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The story of how an American small-town girl ended up in the cockpit of an A-10 warthog

author:Observer of the United States

The protagonist of our story today is Kayla Bowers, who grew up in the small town of Pinckney, Michigan, with a population of just 2,500 people

The story of how an American small-town girl ended up in the cockpit of an A-10 warthog

American town girl and her warthog

Kayla Bowers loved riding and shooting from an early age, which laid the foundation for her to fly the A-10 warthog soaring into the sky, and when she grew up to become a fighter pilot, she successfully flew the A-10 warthog attack aircraft and practiced aerial targeting using the powerful GAU-8 30mm Avenger cannon.

Kayla Bowers' idea of becoming an army pilot came up when she was in high school, and she said: "I took the military as a possible career area and I was really interested in it because I could be exposed to something more challenging and adventurous".

The story of how an American small-town girl ended up in the cockpit of an A-10 warthog

A-10 Warthog

She then began to study different aircraft, and when she learned about the A-10 warthog, the plane intrigued her, and she told her friends who had served in the Marines and The Army about it, knowing that the aircraft had many incredible features, and made a wish to become the pilot of the A-10 warthog.

After graduating from high school, she entered the ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) and began attending college in 2008, and after completing the prescribed flight training, she finally reached the cockpit of her dream A-10 warthog.

She said: "Driving the A-10 for the first time felt great. I've loved this plane for six years, and when I first flew it, the joystick of the plane was in my hand and I didn't even think it was real."

The story of how an American small-town girl ended up in the cockpit of an A-10 warthog

Kayla Bowers piloting an A-10 warthog for the first time

She was then assigned to the Flying Tigers in December 2014, which then took part in Operation Atlantic Determination, where she flew six-month missions at Graf Ignatiyevo Air Base in Eastern Europe, Bulgaria, and these six months are the most memorable memories of her life.

"Every day is challenging," she says. Every time you fly, you never fully expect anything, just know that your flight is very useful to the Air Force." She flew the A-10 warthog on several missions, where she met her husband, Banzai, who was also a pilot, and also piloted the A-10 warthog.

The story of how an American small-town girl ended up in the cockpit of an A-10 warthog

Kayla Bowers and her husband Banzai

With the A-10's highly controversial retirement just around the corner, she could be sent to fly the F-35 Blitzkrieg, she said: "Right now I don't want to think about flying anything other than the A-10, I can't even imagine flying anything else." I mean, obviously, whatever I'm asked to do after the A-10, I'm happy to do it. On top of that, I'm still flying a very incredible plane (A-10 warthog).

The story of how an American small-town girl ended up in the cockpit of an A-10 warthog

A-10 warthogs that may be decommissioned

After retiring from the military, she returned to her home in Valdosta, Georgia, usa, and bought a small farm. Having two horses and still serving in the military, her husband said: "We are used to separation, and it may even be a little easier for me than a couple living together because we are more accustomed to separation because my husband is driving the A-10 warthog for me".

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