‘Hog Pilot’s Quick Thinking, Huge Gonads
Wired: July 22, 2008
An A-10 pilot in Afghanistan used flares, infrared cameras, his 30-millimeter gun, some quick thinking and his huge brass balls to save the lives of a German reconstruction team in Afghanistan two years ago. On July 11, Capt. Brian Erickson was awarded a much-deserved Distinguished Flying Cross.
It happened like this: On Oct. 16, 2006, Erickson and a wingman were called in to help six German soldiers pinned down by insurgents firing rockets, machine guns and small-arms.
“As Captain Erickson flew his A-10 deep into the moonless valley, the only light on the ground was from insurgent weapons-fire,” the Air Force reported.
“I initially had my infrared sensor on to pinpoint the location of the insurgents,” said Captain Erickson. “The problem with using the infrared is every time an RPG went off the glow impeded my ability to navigate the dark canyon. The whole screen would go white and I couldn’t see outside my cockpit. The only solution was to turn the screens off.”
His wingman climbed high to use his own infrared camera pod to try to spot the bad guys. Meanwhile Erickson, all but blind after turning off his sensors, “continued his low-level runs while illuminating the area with pyrotechnic self-protection flares in order to uncover the enemy location.”
“After we located where we thought the insurgents were, I had my wingman light-up the area with his targeting pod,” Erickson said. … In a single-pass, Captain Erickson employed 240 30-mm rounds from the aircraft’s GAU-8 cannon. This completely halted the enemy’s fire.
Two hundred rounds from an A-10’s tank-killing gun? I’ll bet it “halted” the insurgents. More likely, it turned them into pink grease.
Well done, Captain.
(Photo: Air Force)
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Pass me one of your cigarettes, hun … {swoon}
July 23rd, 2008 at 11:13 amThe A-10 is definately one of my favorites … and to think they were going to take them out of commission a while back. I am glad they didn’t.
July 23rd, 2008 at 11:16 amMajor turn on!!
Great job!!
July 23rd, 2008 at 11:21 ammy favorite aircraft as well. great flying by this pilot
July 23rd, 2008 at 11:51 amWell done indeed.
July 23rd, 2008 at 12:18 pmIt’s crazy watchin those frackin’ things fire. Coming in at a couple of hundred miles per hour you can actually see the hog’s forward progress slow when the gun lets loose. The F-16 will do the same thing. Frickin awesome!
Here’s to you Captain!
July 23rd, 2008 at 12:24 pmThey’re up against stupids!
Why those Tals didn’t clear out or at least disperse when the flares lit up … “Send me to my virgins! Or raisins! Or goats! Or whatever!” 
July 23rd, 2008 at 12:40 pmA-10’s and AC-130’s are the Grunt’s favorite fixed wing aircraft. Yeah fast movers r great for dropping big boom’s but when u need that close up fire support these aircraft rock.
July 23rd, 2008 at 1:36 pmI saw a video clip while back, maybe it was a link here, Brits were in a ditch laughing at Taliban getting wacked by an A10. Then, all of a sudden, mr A10 thinks the Brits are Taliban and it aint so funny. Talk about greased shorts! It was CLOSE, and gave a real good idea what those poor piggies been dealing with.
When that cannon goes off in them mountains, it sounds like the horn of Gabriel. And death follows.
Ahhhh, found it! http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=e42_1209238794
July 23rd, 2008 at 2:18 pmOMG! I’ve been looking for that exact one!
Pat or Bash put it up on the site about a year ago!
Thanks!
I’m posting it in vids, and using your ‘quote’ about the horn of Gabriel!
July 23rd, 2008 at 4:12 pmGood shooting
July 23rd, 2008 at 5:04 pmDidn’t know what a horn of Gabriel sounded like. Now I know. That video was awesome!
July 23rd, 2008 at 7:11 pmI had to watch the video again.
That cannon has such a distinct sound. It doesn’t sound like any other cannon I’ve heard.
Anyone know what makes that distinct sound?
July 23rd, 2008 at 7:13 pm_________________________
Oh, hell yeah!!!
July 23rd, 2008 at 7:26 pm