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On March 30th barnes is going to launch a four-ship. In those four jets, 79-104, 78-614, 78-626, and 78-644. The combined hours of all four pilots will be more than has ever been in an A-10 four ship. The lead pilot, \"Motley\" will become the highest time A-10 driver in history, active or retired. Each of the other three pilots will all break the 4000 hour mark; \"Sped\", \"Torch\" and \"Jake\". It is going to be a pretty big deal locally and there will be a lot of press there. I have asked Dave O'brien to come and spend the day getting photos. He is going to spend the morning on the line with me and then jump in the tanker for the historic flight. It is going to be pretty cool because aircraft 78-104 is the Massachusetts flagship, 78-614 is the Springfield Falcons hockey team flagship, 78-626 is the New England Patriots flagship, and 78-644 is the Boston Red Sox flagship.

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YGBSM !

WOW that sounds like a historic flight and I would love to be there! Hawg166 anyway you can get me some ground pics of this for the Hog Pen??

That is a historical day. How many hours is the record now?

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73-1664

damn it dave, lucky break again hey!!


someone come pick me up

Hey Bill what time time are they \"kickin off\"

Dice, I can supply some photo's if you like.

Here is the schedule I was given.
1130L Tanker arrives

1200L Pax in the pilots briefing room for a pax brief (all names/waivers and NOK info will be collected prior to the 30th)

1230L Pax ( DVs,family, media) board the KC-135

1300L KC135 departs for Yankee MOA

1445L KC135 arrives back at Barnes

1545L A10s land

Billy I can't thank you enough for the invite

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If it Flys, shoot it

current record is 4,550 held by General James Skiff(ret) set in 1999. Col Mott is estimated to have 4,570 on the 30th.

The previous 4 ship record was set at Barksdale in 2005 w/15,400 hrs

Damn,! Boy that sounds like a GREAT DAY!
Glad you get to be there Billy and Mike because that'll be probably one of the last times that could happen.

If they get T-Shirts I'm in!

Goose

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\"Live Free Or Die\"

Was thinking the same thing...photos would be great!!!!

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Looking forward to the pictures already.
Who would have thought back in the late 80's that we'd celebrating Hog driver flying hours of 4000+? and in the 21st Century?.......round about 89, the Hog looked to be on its way out.

I still need to check up on how the Airframe hours race is going. Last I checked, 81-941 was on top, my old jet 80-278 was second, and I think there was a Pope jet in third and fourth.

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3 Branches down... 2 to go!
Put on your tinfoil hats, the black choppers are coming, and I'm calling them in.
Former DCC OA-10A T/N 80-278

TG, thanks. I know you always do a nice write-up on these things for SimHQ, if you send me the link I'll post it here and on the Hog Pen for everyone to enjoy.

I told you before Dave, you are always welcome. You just have to watch the Price Is Right at lunchtime.

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YGBSM !

From the official site of Barnes.
http://www.mabarn.ang.af.mil/news/news20070309a.htm

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73-1664

How many hours does 941 have? We have quite a few here at Eielson over 10,000 and some over 11,000.

Of some interest is the fact that the previous record was held by the 47th FS at Barksdale in 2005 and those guys are ready to jump at it again as soon as Barnes is done with it. They can do a 17,000 right now!

Let's hope for some good Spring weather on the ground and above the clouds. Gonna be a lot of fun shooting this from a crowded tanker!

Hog rules

Man, and I thought it was great when 0166 hit 3000 hrs.

Whoever has 82-2653 the first time I saw the AFTO 791A it had just went over 700hrs in April 1985

Goose

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\"Live Free Or Die\"

So Bill the \"APU's should be \"lighting off\" around 1300 local.

Yeah Mike I think it will be an afternoon go. Goose 166 is just about at 8000 hours.

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YGBSM !

I'm pretty sure that 941 and 278 are close to or over 12,000 by now. I'll have to send an E-mail to some frineds to find out for sure.

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3 Branches down... 2 to go!
Put on your tinfoil hats, the black choppers are coming, and I'm calling them in.
Former DCC OA-10A T/N 80-278

941 and 278 were former 78th TFS Bushmasters from Woodbridge, the 81st TFW racked up high flight hours.
Back in 1990 when the wing took on those 4 ex DM FY76 jets, I think they had less hours than the 'newer' Hogs at WR.

Gee I guess that means the 200o hour and throw away airframes that they wanted when they built the old girl is like not going to happen.

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YGBSM !

Cool thats my B-Day.

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\"A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week. \"

George S. Patton

Sounds bad having those amounts of hours, when some of us can remember working some of them with hours in the hundreds!

Ft Smith is going to take delivery of our 78-642 soon. Like most of our jets, we received it with less than 5 flight hours on it back in 1979. Of course I was still just a grade schooler then.

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YGBSM !