FighterControl

As a big fan of the A-10, the announcements of the retirement of the demo team and winding down of the operational fleet was sad news. The last Warthog display I’d seen was one of the Spangdahlem based jets at RIAT in 2011, so to make amends I had a look at the ACC demo dates and let that dictate a couple of holidays, firstly a two-week trip from Ohio to Texas to Arizona in September 2024, then a cheap and cheerful weekend in Florida in November.

Cleveland National Airshow in Ohio was a fairly large event with good military participation, and the A-10 demo was the highlight with 80-0244 ‘Blacksnake’ as the display jet.

Midland Airshow in Texas was smaller scale, run by CAF High Sky Wing, whose museum has some interesting Cold War residents including a LN marked F-111F (70-2390). The show ended with the final display for the Blacksnake A-10 before delivery to AMARG, and the pilot kindly invited a few of us onto the ramp for a closer look around the jets after the show.

My next stop was Arizona, where I joined a 4Aviation tour based around the Hawgsmoke biennial gunnery competition, mostly hanging around Davis-Monthan the home of the Warthog since 1975 but soon to convert to F-35. It was an excellent trip, not least due to range access on the final day as the guests of the 47th FS ‘Termites’ who won the competition against 12 other A-10 teams.

Lastly I had three days in Florida for the demo team retirement appearance at Stuart Airshow, where 78-0651 ‘Memphis Belle III’ performed the final display at sunset on 10th November.

Thanks to Maj Sky Lesh USAF 47th FS, Maj Lindsay Johnson USAF A-10 display pilot, Patrick Roegies from 4Av, and for the tolerance of my family! Enough waffle, here’s some ‘Hawgs.

Attack!!


01 USAF ACC 2024 A-10 demo team by Aquila427, on Flickr

02 USAF ACC 2024 A-10 demo team by Aquila427, on Flickr

06 A-10C 80-0244 USAF 357th FS by Aquila427, on Flickr

08 A-10C 80-0244 USAF 357th FS by Aquila427, on Flickr

09 A-10C 80-0244 USAF 357th FS by Aquila427, on Flickr

11 A-10C 80-0244 USAF 357th FS by Aquila427, on Flickr

12 A-10C 80-0244 USAF 357th FS by Aquila427, on Flickr

13 USAF HF A-10C 80-0244 & P-51D 44-63684 by Aquila427, on Flickr

15 A-10C 80-0244 USAF 357th FS by Aquila427, on Flickr

17 A-10C 80-0244 USAF 357th FS by Aquila427, on Flickr

21 A-10C 79-0087 Maryland ANG 104th FS by Aquila427, on Flickr

23 A-10C 78-0646 USAF 76th FS by Aquila427, on Flickr

24 A-10C 78-0712 USAF 355th FW by Aquila427, on Flickr

25 A-10C 78-0706 USAF 355th FW by Aquila427, on Flickr

28 A-10C 79-0170 USAF 47th FS by Aquila427, on Flickr

29 A-10C 79-0170 USAF 47th FS by Aquila427, on Flickr

30 A-10C 78-0633 ID ANG 190th FS by Aquila427, on Flickr

31 A-10C 82-0653 USAF 303rd FS by Aquila427, on Flickr

33 A-10C 81-1974 USAF 47th FS by Aquila427, on Flickr

34 A-10C 81-1974 USAF 47th FS by Aquila427, on Flickr

37 A-10C 79-0111 USAF 303rd FS by Aquila427, on Flickr

39 A-10C 79-0094 USAF 47th FS by Aquila427, on Flickr

41 A-10C 80-0237 USAF 303rd FS by Aquila427, on Flickr

45 A-10C 79-0094 USAF 47th FS by Aquila427, on Flickr

46 A-10C 78-0651 USAF 357th FS by Aquila427, on Flickr

48 A-10C 78-0651 USAF 357th FS by Aquila427, on Flickr

49 A-10C 78-0651 USAF 357th FS by Aquila427, on Flickr

50 A-10C 78-0651 USAF 357th FS by Aquila427, on Flickr

51 A-10C 78-0651 USAF 357th FS by Aquila427, on Flickr

53 USAF ACC Heritage Flight by Aquila427, on Flickr

57 A-10C 78-0651 USAF 357th FS by Aquila427, on Flickr

58 A-10C 78-0651 USAF 357th FS by Aquila427, on Flickr

60 USAF ACC 2024 A-10 demo team by Aquila427, on Flickr

These are some stunning shots, well caught and thanks for posting! Great variety and nice and sharp

Looks like a good holiday was had

Absolute belters!!!
Only thing missing is the sound of that canon.

Great set!! They will be sorely missed when gone. Thanks for posting.

Some great shots and thanks for taking the time to share them with us.

Echoing the previous comments, but what an excellent set of photos .

Thanks for sharing these with us.

Wonderful stuff, thanks for posting

I have loved the hawg since the Bentwaters days. It will be a sad day when the last A10's go to the boneyard. This is a great collection of hawg photo's thanks for posting.

Stunning set,
all great but... 37 and 39... and 58... and 41... and...

Top work, well done for getting out there before it was too late (and succeeding)

Thanks for sharing

Kev

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrt

All those years of hearing that distinctive whistle as they always seemed to be aloft in East Anglian skies

Thanks for an awesome post

Paddyboy

Thanks for sharing such an excellent series of pictures of a great aircraft ! this is a sort of definite set about the A10 ! awesome !!

Nice set

yust a craking set of A10 shots

Outstanding set

Thanks for the comments folks, glad you liked 'em

The demo team are gone now but hopefully we'll still see a few squadron jets over the next few years before they're all in the boneyard!

Excellent set covering the Swansong of the Hawg. It's been around a long time. I remember when they were a daily sight in the skies of North Yorkshire during the '80s, even on Boxing Day!

Excellent set, wish I could have done similar trips this year, going to miss the Warthog when she's gone.

Fantastic

A most enjoyable post

Sounds like recently the A-10 was in action again in the Middle East from a WhatsApp link I was sent

Now that’s dedication!!
Brilliant photography and top drawer shots.
The head on gunsmoke shot took me back to the Otterburn Range in the 1980s.
Many thanks for sharing them.

Great set, fantastic. No 37 for me - just about sums up how I will remember the Hawg. Thanks for sharing!