[snip]
My RWR beeps,
AGAIN. Seriously, can I get a loving break? This time, I have a MiG 31 Foxhound interceptor on my six. "Foxhound! Someone get this guy off my tail!" Unfortunately, all the other escort fighters were too busy to help out, so I'm left to my own devices. Severely outmatched, I was only beginning to evade when I suffered a serious hit. I'm rocked by an explosion, and my right engine goes up in flames. My warning panel lights up, and Bitching Betty gets to work bitching. "Right engine down! I can't continue like this!"
Just as I put out the engine fire, another enemy fighter pulls up behind me and shoots a missile. This time I managed to dodge it, but now I'm low on countermeasures. Worse yet, the ordeal caused me to lose a lot of altitude, and I'm being blanketed by AA fire. Fortunately, Talon managed to get rid of most of the SAM sites, and I don't even give a second thought before announcing my departure over the radio.
"Enfield 1-1, returning to base! forget this stuff, I'm bugging out!"
As I try to ascend, a wave of bullets hits the underside of my plane. I even felt some rounds hit me almost directly underneath the roosterpit. I probably would have died if the roosterpit wasn't surrounded by the 1,200 pounds of titanium armor.
The bathtub saves another life, I thought. Man, I love this jet. Despite the emotional irrelevance, the affection I feel washes away much of the tension and anxiety I built up over the mission.
I had to wonder what kind of state my mind was in to have such a sudden change of emotions. Well, whatever.
Funfact : A-10's can fly with only 1/2 engines.
Addendum: Some A-10 pilots share stories about returning to base with half a wing missing
