A-10C II ThunderboltDCS WORLD Startup Checklist · 128 steps
A-10C II Thunderbolt
DCS WORLD - 0/128 STEPS
U.S. Air Force / Wikimedia CommonsPublic Domain
AttackCold War
AIRCRAFT BRIEF
The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II - affectionately known as the 'Warthog' - is a single-seat, twin-engine attack aircraft built around the massive GAU-8 Avenger 30mm rotary cannon. Designed in the 1970s specifically for close air support, it is heavily armored and can survive direct hits from 23mm rounds. The A-10C variant added precision engagement capability with GPS and laser-guided weapons.
RANGE VISUALIZER
SPECIFICATIONS
manufacturerFairchild Republic
first Flight1972
roleClose air support / Attack
crew1 pilot
engines2x GE TF34-GE-100 (9,065 lbf each)
max Speed676 km/h (365 kts)
range4,150 km (2,240 nmi)
ceiling45,000 ft
weight23,000 kg (MTOW)
PHS 1 — Pre-Flight Planning8 steps
| 01 | Mission BriefNOTE: Review CAS mission, JTAC contact info, FAC procedures, and ROE. | REVIEWED | |
| 02 | Weather BriefingNOTE: Check departure, target area, and recovery weather. Low-level ops require good visibility. | REVIEWED | |
| 03 | NOTAMs / AirspaceNOTE: Check restricted areas, active MOAs, and NOTAM restrictions. | REVIEWED | |
| 04 | Fuel Planning - Bingo / JokerNOTE: Calculate bingo and joker fuel. Low-altitude ops increase fuel burn significantly. | SET | |
| 05 | Stores / LoadoutNOTE: Confirm ordnance, Maverick variants, pods (TGP/ECM), and gun ammo count. | VERIFIED | |
| 06 | Steerpoints / CDUNOTE: Enter steerpoints, mark points, and target coordinates in CDU. | PROGRAMMED | |
| 07 | Radio Frequencies / IFFNOTE: Set UHF/VHF/FM presets. Note JTAC and flight frequencies. Confirm IFF codes. | SET | |
| 08 | Divert BasesNOTE: Know nearest divert fields, runway lengths, and approach frequencies. | IDENTIFIED |
PHS 2 — Electrical Power7 steps
| 01 | Battery Power | ON | |
| 02 | Inverter | STBY | |
| 03 | APU StartNOTE: Hold APU start button until APU spools up. | PRESS | |
| 04 | APU Generator | ON (wait for stable) | |
| 05 | Left AC/DC Generator | PWR | |
| 06 | Right AC/DC Generator | PWR | |
| 07 | Inverter | NORM |
PHS 3 — Before Engine Start7 steps
| 01 | Fuel System | CHECK — Boost Pumps ON (Both Wings) | |
| 02 | CICUNOTE: Central Interface Control Unit — must be ON before IFFCC. | ON | |
| 03 | IFFCC | ON (wait for self-test) | |
| 04 | CDUNOTE: EGI alignment takes ~4-8 minutes. | ON — Wait for alignment | |
| 05 | CMSP | ON | |
| 06 | Oxygen | ON — CHECK FLOW | |
| 07 | Seat ArmCAUTION: Ensure canopy is clear before arming seat. | ARMED |
PHS 4 — Engine Start9 steps
| 01 | Throttle (Left) | OFF | |
| 02 | Left Engine Start ButtonNOTE: Monitor ITT — light-off around 15% N2. | PRESS | |
| 03 | Left ThrottleWARNING: Hot start if ITT exceeds 870°C — abort by cutting throttle. | IDLE (at 55% N2) | |
| 04 | Left Engine | STABILIZE — Check oil pressure, RPM | |
| 05 | Right Engine Start Button | PRESS | |
| 06 | Right Throttle | IDLE (at 55% N2) | |
| 07 | Right Engine | STABILIZE | |
| 08 | APU Generator | OFF | |
| 09 | APU | OFF |
PHS 5 — Post-Start / Taxi14 steps
| 01 | Hydraulic Pressure | CHECK (both systems green) | |
| 02 | Flight ControlsCAUTION: Full stick and rudder — verify correct deflection. | CYCLE & CHECK | |
| 03 | Trim | SET TAKEOFF | |
| 04 | Flaps | MVR (Maneuver/Takeoff) | |
| 05 | Speed Brake | CHECK & RETRACT | |
| 06 | TACAN | SET | |
| 07 | UHF/VHF Radios | SET FREQUENCIES | |
| 08 | Altimeter | SET QNH / QFE | |
| 09 | HSI Heading | SET | |
| 10 | Anti-Skid | ON | |
| 11 | NWS | ON | |
| 12 | Canopy | CLOSE & LOCK | |
| 13 | Parking Brake | RELEASE | |
| 14 | Taxi Light | ON |
PHS 6 — Taxi5 steps
| 01 | BrakesNOTE: Tap brakes briefly to verify response. | CHECK during first movement | |
| 02 | NWS | CHECK — responsive | |
| 03 | InstrumentsNOTE: HSI heading, attitude indicator — should track turns. | CHECK during taxi | |
