank the reformers for that.
The Hog is a twin turbofan, straight winged subsonic attack aircraft built around the legendary GAU -8 30 mm rotary autocannon. When you are up against it, the sound of the GAU-8 is the sound of freedom to live another day.
This was always my favorite war plane. Yes, the SR71 is sexy and fast, the F-15 is absolutely amazing and so on but, the A-10....
They said 16,000 lbs of armament but no, it is 26,000 lbs it can carry. It's a slow plane but it was built as you said, to be a flying tank.
They wanted to get rid of it several times but, it proved itself valuble every time it was on the chopping block. And to think it was designed in the 70s.
This is a flying gun. That's why you don't want to fight it. Fighting it is like bringing a pocket knife to a tank battle. Nobody in that situation stands a chance.
Once I was driving to Shaw AFB. I saw an A-10 diving from behind. After the pass I slowed down to admire the beauty. Then my jaw dropped as it made a tight turn I did not know an aircraft could make as he came back for a forward pass. Thank you Jesus as the pilot was only practicing.
Hah, the Russians call the A-10 The Devil's Cross. They can fly from unimproved runways. By the way, A-10 training is done Tucson, AZ, and there is a base in New Mexico, and it participates in Red Flag exercises in Las Vegas. I used to train A-10 upgrade pilots at the 355 Training Wing at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ way back in the 80s.
USAF retired Aircraft Weapons Specialist checking in. I worked on A-10A's for 5.5 years in Germany, Arizona, and South Korea. Best aircraft I ever worked on, loading The Gun was always fun, especially when one engine was running during a quick turn because you could load it about twice as fast. Fun fact, the images that show the shark teeth on the nose are from the squadron that has direct historical lineage to the Flying Tigers of WWII.
Edit: At 3:22 what you're looking at is a ECM pod, one parent mount GBU-12 laser guided bomb, three GBU-12s on a triple ejector rack, a CBU-87 or 89 cluster bomb, and the big gray thing in the middle is an extra fuel tank. The aircraft has 11 total hard points for carrying bombs, missiles, rockets, flare pods, ECM pods, and some can carry fuel tanks. They can also carry 16 modules of chaff and flare for defense against missiles.
For awhile they flew A10's out of Syracuse NY to train on Fort Drum NY. We were logging outside Fort Drum and many times they would come in low and you knew they were locked on our equipment! What I remembered most was the whine they made while banking! Reminded me of the noise the lower unit of an outboard motor makes when also turning. Now they fly large drones out of the Syracuse base.
i highly recommend watching Black Rifle Coffee Company's video "A-10 Pilot Takes Over 100 Anti-Aircraft Hits Over Baghdad" its a really interesting video and has a lot of good information about the A-10s capabilities