Pilots of Gulf War workhorse A-10s
say they're ready if called to action
By Jeremy Kirk, Stars and
Stripes
Jeremy Kirk / Stars and Stripes
Lt. Todd Riddle, a pilot, stands next to an A-10 jet at Pope Air Force Base on Wednesday. |
POPE AFB, N.C. — Lt. Col. Paul Johnson was flying over Kuwait during Desert Storm
in his A-10 Thunderbolt II when his world turned upside down.
A Soviet-made missile hit his plane, flipping it over and leaving Johnson wondering
whether he should bail out. The right engine sucked in debris from impact, leaving it
underpowered. But Johnson managed to right the plane and make a safe landing.
"She’s a rugged plane," said Johnson, 75th Flight Squadron commander.
"That’s why my wife takes comfort."
The stubbed-nose A-10 may not be as racy as an F-14 or F-16, but its abilities made it
a hero in the Persian Gulf War. The aircraft launched 90 percent of Maverick missiles, an
air-to-surface weapon primarily intended for tanks, used in the war.
The two squadrons of A-10s at Pope — about 48 planes — could be used in
whatever plan the military is devising to retaliate for the Sept. 11 attacks on the World
Trade Center and Pentagon.
The plane is designed to loiter around battles in support of ground troops, blasting at
enemy troops and tanks with its 30 mm cannon or an array of missiles.
On Wednesday, crews were busy on the flight line preparing A-10s for missions, and
airmen lined a supply warehouse readying paperwork.
The activity "doesn’t have anything to do with any deployments," said
Lt. Col. Chris Lyons, chief of wing plans and inspections for the 43rd Airlift Wing.
The base was in the midst of an exercise — called "aircraft generation"
— designed to prepare at least 24 A-10s for mission within three days, said Col.
Vince Wisnieski, 23rd Fighter Group commander.
Bullets are loaded. Larger fuel tanks extend the range of the aircraft. Live missiles
are also put on the planes. Chafe and flares, used to confuse missiles targeting the
planes, are uploaded.
One beaten A-10 was in a hangar, getting a total maintenance check. Each plane is
completely taken apart and put back together once a year, a process that takes about 10
days, Wisnieski said.
Crews work 12-hour shifts. Responsibility is delegated to junior enlisted: a person
with a rank of airman (E-2) may be in charge of an airplane, Wisnieski said.
"Our maintainers are young," Wisnieski said.
The plane is favored by many pilots because of its survivability. A pilot is surrounded
by armored titanium "bathtub." A round as large as 23 mm will bounce off the
armor.
If one of the A-10’s engines fail, it can get home on the other. Unlike most
planes, it has two flight control systems.
In Kosovo, the plane aided search-and-rescue mission of other pilots. The A-10 can
swoop in low and slow, allowing a good glance or time enough to deliver a lethal barrage.
"There’s no other chariot I would rather ride into battle," Johnson
said.
1st Lt. Todd Riddle has been an A-10 pilot for three years. The 27-year-old serviceman
just had his name put on his plane, which bears a painted, shark-toothed mouth on the nose
with the bulging 30 mm cannon poking out as a menacing tongue.
"I’m excited for whatever opportunity the president affords us," Riddle
said. "They’ve done a good job of training us."
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