The A-10 Thunderbolt arrives at the Palm Springs Air Museum at 10:30 a.m. March 12 and will be on public display until 3 p.m.
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY PALM SPRINGS AIR MUSEUM
Keep an eye to the sky on March 12.
Better yet, view the A-10 Thunderbolt II, also known as the Warthog, up close and personal after it lands at the Palm Springs Air Museum to mark the aircraft’s 50th anniversary. For the price of regulation admission ($18 for for seniors and teenagers; $20 for adults; kids 12 and under free with paid adult admission), you not only can view the plane, but you can hear from the guy who piloted it in action.
The Warthog will arrive at 10:30 a.m. March 12 from the 47th Fighter Squadron at Davis Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona, flown by Lt. Col. Tim “Scream” Mitchell. The plane will remain on public display until 3 p.m.
Col. Bob Lilac, retired from the U.S. Air Force, was the first A-10 (Warthog) squadron commander for the 353rd Tactical Fighter Squadron. Of his experience, Lilac says, “It was an honor to be chosen as the squadron commander of the 353rd Tactical Fighter Squadron and to fly the world’s best close air support aircraft. Over the years, the Warthog has saved the lives of thousands of our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and other conflicts around the world.”
The Warthog was used extensively during Operation Desert Storm, the Kosovo crisis, Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Lilac will present the development and history of the A-10 starting at 1 p.m.. Joining him will be Buzz Lynch, the first U.S. Air Force test pilot to fly the A-10. Mitchell will also share his combat and current experience flying the Warthog.
The Palm Springs Air Museum is an educational non-profit history and aviation museum, dedicated to educating future generations, honoring veterans, and preserving aviation history. Open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the museum is located at 745 N. Gene Autry Trail, Palm Springs.