One A-10 Shot Down: Others Shot Up.

National Review Online ^ | April 8, 2003 | Gleaves Whitney

[John H K]

This morning's brief e-mail from Ian to family and friends intersected the headline news.

Hello, everyone.

Since it's in the news, I can write and tell you. One of our planes was shot down over Baghdad. The pilot had to eject. Other A-10's scrambled to perform combat search and rescue. His wingman was shot at and was able to land at the forward operating location where we are also located. I've worked with the pilot for over 2 years and have crewed the jet for weeks during this deployment. Thank God he was rescued in time.

This was probably not in the news. Yesterday a plane came in that was shot up by AAA (Anti-Aircraft Artillery). The pilot had the option to eject, but she decided to bring the bird home. She is one brave pilot. I took pictures of the damage — it's incredible! I felt a sinking feeling when I saw the plane. Imagine what could have happened if it had been worse. The plane and the pilot survived the fiery barrage of shrapnel because the A-10 is one tough hombre. It can take a beating and ask for more.

That's all I can write for now. I'll keep y'all updated.

Ian C. Whitney, SrA, USAF

This message reminds us that although "we own the skies," and although there is talk of the collapse of the regime, it is still dangerous to fly sorties over enemy territory. It's also a reminder of the professional training and bravery of America's fighting men and women.

— Gleaves Whitney is editing a book of wartime speeches by American presidents, to be published later this year by Rowman & Littlefield. This is the seventh in a series of reports about his 19-year-old son Ian, who is serving in Kuwait with the Michigan Air National Guard.

[John H K]

This says the damaged A-10s were AAA, not SAMs...not certain whether it was an additional incident.

Still, a very tough plane. SAMs were likely SA-7s, which have a small warhead and have a difficult time actually finishing off an airplane.

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[nana4bush]

Ping! to this one too.

"she decided to bring the bird home. She is one brave pilot."

[Gefreiter]

A10s fly subsonic- don't need to worry as much about holes, bits shot away, and the like that interceptors sweat. Kinda like those old USAAF/RAF bombers coming back from Germany on a wing and a prayer, shot up but reparable.

Yet, every few years, the Air Force swears it's gonna retire these things. Then there's a new war and they get a reprieve. Anyone know why the Air Force is so hot to retire A10s?

[KriegerGeist]

These A-10s remind me of the old saying about the TIMEX watches: "Takes A Licking and Keeps On Ticking."

This bad plane has proved itself time and time again. In my opinion, they should evaluate these planes and find where they can improve upon them and make more. Don't mess with success.

I wonder how to compare the A-10 with the Apache Longbow helicopter? They both have somewhat the same job, but the plane seems to be able to take more abuse than the helicopter. I know that a plane cannot hover and rotate like a helicopter, but is that necessary for this particular tank and armor busting?

[demlosers]

Doing Close Air Support is not as sexy as flying air superiority fighters. The Army howled saying they would fly CAS missions themselves if the AF did not use a dedicated ground Attack aircraft.

[Gefreiter]

Maybe it's not a bad idea. The USMC operates their own AV8s for CAS. Why not dedicated Army aviators? And the Air Force can keep the ICBMs, strategic bombers, and sexy fighters.

[demlosers]

I know that a plane cannot hover and rotate like a helicopter, but is that necessary for this particular tank and armor busting?

An A-10 has a very very tight turning radius...I've seen them use not much more than the width of a 150 ft. runway to do a 180 degree turn.

[demlosers]

Probably, but the AF doesn't want to give the Army their turf.

[Rifleman]

Because they are close air support airplanes. The white scarf crowd likes to fly high and fast and doesn't feel that a romantic knight of the sky should have to get down and dirty at the behest of the grunts. Hog pilots are special people but they don't run the AF hierarchy.

[ContemptofCourt]

Goto www.a-10.org to see the photos.

[Shermy]

A U.S. A-10 Warthog turns upside down to avoid Iraqi anti aircraft fire after dropping bombs over Baghdad April 8,
2003. A U.S. A-10 'Warthog' plane went down near Baghdad Airport on Tuesday but the pilot was safely rescued,
Central Command war headquarters said in a statement. (Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters)

[Tallguy]

I wonder how to compare the A-10 with the Apache Longbow helicopter? They both have somewhat the same job, but the plane seems to be able to take more abuse than the helicopter. I know that a plane cannot hover and rotate like a helicopter, but is that necessary for this particular tank and armor busting?

The reason that we have both is obvious: the Army learned that it can't trust anybody else -- even the USAF -- with the Close Air Support mission. If the AF had had its way, the A-10's would have been mothballed at Davis-Mothan after the (last) Gulf War and they wouldn't have been available for the present war.

[Yasotay]

I want to say that there is a formal agreement (Key West 1956???) that allows the Army to fly helicopters but not fixed winged aircraft for "combat". I know that became a 'gray' area with the Bronco and Mohawk. The Air Force just does not like CAS.

[chemicalman]

They are really quiet also. They would pass you before you hear them.

[fourdeuce82d]

I know that a plane cannot hover and rotate like a helicopter, but is that necessary for this particular tank and armor busting?

Different ways of accomplishing the same thing- let's ping a helicopter pilot, and let him explain better than I could.

[konaice]

"They are really quiet also. They would pass you before you hear them."

Not true.
The A10 has a special whine that is quite distinctive and
can be heard for a couple miles. This engine noise is quite
different than other mil-jets. I've even heard it on some of the live feeds from Baghdad when the camera was showing the plane some distance away.

In the anti-tank operations they work in pairs so that one is always engageing the enemy while the other is turning back to attack again.

[The Other Harry]

but she decided to bring the bird home

Well, if some of our young women want to do these kinds of things, I think they deserve both the opportunity and our respect.

Pfc Lynch can be a trench next to me anytime, any place, and the above-mentioned pilot would be welcome to be overhead.

[The Other Harry]

Anyone know why the Air Force is so hot to retire A10s?

They're obsolete. Haven't you heard?

It seems that there are a few Iraqis who haven't heard about that. But they're mostly dead now.

[Common Tator]

A few years ago I was on about a 10 mile straight in approach to Rome Ga. Airport. Two A-10s were coming in for a landing too. They were going to top off at Rome. They decided to play with my Piper Saratoga like a cat plays with a mouse.

One of them flew across my path at a distance of perhaps 200 feet. He then made a very sharp left turn and rolled out just off my left wing. When I hit his wake turbulence it shook the heck out of me. The other A-10 at the same time passed over the top of my plane and did an Immelman to pass just underneath me in a steep climb.

When we got on the ground, the two A-10 pilots were very surprised to find out who I was. They had thought I was a retired Air Force pilot. Their retired buddy apparently owned a plane just like mine with a very similar N number.