Photo By Senior Airman Leonid Soubbotine | U.S. Air Force Airmen assigned to the 23rd Maintenance Squadron corrosion control pose...... read more read more
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MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. – The distinctive appearance of the military aircraft is not just a matter of aesthetics, but a crucial aspect of our operational effectiveness-- projecting power and intimidating adversaries.
The unmistakable shark teeth markings on aircraft from the 23d Wing serves as a visual deterrent, striking fear into the hearts of our enemies and instilling confidence in our allies.
Airmen from the 23rd Maintenance Squadron executed a four-day repainting effort from July 15-19, 2024, applying the "Flying Tigers" nose art to A-10C Thunderbolt II tail number A213.
“For me it’s important because the A-10 teeth are iconic in their own way,” said Tech. Sgt. Mark King, 23rd Maintenance Squadron corrosion manager. “It’s even been adopted by the fashion industry and the teeth are everywhere. We’re the only ones in the Air Force that actually apply it to our nose art and it means a lot to be able to represent it.”
Repainting is part of routine jet maintenance – whenever it returns to Moody from a maintenance depot with its sleek new paint, it needs to be finished with the markings, tail flashes and of course the famous shark teeth nose art, requiring a multi-step week-long process.
“First and foremost, before it even rolls into the paint barn, it will be washed,” said Staff Sgt. William Rogers, 23rd Maintenance Squadron aircraft structural maintenance craftsman. “The next steps are sanding and masking everything off that is not going to get painted to avoid overspray. After that, we mask and re-mask the jet – putting it through the multiple colors, stencils and different curing times.”
Equipped with a specialized jet-sized paint booth, a large cutting-edge printer that can make decals and stencils, and lots of painting and protective equipment, these highly trained Airmen turn into high-tech artists over the course of the A-10’s transformation into a world-famous Flying Tiger aircraft.
“It’s one of the greatest feelings … some people can’t even believe we do stuff like this,” Rogers said. “People love to come and watch the process. For the plane to come out and look really nice, it always makes us feel good.”
Dating back to World War II and tracing their heritage to the original Flying Tigers, the legendary shark teeth are an important piece of Moody and Air Force culture.
Seeing the unmistakable shark teeth up above can be a sign of morale to friendly forces or trouble coming at the enemy with the world famous “BRRRRRRT” of the gatling gun that’s been heard all over the world.
“It feels great knowing that these jets are providing close air support for the troops on the ground,” King said. “We’re the only ones with those teeth, so they know who we are, where we’re from and what we do. Once they see the teeth, they know that Moody is here!”
After spending a week at the Moody paint barn, another freshly decorated A-10C Thunderbolt II is ready to take to the skies, showcasing the squadron's expertise and dedication to readiness, ensuring the aircraft is combat-capable and prepared to defend the nation.
| Date Taken: | 07.19.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 07.19.2024 15:18 |
| Story ID: | 476648 |
| Location: | MOODY AFB, GEORGIA, US |
| Web Views: | 67 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, A-10C Thunderbolt II becomes a Flying Tiger, by SrA Leonid Soubbotine, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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