Razorbacks are losing their Hogs...

The Mass ANG used to fly Warthogs too.  They would fly training missions over the White Mountain National Forest here in New Hampshire, and it was always a joy to watch them buzzing around while I was out hiking.  Then a few years after 9/11 it was decided to transition to F-15's, and the A-10's moved out West.  Now don't get me wrong, I love the F-15....one of my favorite modern jets.  But man, when we lost the A-10's I sure felt the loss.

Brian

Brian I used to see the A-10s in the White Mountains a lot. One time while driving from Conway and headed north through the notch area two A-10's were flying so low they were below the tree tops. I waved to the pilots before they pulled up. It startled me to see them flying that low.  

I wonder where those A-10s are gonna go? The best CAS aircraft ever built. Drones have their purpose and place, but it is sad to see a unit go from one extreme to the other.

The Connecticut ANG used to fly A-10's also. Converted to a airlift unit

Just read an article that the air force may retire all A-10 by next year. I think thus is a mistake. They want to replace it with F-35's

Yep I read the same, kinda like the battleships,newer tech makes them less necessary .still sad to see them go

Gordon D. King

Brian I used to see the A-10s in the White Mountains a lot. One time while driving from Conway and headed north through the notch area two A-10's were flying so low they were below the tree tops. I waved to the pilots before they pulled up. It startled me to see them flying that low.  

I used to love watching them turn and burn.  This video is from a friend of mine who was participating in our annual 9/11 Memorial hike:

In my years hiking in the White Mountains I have seen everything from A-10's, C-130's, Blackhawks (those can be scary to hear since they are responsible for SAR up there and so you never know if they are out training or trying to rescue someone!), F-15's, F-16's (VT ANG), C-5's and KC-135's.  For military aviation buffs like us it can sort of like a playground up there.

Brian

That is awesome!

I wonder if he knew you all were up there.

Ahhh, yeah! Super cool!

G-J

That is awesome!

I wonder if he knew you all were up there.

Yup, he did.  In the White Mountains there is 48 mountains above 4000' in elevation called the 48.  Ever since 9/11/2001 we have been flying Flags on as many (if not all) of those peaks, and on the years when the flying conditions permit we have been pretty lucky to have fly-by's of some kind.  The last few years (now that the A-10's are gone) it has been done by the New Hampshire Army National Guard's  Blackhawk helicopter.  This was 2011 when we were on Cannon Mountain flying the monster flag from the tower.  The first pic is from the Blackhawk's crew chief and the second was our picture of the Blackhawk:

Brian

tempestjohnny

Just read an article that the air force may retire all A-10 by next year. I think thus is a mistake. They want to replace it with F-35's

Huge mistake if you ask any ground pounder. The F-35 is not armored or armed for a low altitude fight with long loiter time near the battlefield. The Air Force brass does not believe in CAS below 10,000' or below 500 knots. Jack of all trades is master of none. The A-10 concept is a long way from being outdated. 

Agree 100% stik. Just because some HUHB brass thinks the task is no longer needed, doesn't make it go away. Let's see...."uh, no, dogfighting is dead. We don't need guns on the Phantoms."

I wonder what the powers that be will be thinking the first time their 170 million dollar F-35 gets shot down by somebody with a lucky shot from an AK-47

Well, that is just like the powers that be giving non deployable helicopters, UH-72 Lakotas to Army National Guard Aviation units. I guess those units no longer will have a mobilization combat mission, as those things are not supposed to go to war. But it saves money.

The sad thing is ,the "Generals" involved in the F-35 program are looking for a place to go and have coffee after their "careers" are over. A warm hole too hide in and collect a paycheck for doing nothing. While pilots fly around in "EDSELS" slamming into the ground due to oxygen starvation{F-22} or drive shafts that come apart while trying to land vertically.{F-35} Software glitches that cause system failures,over and over again. The "Generals" get their money,but the pilots ……… Yeah retire the A-10 - Let's see- what aircraft was built for CAS? Gotta go slow for that, it's better to have a flying tank than a fluttering failure.