| 04 | Engine InstrumentsNOTE: ITT, RPM, oil pressure — both engines normal. | MONITOR | |
| 05 | Taxi SpeedCAUTION: Keep slow on ramp and taxiways. | SAFE SPEED |
PHS 7 — Before Takeoff15 steps
| 01 | Ejection SeatWARNING: Verify canopy closed. | CONFIRM ARMED | |
| 02 | Canopy | CONFIRM CLOSED & LOCKED | |
| 03 | Flaps | MVR (maneuver/takeoff) | |
| 04 | Trim | SET for takeoff | |
| 05 | Speed Brake | RETRACTED | |
| 06 | NWS | ENGAGED | |
| 07 | Anti-Skid | ON | |
| 08 | Pitot Heat | ON | |
| 09 | Altimeter | SET QNH | |
| 10 | TACAN | SET and verified | |
| 11 | Lights — Taxi | ON | |
| 12 | Lights — Landing | ON | |
| 13 | Lights — StrobeNOTE: Position/anti-collision as required. | ON | |
| 14 | IFFCC | VERIFY operational | |
| 15 | Fuel QuantityNOTE: Verify adequate for mission. | CHECK |
PHS 8 — Takeoff10 steps
| 01 | Lineup on Runway | CENTERLINE | |
| 02 | Brakes | HOLD | |
| 03 | ThrottlesCAUTION: Wipe controls before releasing brakes.NOTE: Check both engines match. | ADVANCE to 90% RPM | |
| 04 | Brakes | RELEASE | |
| 05 | Throttles | MAX POWER | |
| 06 | NWS | MAINTAIN centerline | |
| 07 | At 120 KIASNOTE: Gentle backstick, lift off ~130 KIAS. Takeoff speed varies with weight and stores. | ROTATE | |
| 08 | Positive Climb | CONFIRMED | |
| 09 | Landing GearNOTE: Gear speed limit 250 KIAS. | UP | |
| 10 | Flaps | UP (above 150 KIAS) |
PHS 9 — After Takeoff / Climb7 steps
| 01 | Landing Gear | CONFIRM UP | |
| 02 | Flaps | CONFIRM UP | |
| 03 | Altimeter | CHECK | |
| 04 | AirspeedNOTE: Or as required for departure. | 250 KIAS climb | |
| 05 | Power | SET for climb | |
| 06 | Lights — Taxi | OFF | |
| 07 | Trim | ADJUST as needed |
PHS 10 — Cruise / Transit7 steps
| 01 | Altitude | AT assigned level | |
| 02 | PowerNOTE: A-10C typical cruise 250-300 KIAS. | SET cruise (~85% RPM) | |
| 03 | Fuel StateNOTE: Check quantity and balance, crossfeed if needed. | MONITOR | |
| 04 | AutopilotNOTE: ALT HOLD, HDG HOLD, ATT HOLD available. | ENGAGE (if desired) | |
| 05 | Navigation | CHECK CDU/EGI waypoints | |
| 06 | TACAN | CHECK bearing and range | |
| 07 | SystemsNOTE: Check engine temps, hydraulics, electrical. | MONITOR |
PHS 11 — Descent / Approach9 steps
| 01 | ATIS / Field Information | OBTAINED | |
| 02 | Altimeter | SET local QNH | |
| 03 | Approach BriefingNOTE: Review approach plate, minimums, missed approach. | COMPLETED | |
| 04 | TACAN / ILS | SET and IDENTIFIED | |
| 05 | AirspeedNOTE: 200 KIAS typical pattern speed. | REDUCE for pattern entry | |
| 06 | Landing Light | ON | |
| 07 | Gear | DOWN (below 250 KIAS) | |
| 08 | Flaps | MVR (or DN for full flaps in pattern) | |
| 09 | Speed Brake | AS REQUIRED |
PHS 12 — Landing7 steps
| 01 | Final Approach SpeedCAUTION: Do not get slow — A-10 has high sink rate at low speed.NOTE: Adjust for weight and stores. | 130-140 KIAS | |
| 02 | FlapsNOTE: For short field, use full flaps. | DN (full) | |
| 03 | TouchdownNOTE: Hold attitude, lower nose gently. | MAIN GEAR first | |
| 04 | Speed Brake | EXTEND | |
| 05 | Throttles | IDLE | |
| 06 | BrakingNOTE: Differential braking for directional control. | APPLY as required | |
| 07 | NWS | ENGAGED when slow |
PHS 13 — After Landing7 steps
| 01 | Flaps | UP | |
| 02 | Speed Brake | RETRACT | |
| 03 | Landing Light | OFF | |
| 04 | Strobe | OFF (as required) | |
| 05 | Taxi Light | ON | |
| 06 | Transponder | STBY | |
| 07 | Taxi to Parking | NWS ENGAGED |
PHS 14 — Shutdown16 steps
| 01 | Parking Brake | SET | |
| 02 | Throttle (Left) | OFF | |
| 03 | Throttle (Right) | OFF | |
| 04 | Ejection SeatWARNING: Safe the seat before ground crew approaches. | SAFE | |
| 05 | IFFCC | OFF | |
| 06 | CICU | OFF | |
| 07 | CDU | OFF | |
| 08 | CMSP | OFF | |
| 09 | Oxygen | OFF | |
| 10 | Canopy | OPEN | |
| 11 | Fuel Boost Pumps | OFF | |
| 12 | Inverter | STBY | |
| 13 | APU Generator | OFF | |
| 14 | Generators (L & R) | OFF | |
| 15 | APU | OFF | |
| 16 | Battery | OFF |