The Two A-10C Demonstration Team Jets Make a Great-Looking But Rare Duo
As most Warthog fans know by now, the US Air Force A-10C Thunderbolt II Demonstration Team has a new demo jet for the 2021 airshow season. The jet, painted in a retro Southeast Asia (SEA) camouflage scheme as a tribute to the 355th Tactical Fighter Wing (TFW) who were killed in action or became prisoners of war, took to the skies with the other Demo Team Warthog and a Douglas A-1H Skyraider warbird during the Heritage Flight Conference at Davis-Monthan AFB. We’re told this was the only time both the WWII-themed and Vietnam-themed Warthogs will fly together. The video was uploaded to YouTube by AirshowStuffVideos.
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When is New Not Really New?
The “new” A-10C Thunderbolt II Demonstration Team aircraft is A-10C AF serial number 81-0962. The jet was built as an A-10A in 1981 as constructor number (CN) A10-0657. In 1994 the jet was assigned to the 510th Fighter Squadron (FS) Buzzards of the 52nd Fighter Wing (FW) based at Spangdahlem Air Base(AB) in Germany wearing the SP tail code. In 1995 the jet went to the 81st FS Panthers also based at Spangdahlem. In 2009 962 was converted to an A-10C variant. In 2013 the jet moved to the 354th FS Bulldogs of the 355th FW at Davis-Monthan and wore the tail code DM. The jet debuted with the new SEA colors for the Demo Team just before the recently-concluded Heritage Flight Conference.
That One With the Invasion Stripes
The “old” demo team aircraft, the one that wears the WWII ETO paint scheme, is A-10C AF serial number 80-0275. Built in 1981 as CN A-10-625, 275 first went to 1982 511th Tactical Fighter Squadron (TFS) Vultures of the 81st Tactical Fighter Wing (TFW) based at RAF Bentwaters in the UK, wearing WR tail codes. In 1987 the jet was converted to an OA-10A. 1990 saw 275 with the 103 FS Black Hogs of the 111th FW Pennsylvania (Air National Guard [ANG]) based at Joint Reserve Base (JRB) Willow Grove and wearing PA tail codes. There the jet replaced the retired Cessna OA-37 Dragonfly in the Airborne Forward Air Controller role. In 2008 275 was converted to an A-10C variant. 2009 saw service with the 81st FS Panthers / 52nd FW at Spangdahlem AB. In 2019 the jet became a Davis-Monthan DM bird with the 355th FW.
