Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Plane Pr0n

A lovely shot of a Warthog from the Usual USAF Source:
Air Frame: An A-10 Thunderbolt II from the Arkansas Air National Guard's 188th Fighter Wing at Fort Smith flies off the wing of a KC-135 assigned to the 100th Air Refueling Wing at RAF Mildenhall, England, during a coronet mission, Oct. 12, 2012. A coronet is when a tanker escorts other aircraft over long distances, regularly topping off their fuel tanks along the way. (Air Force photo by SSgt. Austin M. May) (Click on image above to reach larger version.)

 "Warthog" is pretty appropriate, given this A-10 is assigned to the Arkansas ANG.
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16 comments:

  1. JimmyT24 October, 2012 14:01

    And if you look closely at the "snout" you will notice the usual "Tiger or Sharks teeth" design is replaced by tusks and the ear markings for a Hog!! Those are great Jets. Never heard the phrase "coronet" however. New one on me.

    BT: Jimmy T sends (from the CZ)

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    1. Buck25 October, 2012 10:26

      Yup on the markings... Woo pig! SOOOOOEEE!

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  2. virgil xenophon24 October, 2012 18:21

    During the early 60s there was a counter-culture comics-strip (and ocassional magazine) called "Wonder Warthog" ("Hog of Steel") which was a "porcine parody" of the Superman franchise, complete with skin-tight suit & cape--Google & check it out on Wiki. I always wondered why the Hog drivers didn't JUMP on that as a symbol--would have been PERFECT! The only reason I can figure out is either because the cartoon Hog of Steel was not widely known (ran mainly in student publications in the South--Texas & Fla especially) and in the distant past of most young Hog drivers by the time the "Thunderbolt II" came along. That, or the "Big Kids" quashed it as WW was definitely subversive and gross-out anti-social. Probably NOT the image the PC Big Kids wanted to project, lol As I say, go check out his image and story on Wiki. If *I* were the Maximum Leader his nose-art image would be on every A-10 in the inventory! LOL!!!

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    1. Barco Sin Vela II25 October, 2012 07:10

      Wonder Warthog... and the Nerds of November!

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    2. Barco Sin Vela II25 October, 2012 07:22

      If the Wart Hogs could carry loudspeakers to add to the psyop terror noise that the aircraft makes (The Hoover Sound; Whoomp!) I would propose
      this song as the Wart Hog signature: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2o8os467nF4&feature=share&list=PL880615BF61F54F26

      If you can stand the noise, it's the Ramones bitching about a "sick world, artificial phonies, commies and queers... I hate it hate it!".

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    3. Buck25 October, 2012 10:28

      @Virgil: It's amazing what a google image search on wonder warthog will bring up. That killed a couple o' hours.

      @Darryl: Nice link! The Old Grey Whistle Test was must-see teevee for me while in Ol' Blighty, yanno?

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  3. Reese24 October, 2012 20:16

    Love me some 'Hogs. There are none stationed where I work, but when they drop in for fuel or what-not, they come in formation, like all the AF guys and gals do. But they mosey, almost showing off how slow they can go. Then one by one they break off and lumber, loaded-- dang loaded, on a great arc over KAFB, moseying and lumbering (yes I said again) onto the runway. Slow lethal bastards.

    By the way, why do you AF guys (only answer if safe) usually take a skim over the runway before breaking off and doing a 360 to actually land? Is it a salute? Line up the runway heading?

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    1. Buck25 October, 2012 10:30

      Warthogs are a rare sight here, but I've seen one or two in ten years' time. Aren't ya glad Virgil drops by every so often to answer pilot questions? ;-)

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    2. Reese26 October, 2012 19:55

      In the words recommended by Tim Blair, "Quite so."

      Delete
  4. virgil xenophon24 October, 2012 23:12

    Several reasons: First it gets everyone on the gnd quicker rather than the long, drawn-out slower process of shooting a series of serial straight-in approaches in that one can arrive over the runway at a higher rate of speed and bleed-off airspeed rapidly during the "break." 2) it allows the pilot a better look at the runway and esp the wind-sock if located at approach=end of runway one is using--a straight-in approach does not allow a look at the wind-sock (which makes judging prevailing winds mucho easier. 3) Lessens possibility of misjudging winds/airspeed and landing "short" as one is already "over" the approach threshold with the circling maneuver 4) Plus it looks neat--GOT to have the style points, lol

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    1. Buck25 October, 2012 10:31

      Thank ya, sir.

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    2. Reese26 October, 2012 19:53

      Thanks, VX! I will have many more opportunities for Cliff Claven moments when we all pile out the west door to see what non-routine planes are about to land. I like reason 4) the best.

      Re: Reasons 2) and 3), there are all sorts of windsocks around where I work, for many reasons, not least of which the KAFB runway is quite a windy place, just west of Tijeras Canyon, which mixes things up.

      Re: Reason First: That also goes to reason 4), and we are tuned to the noise-- we quickly know, "That's an odd formation. Let's all pile out the west door to see what's landing."

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  5. Kris, in New England25 October, 2012 08:32

    Love these things; slow, not pretty and absolutely lethal. What's not to love?

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    1. Buck25 October, 2012 10:31

      It really depends on who you ARE, when it comes to "love."

      Delete
  6. Craig25 October, 2012 08:56

    We've got an ANG base near us, so it's not terribly uncommon to see a Warthog overhead from time to time. Wouldn't want one of them things angry at me. . .

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Just be polite... that's all I ask.

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