81st Fighter Squadron A-10Cs caught at Aviano during Operation Odyssey Dawn

By Joachim Jacob, Warthog News Editor

The recent combat deployment of A-10Cs from the 81st Fighter Squadron, 52nd Fighter Wing (USAFE), Spangdahlem AB, Germany, in support of Operation Odyssey Dawn against the Lybian regime is still underexposed. I would like to get some more detailled deployment info, including photos taken by European aircraft spotters.

Involved in OOD were six A-10Cs from the 81st Fighter Squadron. As mentioned on the Dutch Scramble Messagebord, they arrived at Aviano AB, Italy, on Friday, March 25, 2011 (Callsign Attack 01-06). In order of landing were logged: 81-0980, 81-0976, 81-0966, 81-0965, 82-0650 and 82-0649.

Aircraft in order of serial numbers:
A-10C 81-0965
A-10C 81-0966, marked "52 OG" as the 52nd Operations Group's boss bird
A-10C 81-0976
A-10C 81-0980
A-10C 82-0649
A-10C 82-0650

And it seems they were joined later by A-10Cs 82-0646 and 82-0656.

Some days ago, Giampaolo Tonello from Italy provided me the following exclusive shots, taken by him at Aviano:



A-10C 81-0965 arrives on March 25, 2011. (Photo by Giampaolo Tonello) Full size



A-10C 81-0966, marked "52 OG" as the 52nd Operations Group's boss bird, arrives on March 25, 2011. (Photo by Giampaolo Tonello)) Full size



A-10C 81-0976 arrives on March 25, 2011. (Photo by Giampaolo Tonello) Full size



A-10C 81-0980 arrives on March 25, 2011. (Photo by Giampaolo Tonello) Full size



A-10C 82-0649 arrives on March 25, 2011. (Photo by Giampaolo Tonello) Full size



A-10C 82-0650 arrives on March 25, 2011. (Photo by Giampaolo Tonello) Full size



A-10C 81-0965 returns from a combat mission on April 2, 2011. (Photo by Giampaolo Tonello) Full size



A-10C 82-0649 departs for a combat mission on April 2, 2011. (Photo by Giampaolo Tonello) Full size



A-10C 82-0650 returns from a combat mission on April 2, 2011. (Photo by Giampaolo Tonello) Full size

Please note: Special thanks to Giampaolo for his kind permission for posting these exclusive pictures on Warthog News! Great job, well done!

See also:
Operation Odyssey Dawn

By the way:
I like the phantastic enthushiasm of European aircraft spotters to document airplane movements. And their exclusive shots are a very hot source also for my blog. Are their any other photographers who would like to share their A-10C OOD pictures?