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> the only pilots that ever allowed us to shoot 81mm suppression over the top of the ingress routes to target when training to run CAS were the ANG A10 guys. All the active duty fast movers weren't game, and that included the MC Harrier pilots

I can imagine this must be harrowing for the pilots. You actually shoot the 81s over their flight path?

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yes, there are scenarios where you are limited by the terrain, bad guys, etc w.r.t. routes from the IP to target, and the only way to get suppression onto the necessary locations is shooting over the IP to target route.

A10 pilots are bit of a different breed and I didn't have to ask twice to get them to do it they were pretty game.

granted this was right after we got back from first gulf-war and so for those of us that had been there this was just run of the mill stuff. i don't know if things are more safety focused now, probably are...

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