Hawgsmoke 2006: An Interview with A-10 Pilot Major Dan “Beef” Manning Page 4

By SimHQ on March 20, 2006 in _air6, hide

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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