All this week the Star is publishing the series “Mission Critical: The Future of Davis-Monthan.”
The nation’s largest contingent of A-10 Thunderbolt II ground-attack jets is based at Tucson’s Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. As the plane heads for possible retirement within a few years, the base needs to attract a strong new mission in order to thrive. “Mission Critical” examines what D-M could become — and visits three cities that have found ways to keep their bases strong.
Today’s digital installment is a spotter’s guide to the aircraft that fly out of D-M now or one day might. The guide shows what the planes look like from the ground as they fly overhead. Find it at tucson.com/dm, along with the May 31 and June 1 installments of the series.
• May 31: An overview of possible new missions.
• June 1: An illustrated history of D-M.
People are also reading…
• Coming Wednesday: Join us at noon on tucson.com for a live chat about the future of the base.
• Thursday: Valdosta, Georgia, residents rally around their base, at home and in Washington, D.C.
• Friday: In Las Vegas, saying yes to the Air Force can mean saying no to developers.
• Saturday: How a New Mexico base slated for shutdown instead landed a new mission.
• Sunday: The Star’s editorial page offers suggestions for keeping D-M safe.
