economie

The first female commander of the Air Force’s A-10 demo team reflects on flying the Warthog on the eve of its retirement

October 18, 20240
Johnson runs the A-10’s defog system before takeoff.

US Air Force photo by Senior Airman Devlin Bishop

It’s easy for anyone to get overwhelmed by the sheer number of switches and gauges required to operate the A-10, and Johnson said she was no different the first time she climbed into the attack jet.

“The first time I got in there in the seat, I was like, ‘How am I supposed to figure all of this out and learn what each of these switches do?'” she said, adding that her trepidations were later assuaged after taking “a crawl, walk, run” approach to “learning everything in the airplane.”

“It’s actually a pretty easy airplane to fly just in general to go from point A to point B,” Johnson said. “Fairly easy to land, fairly easy to take off in.”

Showcasing the A-10’s capabilities
Johnson fist-bumps her teammates after a practice demo.

US Air Force photo by Senior Airman Devlin Bishop

Though Johnson is the only pilot in the one-aircraft team, she said executing the A-10’s impressive displays is a team effort, from those who perform maintenance on the plane to others involved in Air Force recruiting efforts.

“While I might be the face of the team, I can’t go do what I do if it wasn’t for the 10 other members on the team that put a lot of hard work into their job,” she said. “For me to fly a 30-minute sortie, it’s multiple hours that go into the work on the airplane for me to be able to fly that. They don’t always get the recognition that I believe they deserve.”

End of an era
Johnson signals to the audience before taxiing in an A-10.

US Air Force photo by Senior Airman Devlin Bishop

The Air Force plans to phase out its whole fleet of A-10s by 2029, citing the changing nature of warfare and the need for a more modernized air fleet.

Though the aging attack aircraft is destined for the boneyard, Johnson said the A-10’s mission to protect and support ground troops on the battlefield will last.

“This whole airplane was built to support the 18-year-old with the rifle on the ground,” Johnson said. “Our main mission is close-air support, so whether you continue to fly the A-10 for a few more years, or whether you’re someone like me who is most likely going to transition to another airplane, or whether you’re a maintainer who’s worked on the airplane, you should continue on with that attack mindset.”

“I’ve had plenty of people who have either worked on or flown airplanes who have transitioned to another one already, and they’ve done a great job of continuing that mindset in whatever new career field they’ve found themselves in,” she added. “That’s the biggest thing — for us to be able to continue that mission in whatever other platform or job that we find ourselves in.”