Barry M. Goldwater Range Visit 03MAY2012

[Joe Copalman]

EVEN SHOW PIGS LIKE TO GET DIRTY

I'm going to have to revise my "I hate demo birds" position.  Good to finally see one looking like a proper war machine.

[Jeff D. Welker]

Backlit Badness...

[Jay Beckman]

EVEN SHOW PIGS LIKE TO GET DIRTY
www.flickr.com/photos/24526864@N03/7140426055/][img]http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8006/7140426055_323d692940_b.jpg
I'm going to have to revise my "I hate demo birds" position.  Good to finally see one looking like a proper war machine.

Interesting...

278 was in the mix at Heritage Conference and had also already developed a dirty muzzle.  Still had "Rifle" as the driver.

Anyone tell if the name's been changed on 279?

[Joe Copalman]

Nope, his name is still on there.

[Bill]

Gunsmoke...

[Jay Beckman]

In Hot


Off Safe


Saying Hello

[Brian Lockett]

  A-10A 80-0190 of the 357th Fighter Squadron Dragons

OA-10A 81-0954 of the 47th Fighter Squadron Dogpatchers based at Barksdale AFB.

OA-10A 81-0954 of the 47th Fighter Squadron

OA-10A 81-0954 of the 47th Fighter Squadron

OA-10A 79-0108 of the 175th Fighter Wing based at ANGB Martin State, Maryland

OA-10A 79-0108 of the 175th Fighter Wing

[Scott Youmans]

Duck and Cover

[Scott Youmans]

Slightly off topic but can any tell me how to tell the difference between an A-10C and an OA-10A other that looking up the number?

[Jeff D. Welker]

You know it is not your day when you get caught in the open desert showing your fellow insurgents how to perform homemade upgrades to their AK-47's and this fellow shows up

The Desert Sweeper

[scottcolbath]

Awesome day today.





S.C.

[Joe Copalman]

Slightly off topic but can any tell me how to tell the difference between an A-10C and an OA-10A other that looking up the number?

Pretty sure they're all A-10Cs at this point.  I think the antenna behind the canopy is the biggest external tell, but I might be wrong about that.  Absolutely NO differences between the OA-10A and the A-10A - the "O" was just a nomenclature trick to allow more attack aircraft in Europe as "observation" planes, similar to how B-26Ks became A-26As during the Vietnam War because of a limit on the number of bombers we could base in Thailand.  They were typically assigned to Tactical Air Support Squadrons and primarily tasked with FAC duties, but they retained the same capabilities as the A-10As assigned to Fighter Squadrons.  As far as I know, the straight OA-10A designation died with the stand-down of the 23rd TASS after they returned to D-M after Desert Storm.  The "O" survived the Cold War, with the O/A-10A designation being used in Bosnia and Kosovo to designate an aircraft as being FAC-tasked, with a FAC-trained pilot and a FAC loadout, but an aircraft designated an O/A-10A on one mission could return to base, be re-armed for a CAS or BAI mission, and launch as an A-10A.    Not sure if the designation has been used in Iraq or Afghanistan.

[Joe Copalman]

"THE WRECKER"

[Scott Youmans]

Whole Hog

Joe,

Thanks for the explanation of OA-10 vs. A-10. I've been unclear on that for years even though the A-10 is one of my all time favorites.  Here's a similar shot to your last one but it's the "Whole Hog".

[Joe Copalman]

Joe,

Thanks for the explanation of OA-10 vs. A-10. I've been unclear on that for years even though the A-10 is one of my all time favorites.  Here's a similar shot to your last one but it's the "Whole Hog".

No problem.  I asked an A-10 pilot about it back in the late 90s and he had told me there was no difference, and I kinda-sorta didn't believe him, thinking the OA-10 had to have an extra radio or some updated nav system or something.  I asked a retired A-10 guy (and former Vietnam-era FAC) a few years back and he confirmed it. 

Solid shot, Scott.  Actually, tons of good shots so far.