These Air Force photos of A-10 attack planes in a whiteout snowstorm look like drawings

Wed, 01/17/2024 - 13:39

Aircraft are parked on the flight line during a winter storm — A-10C Thunderbolt II aircraft are shown parked on the flight line during a winter storm at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Michigan.
US Air National Guard Photo by Tech. Sgt. Drew Schumann

A line of A-10C Thunderbolts was blanketed in snow during a winter storm in Michigan last week.
Photos of the snowy landscape required a double take, with the A-10s appearing like illustrations.
The aircraft fleet, part of the 127th Wing, stood ready to operate, regardless of the weather.

Michigan was pummeled with cold temperatures and whiteout conditions as the state's biggest storm of the season hit on Friday, with some areas reaching almost a foot of snowfall.

Aircraft parked at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Harrison Township, Michigan, were also caught in the storm, making for a hard-to-believe scene on the airfield.

See photos of a line of A-10 Thunderbolts covered in snow, appearing almost like illustrations against the white landscape.

An aircraft sketch on the flight line

An aircraft is covered in snow parked on the flight line — An A-10C Thunderbolt II aircraft is shown parked on the flight line during a winter storm.
US Air National Guard Photo by Tech. Sgt. Drew Schumann

First introduced in the 1970s, the A-10 is the only US military aircraft built for close air support to take out ground targets.

A seven-barrel cannon covered in snow

The front of an aircraft is shown during a snowstorm — Winter weather arrived in southeast Michigan, creating a snowy landscape for aircraft and facilities at Selfridge Air National Guard Base.
US Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Drew Schumann

The A-10 is most known for the weapon protruding from its nose — the GAU-8 Avenger, a 30 mm cannon that can fire nearly 4,000 rounds a minute, producing a familiar "BRRRT" sound when fired. The attack plane can also carry bombs, rockets and missiles like the anti-armor AGM-65 Maverick.

127th Wing

An aircraft is covered in snow — An A-10C Thunderbolt II aircraft is covered in snow.
US Air National Guard Photo by Tech. Sgt. Drew Schumann

The Thunderbolt fleet is part of the 127th Wing, a composite wing of the US Air Force and Michigan Air National Guard with approximately 1,700 citizen airmen.

The wing is the host unit at Selfridge, one of the oldest continuously operating airfields in the US since its first flight on July 8, 1917; it is located on Lake St. Clair just outside Detroit.

At the ready in the snow and the sleet

A line of aircraft covered in snow — A line of A-10C Thunderbolt II aircraft is covered in snow while parked on the flight line during a winter storm.
US Air National Guard Photo by Tech. Sgt. Drew Schumann

The Thunderbolts took a page out of the US Postal Service's book, undeterred by the snow and standing at the ready despite the whiteout.

The 127th Wing continues to operate 24/7, regardless of the temperature or weather.

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These Air Force photos of A-10 attack planes in a whiteout snowstorm look like …