Wed, Jun 30, 2010
There are so many amazing sights to be seen at Oshkosh in any
given year, while the presence of various military demos makes
every year even more exciting than the year before. BUT... we have
a soft spot in our heart for the Heritage Flights... one of the
most inspired collaborations between civilians and the military in
our recollection -- and easy the most breathtaking.
Check out the USAF A-10 Demo Team that flew some of these
flights at Oshkosh 2009 and try not to be awestruck with the pure
professionalism and patriotism these airmen display with every
move. And better yet, someone DARE to tell me that they aren't
having the times of their lives. Yeah... we thought so, too. With
all the crap that surrounds us right now, this is the kind of stuff
that keeps us proud to be Americans... and flyers.
The A-10 West Demonstration Team is a select group of
professionals dedicated to showing the extreme capabilities of the
A-10 aircraft through exceptional aerial maneuvers. Their mission
is to demonstrate the capabilities of the A-10 Thunderbolt II and
the professional competence of the U.S. Air Force personnel, to
positively affect USAF recruiting and retention efforts, and to
promote community and international relations.
The A-10 Thunderbolt II has excellent maneuverability at low air
speeds and altitude, and is an highly accurate weapons-delivery
platform. The aircraft can loiter near battle areas for extended
periods of time and operate under 1,000-foot ceilings with 1.5-mile
visibility. The wide combat radius and short takeoff and landing
capability permit operations in and out of locations near front
lines. Using night vision goggles, A-10 pilots can conduct their
missions during darkness.
The Thunderbolt II can employ a wide variety of conventional
munitions, including general purpose bombs, cluster bomb units,
laser guided bombs, joint direct attack munitions or JDAM), wind
corrected munitions dispenser or WCMD, AGM-65 Maverick and AIM-9
Sidewinder missiles, rockets, illumination flares, and the GAU-8/A
30mm cannon, capable of firing 3,900 rounds per minute to defeat a
wide variety of targets including tanks.
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