Any bored, recently-retired A-10 pilots out there?

[zonemaster]

Looking for a foreign adventure and some quick cash? I bet Ukraine would make you an honorary citizen in 2 shakes of a lamb's tail - as my mother used to say. Then NATO nations could donate bundles of a hundred thousand armor-piercing rounds, each with a complimentary A-10, and let these guys go to work. Lots of Russian hardware just lined up along narrow, isolated roads - seems like easy pickins.

[Irish_Dem]

1. We will call you the Ukraine Flying Tigers.

Go for it.

[melm00se]

5. They were known also (and formally)

as the American Volunteer Group.

[Irish_Dem]

6. Yes right. But most people know they as the Flying Tigers.

Their planes were really scary looking. I saw one as a child.

[melm00se]

8. Cool

where did you see it?

The P-40's with their warpaint on looked pretty formidable.

[Irish_Dem]

10. My father was career USAF and we saw it on a USAF base flight line.

I was young, this would have been in the early 1950's, prior to 1955.

I remember the FT airplane, it looked so different from the USAF airplanes I was used to seeing. It had a colorful big mouth and teeth that looked quite frightening up close. It made an impression on me.

I remember my father making a big deal about the FT airplane. He actually stopped the car and pulled up to the flight line as close as he could get. And talked about it being a Flying Tiger airplane. He spoke with such respect and awe, I remembered it as he was not one to go on about military aircraft in front of civilians and children.

It could have been Travis or Castle AFB. Or maybe Treasure Island Navy Air Station. Or one of the other California AF Bases.

Back in those days the military base roads passed right by flight lines and you could always see the USAF planes lined up or in the hangers. In fact on a small AF base the housing would be close to the flight line and you could see the planes take off and land during the day and night. I never understood why people wanted to go to Air Shows. I had seen AF planes fly by my windows my whole childhood and did not see the appeal.

[GoCubsGo]

2. I think it's just a matter of time before Ukrainian Foreign Legion is formed.

Much like the French Foreign Legion of WWII.

[Aviation Pro]

4. There is already a Ukrainian Foreign Legion

International Legion of the Territorial Defense of Ukraine

[Sogo]

3. And you are the spokeman for whom?

[nilram]

7. Read it again and you'll see first person pronouns.

[Amishman]

9. My guess is that big convoy is untouched for very good reasons

slow moving, to the point that its worthless for actual resupply, with lots of tempting tightly packed trucks.

My guess is its a trap for the Ukraine's surviving airpower. Also wouldn't be surprised if half those trucks were empty.

Given all the intel the Ukrainians are certainly getting from the west, they have to know it, and are not taking the bait

[WarGamer]

11. This topic came up this morning with me and some friends drinking coffee...

Wouldn't be a good idea.

The Russians actually have S400 AA systems just on the Belarus and Russian side of the border and their range EASILY covers most disputed air space.

A slow moving A10 would be quite simply toast before it could come near a target. In fact... any aircraft in the region would fall prey to the S400. Experts even hotly debate the possibility that the S400 can target and kill F35's...