MAINJAFAD
8th Sep 2008, 01:03
A question for any USAF A-10 pilots who were based in the UK back in early 1988.
There was a attack by the Bentwaters/Woodbridge A-10 wing on RAF Sculthorpe during an exercise (I think it was one of the Flintlock’s) in early 1988 (month of April, if memory serves) in which a large number of the wing's aircraft were involved.
I remember it, thanks to the aircraft using RAF West Raynham as a turning point after coming off target and having a large number of A-10s doing steep banks at 100-200 feet over my head, as I walked around the peri track back to work after lunch (time would have been around 12.30-13.00). Somebody I worked with at the time told who lived on the family quarters at Sculthorpe, later told me that the target had been a mock convoy at Sculthorpe, and most of the wing's aircraft had been involved.
If anybody who was on the 81st TFW at the time remembers that exercise from 20 years back, could they give me any idea of how many A-10’s were involved, as I lost count at around 20 and I’ve always wondered how many aircraft did I actually see that day.
As a bit of a memory jog, a battalion of the 82nd Airborne were involved as well, who parachuted into Sculthorpe earlier in the exercise from a number of C-141's that had flown direct from the US. (Only time I've ever seen a mass para drop, very impressive).
There was a attack by the Bentwaters/Woodbridge A-10 wing on RAF Sculthorpe during an exercise (I think it was one of the Flintlock’s) in early 1988 (month of April, if memory serves) in which a large number of the wing's aircraft were involved.
I remember it, thanks to the aircraft using RAF West Raynham as a turning point after coming off target and having a large number of A-10s doing steep banks at 100-200 feet over my head, as I walked around the peri track back to work after lunch (time would have been around 12.30-13.00). Somebody I worked with at the time told who lived on the family quarters at Sculthorpe, later told me that the target had been a mock convoy at Sculthorpe, and most of the wing's aircraft had been involved.
If anybody who was on the 81st TFW at the time remembers that exercise from 20 years back, could they give me any idea of how many A-10’s were involved, as I lost count at around 20 and I’ve always wondered how many aircraft did I actually see that day.
As a bit of a memory jog, a battalion of the 82nd Airborne were involved as well, who parachuted into Sculthorpe earlier in the exercise from a number of C-141's that had flown direct from the US. (Only time I've ever seen a mass para drop, very impressive).