How Air Force Pilots Fly The Controversial $19 Million A-10 Warthog | Boot Camp | Insider Business

Remember folks, it's not a plane with a minigun inside it, it's a minigun with a plane around it.

wtf it's not ugly at all, it has an iconic shape.

A10 pilots are badasses. I was a combat medic in the Army, and have had them provide us CAS before. They’ll always have my respect and appreciation.

My brother who was in Afghanistan said the A10 saved him and his team from Taliban in coming attack. After 3 runs. I thank the A10 pilots for bring him home alive.

When I was a light infantryman in Iraq, this beast of a plane was our guardian angel. I know all other grunts will agree.

From 3 hours endurance to being oil and fatigue limited … tankers are the best force multipliers in military aviation

As someone that has seen and been aided by this beautiful work of death, it pains me to see that so many people that have never actually seen the A-10 in action or have been saved from being over run or know of others from being over run, push to have it retired! I was infantry, the last 100 yards, the boots on the ground. The A-10 is the infantry of the skies!! That plane and the men and women that pilot them are absolute badasses and heroes to those of us pinned down on the ground! All you have to do is give them a well deserved upgrade and they will continue to save our asses time and time again. We all have so much respect for the A-10 and her pilots that have saved our asses in the shittiest and darkest situations!

Retiring the A-10 would be a HUGE blow for the ground troops like myself. The Warthog was called in for CAS countless times in my Afghanistan battles, where without them I and many others would not be here today. As far as the looks and sounds, from the ground force view there is NOTHING more beautiful dropping out of the sky for low gun runs to save our asses!!!!

I served in the Special Forces, I've seen a few aircraft up close in action, the site and sound of this critter lighting up a target is an euphoric experience. I think its forking gorgeous. I fly fixed wing in civilian life, and take helicopter lessons. There are a few aircraft That stimulate the imagination, that I dream of flying, P51 Mustang, Apache helicopter, and the A10,

A-10 needs to evolve to A-11

I had the chance to meet "MAD" and her crew at an airshow last year. OUTSTANDING pilot and crew. Thank you all for your service!

I worked on these A-10s at RAF Bentwaters/RAF Woodbridge as an Avionics Specialist. My absolute favorite aircraft! Hardly any problems, always ready, and so easy to work on. All ground crews cheer when they see A-10s overhead. Can’t imagine an Air Force without them. That would be a very stupid decision costing thousands of ground forces their lives.

The A-10 was the single most impressive close air support aircraft I had the pleasure of having support from in Afghanistan. The A-10 can fly low and slow enough to fight in mountainous environments, which cannot be said for just about any other fixed wing airframe in the inventory. The Gatling gun sounds like the hand of god coming down on the ground. There is no way to explain the sound of that gun in close proximity when seconds count. It is awe inspiring. For those of us who owe our lives to that old bird, find it hard to believe that the air force would choose to no longer support it. Both the F22 and the F35 are fantastic airframes, but cannot touch the A-10 in terms of close air support

Hearing the A-10 pilots talk about how they’re only ever concerned with the CAS they provide to the boots on the ground is great. Cool to know that when the troops are cheering at the “brrrrrrrt” on the ground the pilot is smiling and waving to the boys 😎🤘🏻

The close air support for ground troops that the A-10 provides is important. The value of he A-10 should not be overlooked. Around 4 A10 can be produced for the same cost of one F35. After air superiority has been achieved, the roll of the A-10 is still necessary.

the suvivability of the A10 is what makes it to me amazing.

I remember the stories around the Gulf War, when an A-10 appeared, the Iraqis would abandon their vehicles and run. They called it Shabba, the Desert Ghost, because you can't hear it coming with the engines up high in back.

The A-10 is an excellent example of form following function. It is a masterpiece.

I think they're looking at it all wrong: the A10 is to be compared with a helicopter, not F35. They're still keeping helicopters for combat, right? The A10 can hover very slowly, which faster jets cannot do, but it's top speed is still double that of the fastest helicopters.

The plane should get a face lift (build brand new ones with latest electronics) but never lose the purpose of the plane and the fear of the 30 gatterling gun and the spirit of the pilots that fly it and the troops on the ground that respect these fearless flyers.