The A-10 that landed without a canopy or landing gear is back flying after 3 years of repairs
"We basically rebuilt the entire front of the A-10 without aided engineering and unprocurable parts."
By David Roza | Updated Nov 3, 2021 11:39 AM
It was July 20, 2017, and Capt. Brett DeVries was in trouble. The Michigan Air National Guard pilot was flying an A-10 Thunderbolt II attack plane on a training mission over Michigan’s Grayling Air Gunnery Range when the aircraft’s 30mm cannon malfunctioned, blowing off the A-10’s canopy and sending his maps and checklists flying.
“It was like someone sucker punched me,” said DeVries, who is now a major. “I was just dazed for a moment.”
With incredible flying skill, DeVries managed to get the A-10 under control and fly it to the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center for an emergency landing. But there was another problem: the jet’s nose gear was stuck in the up position. That meant DeVries would have to pull another aviation rabbit out of the hat by performing a wheel’s-up belly landing, a risky procedure under any circumstances, but even more so without a canopy.
Whether it was his training, skill, or just plain good luck, DeVries managed to stick the landing and walk away unharmed. In fact, he flew so well that the bird he landed that day is coming back into service after three years of repair work.
https://taskandpurpose.com/news/air-force-a-10-warthog-belly-landing/
