Friday, April 8, 2011

75th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron A-10Cs caught at Lajes on their way back home to CONUS

(Updated April 8, 9, and 11, 2011)

By Joachim Jacob

On their way back home from Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, ten 75th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron A-10Cs arrived at Lajes Field, Azores, for their last stopover enroute to CONUS. They arrived in two waves April 5 and 6, 2011.

First batch (in order of serial numbers):
78-0596, 75th Fighter Squadron
79-0159, 75th Fighter Squadron
79-0206, 75th Fighter Squadron
79-0223 (marked 23 FG as 23rd Fighter Group flagship)
80-0180 (marked 476th FG as 476th Fighter Group flagship

Second batch (in order of serial numbers):
80-0172, 75th Fighter Squadron
80-0208, 75th Fighter Squadron
80-0259, 75th Fighter Squadron
80-0282, 75th Fighter Squadron
81-0995, 75th Fighter Squadron

But only nine of them made their final trip across the Atlantic. A-10C 80-0208 has been left behind at Lajes to join the "downed" 78-0600 from the 74th EFS. The final destination of both aircraft is still unknown to me - either CONUS or Kandahar Airfield.

On the other hand, this very important latest Lajes log is a proof that A-10Cs 79-0139 and 81-0953, both originally deployed with the 75th EFS, are still at Kandahar Airfield to support the 74th EFS which arrived only with 16 aircraft.

BTW: Sorry, but in my original post I mixed up 79-0223 with 80-0223 (which returned home already in December 2010).


At Lajes Field, Warthog News contributor Juvenal Castro from Portugal had the opportunity to take the following pictures:



April 5 (from left): A-10C 78-0596 from the 75th Fighter Squadron (note the shark-mouth, painted on the travel pod), A-10C 79-0206 from the 75th Fighter Squadron) Photo by Juvenal Castro) Full size



April 5 (from left): A-10C 78-0596 from the 75th Fighter Squadron (note the shark-mouth, painted on the travel pod), A-10C 79-0206 from the 75th Fighter Squadron, A-10C 80-0180 from the 76th Fighter Squadron (marked 476FG as the 476th Fighter Group boss bird), A-10C 79-0159 from the 75th Fighter Squadron. (Photo by Juvenal Castro) Full size

Update April 8, 2011:



April 6 (from left): 78-0596, 79-0206, 80-0180, 79-0159, 79-0223 (marked 23 FG as 23rd Fighter Group flagship). (Photo by Juvenal Castro) Full size



April 6 (from left): 78-0596, 79-0206, 80-0180, 79-0159, 79-0223 (marked 23 FG as 23rd Fighter Group flagship). (Photo by Juvenal Castro) Full size



April 6 (from left): 80-0282, 80-0172, 80-0208, 78-0600, 80-0259, 81-0995. (Photo by Juvenal Castro) Full size



April 6 (from left): 80-0282, 80-0172, 80-0208, 78-0600, 80-0259, 81-0995. (Photo by Juvenal Castro) Full size



April 6 (from left): 80-0282, 80-0172, 80-0208, 78-0600, 80-0259, 81-0995. (Photo by Juvenal Castro) Full size



April 6 (from left): 80-0282, 80-0172, 80-0208, 78-0600, 80-0259, 81-0995. (Photo by Juvenal Castro) Full size



April 7: 80-0208, 78-0600. (Photo by Juvenal Castro) Full size



April 7: 80-0208, 78-0600. (Photo by Juvenal Castro) Full size

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