Wow, that's awesome <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

X2.....That is insane. I dont even think "Glacier Girl" was in that bad of shape.

Glacier Girl was squashed. I saw the pieces they brought out. Everything but the engines was flat. LOTS of snow/ice on top of them.

Mostly unrelated, but on the train back from Philly yesterday I happened to look out the window just as an A-10 Warthog passed by very close on its way to landing at Aberdeen. Never seen one of those in the air before, and it's definitely one badass plane. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/mrt.gif" alt="" /> It may lack some of the graceful appearance of a P51 or P38, but there's a certain beauty about starting with a giant cannon and building the rest of the plane around it. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Yes, the AF hates the warthog, because it's only purpose is to support the ground grunts. Couldn't wait to mothball them after the Fulda Gap became less of a problem. I keep thinking the Marines will pick it up, since they really like close air support, but I guess it's never been carrier qualified.

Pretty is as pretty does, and the a10 pretty much does the trick. I heard the GAU30 fire live once, and it was awesome...

The A-10 Thunderbolt is beautiful. I used to watch them out of Mountain Home AFB in Idaho.

A-10

Some of the AF guys who worked the Warthog would beg to differ. Not as stressful as working on an F16; it's a lot more forgiving.

The mission of the A-10 has changed, and is still being used for close air support by USMC/Army.

We did a major refit (contract work) on the avionics up here before we sent them south, and NOT to the boneyard.

Popup with a tight turn with this aircraft is pretty impressive; strafe pit manuvers are fun to watch.
BbbbbbbbbbbbbRUUUUUP <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Margie, I have nothing against the AF techs, it's the staff weinies that get to me. I can even handle pilots.

Know how you tell a pilot in the shower? Big watch, little hootus...

I know all about whiners in Nomex. Once we had guy come back, complained he was throwing bombs all over the place. Weapons tech came to me with the weapon delivery report to ask questions. I snagged it from him; told him he was gonna loooove my reply.

Guy took off with a dead radar; didn't let us fix it. So much for air-to-ground ranging for delivery computation. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/nana.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/nana.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/butwiggle.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/butwiggle.gif" alt="" />

Same guy later on this trip comes into debrief; I'm waiting for him. We discuss problem. Then he says in this very loud voice "Sgt S., are you telling me that I'm wrong?"

I reply "In fact I am sir; please read." And hand him the avionics bible and point to the paragraph and told him that was how I was going to sign it off if he wrote it up.

I think he had to buy the beer that night, as I had to know that book as well as the pilots did. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

The maintainers' adage: It takes a college education to break them, and a high school education to fix them.

Crapping on your plane's maintenance team is like fooling with your doctor's wife. Not a smart move...