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Interview: Hawgsmoke 2006
An Interview with A-10 Pilot Major Dan "Beef" Manning
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20mm: Even as an outsider, it's obvious to me what a great community
the A-10 has. The spirit is really incredible.
Seeing
as how the competition is here in Arizona, does that mean
that there might be a "home field" advantage, and
if so, how do the organizers level the field?
Beef: No. Every person that has flown the A-10 has flown it
in Tucson, so the home field is not too much of a factor.
For the conventional range, dropping BDUs and shooting the
gun, every range is about the same worldwide. There is really
no difference dropping bombs here or at Spang.
For the
"tactical" portion of the event pilots get a 9-line
from a ground FAC, plan and execute the attack. The targets
for the attack are not normal targets that we use everyday.
They are placed there especially for the event. Right now,
less than 5 people know where and what these targets are.
The second
tactical portion is a dry maverick attack against moving vehicles.
These vehicles could be anywhere on the range, and this is
not something the "home team" practices.
20mm: Well, I am sure once the competition gets underway, the
flying is going to be pretty robust. I've got a feeling that
the 357th team is going to do really well this year. Maybe
we can follow up post-Hawgsmoke and find out how it went.
Best of
luck, Beef. Thank you for taking the time to talk with us
and sharing your thoughts about Hawgsmoke, simulations, and
of course, the A-10 Warthog.
Beef: You're welcome.
The authors
gratefully acknowledge information concerning Hawgsmoke from
the following sites:
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