Go Bold #9: Stories from the Cockpit: Colonel (Ret) Scott Campbell on the A-10 Warthog (Part 1)

I'm joined today by retired United States Air Force (USAF) Colonel Scott "Soup" Campbell, a combat-tested leader and highly decorated A-10 Warthog fighter pilot. Colonel Campbell is a graduate and was an instructor at the prestigious Air Force Weapons School (TOP GUN), and he has held a number of high level positions, including Commander of the 355th Fighter Wing at Davis-Monthan AFB in Arizona.In this episode we learn how Colonel Campbell began his fighter pilot career by training with the United States Navy (USN). We discuss his perspective on the differences between pilot training in the USAF and USN, and the lessons that he learned when track selecting for the jet that he would ultimately spend his career with.We discuss the potential pros and cons of choosing the A-10 Warthog as a career path, which by the way, is pretty much as pertinent today as it was when the Colonel selected the A-10 over 20 years ago.The main focus of this episode is the incredible A-10 Warthog, and specifically the A-10A, which is the early model of the aircraft. For those that are not familiar with it, the A-10 is a subsonic attack aircraft which is utilized in the air-to-ground role, and often for Close Air Support (CAS).Colonel Campbell speaks to the engineering marvel that the A-10 is, and he shares his personal insight about flying the Warthog, and what makes it as capable, resilient and iconic as it is.Colonel Campbell is known to follow a few simple principles: be humble, approachable, and credible. I can attest that he is all of those things, so we are very grateful for his time and kindness, and his support of this podcast. You'll want to stay tuned for Part 2 of our conversation where we continue to chat about the mighty A-10, and specifically the newer A-10C variant.Go Bold!