Are You Getting Ready For Oshkosh 2010? This Will Help!

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.

FMI: www.af.mil, www.acc.af.mil/aerialevents/a10west/index.asp, www.af.mil/information/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=70, www.aero-tv.net, www.youtube.com/aerotvnetwork, http://twitter.com/AeroNews