USAF cuts powerlines with an A-10

[Renegade One]

No self respecting Hawg driver would call himself a Fighter Pilot. We are just slow, fat, alcoholic Attack Pilots, and refer to ourselves as such.

Interesting "quote" from another Forum Topic about flying for the UAE:

Required Qualifications:

· Minimum of 1500 flight hrs.
· Minimum of 500 flight hrs as Instructor.
· Qualified Flight Instructor (QFI).


Required Experiences:
· Flight Experience on Fighter Aircraft types e.g. ( F-16 , F-15 , F-18 , A10 ).
· And then more stuff...

Sweet!

 

[ryan1234]

Again, helicopter. And it especially doesn't count if you kill it with a bomb.

Tim Bennett's story is actually pretty cool. The reason he didn't take the Mi-24 with a heater is because at his speed the GBU-10 had a longer range, the Hind was moving at about 100 knots and climbing.. not ideal for keeping it lased (not to mention they were getting a lot of AAA)... but hey, I guess it's not as good as throwing an AIM-120 down range and bouncing.

 

[PropStop]

P-3s also carried 'widners...just sayin'!

 

[HeyJoe]

P-3s also carried 'widners...just sayin'!

 

[webmaster]

P-3s also carried 'widners...just sayin'!

Yup, just as effective as the zuni rocket pods we carried around also.

 

[Brett327]

I know it's part of VP lore, but just because some 50 pound heads at VX-1 strapped an AIM-9 to a P-3 once doesn't equal P-3s can carry AIM-9s. Just sayin'.

 

[HeyJoe]

I know it's part of VP lore, but just because some 50 pound heads at VX-1 strapped an AIM-9 to a P-3 once doesn't equal P-3s can carry AIM-9s. Just sayin'.

Great setup...they had to keep up with Joneses...don't you know!! BTW - VX-1 is an Operational Tester with fleet representative aircraft a la VX-9 reporting to COMOPTEVFOR so they don't get to freeplay as much as the Developmental Squadrons formerly known as "Force", "Strike" and "Rotary" Test Squadrons, but now known as VX-20, VX-23 and HX-21 (Pax DT Squadrons are all 2X designated whereas NAWC WD DT squadrons are VX-3X). So...it would not have been VX-1! Another factoid is OT squadrons draw aircrews fresh from fleet with only a token Test Pilot presence whereas the DT Squadrons are chockfull of Test Pilot School grads.
Back to keeping up with the Joneses: UK instituted crash program to add aerial refueling to many platforms during the Falklands War in 1982 as well as Sidewinder capability to its Nimrods and Shrike capability to its Vulcans.

I've seen images of Sidewinder testing off an E-2C as well which predated the Falklands.....

 

[xj220]

I know it's part of VP lore, but just because some 50 pound heads at VX-1 strapped an AIM-9 to a P-3 once doesn't equal P-3s can carry AIM-9s. Just sayin'.

I think it's already been proven that the P-3 doesn't need missiles or even weapons to take down an enemy fighter...

 

[Brett327]

I think it's already been proven that the P-3 doesn't need missiles or even weapons to take down an enemy fighter...

Or give away our national secrets in the process.

 

[Renegade One]

Or give away our national secrets in the process.

You'd have to wirebrush me on the details to really have it all make sense, but I'm gonna give a head-hod to the PPC (or whatever he was called at the time) who decided that his most important job was to get what remained of his aircraft safely on the ground and save the crew. If "destruction or jettisoning" of classified gear/data/whatever while still in the air wasn't executed quite according to Hoyle, that's an interesting story, but I daresay the PPC's hands were full.
An aside...There was a time…long ago…when I was very young and "mucho más estúpido" when I thought that the entire crew of USS PUEBLO should have all gone down with their ship rather than be boarded and captured by the NKs. Not the same thing, perhaps, but you get the idea.

 

[Brett327]

Not intending on rehashing that whole story, as it has been done to death here. It was just a punchline.

 

[xj220]

Or give away our national secrets in the process.

Minor details...

 

[rondebmar]

Yup, just as effective as the zuni rocket pods we carried around also.

Shoot, John ...Zuni worked well for my friend and former neighbor (at Lemoore) T. R. Swartz! Remember, he took a MIG-17 down with a Zuni rocket fired from his A4 Skyhawk.

BTW ...re your Commissary comment ...I actually and literally did run into T R at the Commissary one day ...then followed a long discussion re my USN resignation, and acceptance with UAL. Both he and Ripper Waples, at one time, considered giving it up with USN. As we know, neither did so.

 

[SynixMan]

Ripper Waples

I miss awesome names...

 

[webmaster]

Shoot, John ...Zuni worked well for my friend and former neighbor (at Lemoore) T. R. Swartz! Remember, he took a MIG-17 down with a Zuni rocket fired from his A4 Skyhawk.

BTW ...re your Commissary comment ...I actually and literally did run into T R at the Commissary one day ...then followed a long discussion re my USN resignation, and acceptance with UAL. Both he and Ripper Waples, at one time, considered giving it up with USN. As we know, neither did so.

I'm just secretly jealous that my attempts and getting them loaded on a P3 before I retired came to naught. I think it would have been awesome to find some excess inventory and go out and blow something up. I actually sat down with our wiley Gunner in our squadron, and asked him to see if he could find us any of a wide range of things to drop from a P3. I was crestfallen to find out that there was nothing that we could lay our hands on. I truly miss the days as a JO with a stick of quick strike depth bombs and blowing the water into submission. I was hoping we could have the same fun today with our JOs as I did back then... I guess its just REXTORPs and the occassional SLAM ER/MAV opportunity for a crew every other IDRC.