A sad day for the soldier/seaman/airman on the ground.... (A-10/CAS Discussion)

TLDR20 said:
For a plane that can stay airborne over a target, undetected for a day+? Maybe.

The global hawk is an amazing machine. Far exceeding the limits a human pilot could achieve. As an aviator myself, though at a lowly level, I hate to see pilots losing jobs. But even on the civil side we aren't far removed from total automation.
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Not only undetected and for a long period of time, but the sensor suite on the RQ-4 is ridiculous. It is well worth the money for the strategic capability it gives us.
 
@ThunderHorse -
It's also very fast, as UAVs go.

This is a huge bonus when it comes to shifting targets, and means it can operate much farther from its home airfield than other UAVs.
 
TLDR20 said:
The global hawk is an amazing machine.
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CDG said:
Not only undetected and for a long period of time, but the sensor suite on the RQ-4 is ridiculous. It is well worth the money for the strategic capability it gives us.
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Totally agree. I'm rather familiar with one capability it provides, the BACN suite. BACN is an amazing tool whose effects on C2 are underappreciated. If it is airborne, you don't have to worry about comms, voice or data.

RQ-4 Global Hawk > U.S. Air Force > Fact Sheet Display

Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN)
 
Surprise, surprise. Call them on their bullshit and they magically find $700 million to cut. Disgusting practices by LM.
 
It wasn't LM that made the bad deal, it was our government. Companies take advantage of the govt all the time. Having a business person in office to call them on their bullshit is one of the reasons I liked Trump.
 
I don't know the particulars, however I believe in the phrase "we teach others how to treat us." For too long the government accepted high prices, cost overruns, and missed deadliness without accountability to the vendor. This is a welcome change and I hope to see it applied to other aspects of government, not just the DoD.
 
Ooh-Rah said:
F-35 going to be featured at the Duluth, MN airshow. My parents live close enough to the Duluth Airbase that as I kid I used to watch the F-4's all day long and could always catch most of the airshows, they flew right over us.

Might need to take a trip to Duluth this summer.

The Duluth Airshow’s getting some Lightning – the rare F-35’s been added to the lineup

I like the hollywood-like promo video too...
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The F35 came to the Baltimore fleet week airshow. It flew by twice and did some rolls and the heritage flight.
 
Love articles like this....

Once at risk of extinction, iconic Warthog plane lives on

AX226_4BE6_9.JPG
 
Ooh-Rah said:
Love articles like this....

Once at risk of extinction, iconic Warthog plane lives on

AX226_4BE6_9.JPG
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It wouldn't surprise me if the SecDef had seconded McSally's recommendation to Trump. What ground-combat commander in our recent wars wouldn't be a proponent of this aircraft?

I also love the fact that the U2 is being given a new lease. It was upgraded to the current U2S model a few years back.

You gotta love all that good old military shit that refuses to die: A-10s, U2s, C-130s, BUFFs, AH-1s and the Ma Deuce. :thumbsup:
 
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AF Chief of Staff: A-10 replacement? Maybe not.

Air Force Weighs Scrapping A-10 Replacement | RealClearDefense

The USAF Admits It Isn't Actually Working on an A-10 Replacement

On July 16, 2017, in chat with Aviation Week, Air Force Chief of Staff General David Goldfein offered updates on the status and future of the A-10 fleet, as well as progress toward a new, CAS-focused aircraft, commonly referred to as A-X. In the interview, the service’s top official ran through the usual talking points, explaining that other, multi-role platforms can perform the critical close air support (CAS) job, as well as blaming budget cuts and caps for difficulties in obtaining a direct replacement for the Warthog.

As such, Goldfein said that the Air Force was “not yet” actively working on developing A-X, according to Aviation Week. When asked if this meant the service might ultimately retire the A-10 without a purpose-built replacement, he said “maybe.”
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upload_2017-8-16_13-32-53.png

U.S. Airman Forced to Belly-Land A-10 Warthog After Canopy Blows, Landing Gear Fails

On July 20, Capt. Brett DeVries of the Michigan Air National Guard was forced to land his A-10 Warthog with the landing gear up and no canopy after the aircraft's gun malfunctioned, wreaking havoc on systems across the entire plane. The belly landing took place at the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center in northern Michigan. DeVries, an A-10 pilot with the 107th Fighter Squadron stationed at Selfridge Air National Guard Base just north of Detroit, was able to safely exit the aircraft after the emergency landing, and no injuries resulted from the incident.

DeVries and fellow airmen from the 107th, known as the "Red Devils," were on a training flight to drop dummy bombs and conduct strafe runs at Grayling Air Gunnery Range. Four A-10s dropped their dummy ordnance during the routine training flight and then circled around to make a strafing pass. On his strafing run, DeVries' A-10 Thunderbolt II, affectionately called the Warthog for its rugged appearance, suffered a major malfunction after the aircraft's 30mm GAU-8 Avenger Gatling-style autocannon blew out, creating a "donut of gas," as reported by DeVries' wingman Major Shannon Vickers. The malfunction caused the canopy of DeVries' A-10 to blow while flying about 325 knots (374 mph), slamming his head back into the cockpit seat.

"It was like someone sucker punched me," DeVries recalls in a recent report of the incident. "I was just dazed for a moment."
 
Ooh-Rah said:
View attachment 19418

U.S. Airman Forced to Belly-Land A-10 Warthog After Canopy Blows, Landing Gear Fails

On July 20, Capt. Brett DeVries of the Michigan Air National Guard was forced to land his A-10 Warthog with the landing gear up and no canopy after the aircraft's gun malfunctioned, wreaking havoc on systems across the entire plane. The belly landing took place at the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center in northern Michigan. DeVries, an A-10 pilot with the 107th Fighter Squadron stationed at Selfridge Air National Guard Base just north of Detroit, was able to safely exit the aircraft after the emergency landing, and no injuries resulted from the incident.

DeVries and fellow airmen from the 107th, known as the "Red Devils," were on a training flight to drop dummy bombs and conduct strafe runs at Grayling Air Gunnery Range. Four A-10s dropped their dummy ordnance during the routine training flight and then circled around to make a strafing pass. On his strafing run, DeVries' A-10 Thunderbolt II, affectionately called the Warthog for its rugged appearance, suffered a major malfunction after the aircraft's 30mm GAU-8 Avenger Gatling-style autocannon blew out, creating a "donut of gas," as reported by DeVries' wingman Major Shannon Vickers. The malfunction caused the canopy of DeVries' A-10 to blow while flying about 325 knots (374 mph), slamming his head back into the cockpit seat.

"It was like someone sucker punched me," DeVries recalls in a recent report of the incident. "I was just dazed for a moment."
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I don't need no stinking landing gear
:-"
 
Ooh-Rah said:
Negative Ghost Rider!

It's not my fault if "some people" cannot post similar-subject material into one thread to keep the forum nice-and-tidy... :mad:...:wall:...:D
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I wasn't aware this thread was about a kick ass pilot who managed to safety land a plane that had major malfunctions. I though this was about planes being dc'd.
 

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