OA-10A of the 103FS PA ANG heads home after a det at GF 97-3

PA ANG OA-10A departing Nellis on a change-over at GF 97-3

Pennsylvania ANG OA-10A of the 103FS "Black Hogs" departs Nellis on a change-over Saturday during GF 97-3. This aircraft was written off about 5 weeks later on March 28 1997.

103FS

103FS

103FS

4 Apr '83: First flight. 22 Apr '83: TOS USAF and assigned to 81st TFW, RAF Bentwaters, England. 1987: Converted to OA-10A. After 6/87 to after 6/91: 511th TFS/10th TFW, RAF Alconbury, England. By 7/92 to 3/10: 103rd FS/111th FW (ANG), Willow Grove, PA. 2006: Converted to A-10C. 3/10: 81st FS/52nd FW, Spangdahlem AB, Germany. After 2/13: 74th FS/23rd FW, Moody AFB, GA. 4/13: Deployed for combat in Afghanistan with 74th FS for Operation Enduring Freedom, still carrying markings of the 81st FS. By 1/15: 354th FS/355th FW, Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ.

25 Mar '81: First flight. 13 pr '81: TOS USAF as A-10A. 15 May '81: 511th Tactical Fighter Squadron/81st Tactical Fighter Wing, RAF Benwaters, England. Ca.1987: 10th TFW, RAF Alconbury, England. By 6/95: Modified to OA-10A. By 6/95: 103rd FS/111th Fighter Group (ANG), NAS/JRB Willow Grove, PA. Ca.2007: AMARC, Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ for conversion to A-10C. 2011: 163rd FS/22nd FW (ANG), Baer Field, Ft. Wayne, IN.

Although wearing a Tactical Air Command badge on the fin, the aircraft was actually operated by the Pennsylvania air national guard. This is actually an EC-130E(CS), or Coronet Solo, aircraft. The River Rider program did not come into existence until 1991, and the aircraft were modified with notably different electronics. This aircraft was assigned to the 193rd Special Operations Sq., 193rd Tactical Electronic Warfare Group, Pennsylvannia ANG, which was operationally attached to the Tactical Air Command at the time, hence the TAC badge on the tail. The aircraft was first modified for the Comfy Levi mission (which later became Senior Scout) before modification for the Coronet Solo mission.