The Crazy Process of Landing US Massive A-10 in Middle of Highway

YouTube / Fluctus

Michigan’s Unpredictable Highways

Last June, the Air Force Special Operations Command, Air National Guard, and Air Force Reserves conducted landings and takeoffs on a 9,000ft-long closed-off section of Michigan’s highway M-28. The exercise was part of the Michigan Air National Guard’s Northern Agility 22-1 which aimed to demonstrate their ability to execute missions in unpredictable environments rapidly. 

Around the 6-minute part of the video, we can see an A-10 land on the highway as cars and bystanders keep still to watch it unfold. 

Included in this exercise was performing Integrated Combat Turns or ICTs, making it the first time it was done on an American public highway. This concept enables quick rearming and refueling of a running jet to reduce the crew’s ground time and get them back up into the air. Before this exercise, ICTs were only conducted at airfield bases on a weekly basis.