Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

One A-10 Shot Down: Others Shot Up.
National Review Online ^ | April 8, 2003 | Gleaves Whitney

Posted on 04/08/2003 1:11:48 PM PDT by 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.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: a10; a10warthogs; baghdad; iraq; iraqifreedom; searchandrescue
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-49 next last
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.

1 posted on 04/08/2003 1:11:48 PM PDT by John H K
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: All
Your Donation Helps Counter These Guys

Donate Here By Secure Server

Or mail checks to
FreeRepublic , LLC
PO BOX 9771
FRESNO, CA 93794

or you can use

PayPal at Jimrob@psnw.com

STOP BY AND BUMP THE FUNDRAISER THREAD

2 posted on 04/08/2003 1:14:38 PM PDT by Support Free Republic (Your support keeps Free Republic going strong!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ODC-GIRL
Ping! to this one too.

"she decided to bring the bird home. She is one brave pilot."
3 posted on 04/08/2003 1:20:26 PM PDT by nana4bush
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: John H K
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?
4 posted on 04/08/2003 1:22:15 PM PDT by Gefreiter
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: John H K
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?

5 posted on 04/08/2003 1:25:19 PM PDT by KriegerGeist ("The weapons of our warefare are not carnal, but mighty though God for pulling down of strongholds")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Gefreiter
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.
6 posted on 04/08/2003 1:29:55 PM PDT by demlosers
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: demlosers
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.
7 posted on 04/08/2003 1:34:47 PM PDT by Gefreiter
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Geist Krieger
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.

8 posted on 04/08/2003 1:35:01 PM PDT by demlosers
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Gefreiter
Probably, but the AF doesn't want to give the Army their turf.
9 posted on 04/08/2003 1:36:44 PM PDT by demlosers
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Gefreiter
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.
10 posted on 04/08/2003 1:39:15 PM PDT by Rifleman
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: John H K
Goto www.a-10.org to see the photos.
11 posted on 04/08/2003 1:39:17 PM PDT by ContemptofCourt
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: John H K

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)
12 posted on 04/08/2003 1:43:34 PM PDT by Shermy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Geist Krieger
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.

13 posted on 04/08/2003 1:43:57 PM PDT by Tallguy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Gefreiter
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.
14 posted on 04/08/2003 1:44:36 PM PDT by Yasotay
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: demlosers
They are really quiet also. They would pass you before you hear them.
15 posted on 04/08/2003 1:44:59 PM PDT by chemicalman (Rid the country of the vast liberal conspiracy)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Geist Krieger; TADSLOS
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.

16 posted on 04/08/2003 1:51:07 PM PDT by fourdeuce82d
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: chemicalman
"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.
17 posted on 04/08/2003 1:54:12 PM PDT by konaice
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: John H K
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.

18 posted on 04/08/2003 1:55:03 PM PDT by The Other Harry
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Gefreiter
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.

19 posted on 04/08/2003 1:57:55 PM PDT by The Other Harry
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: dem
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.

20 posted on 04/08/2003 2:00:44 PM PDT by Common Tator
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-49 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson