TUCSON, AZ — Davis-Monthan Air Force Base had a celebration Wednesday that carried some sadness too. The A-10 Warthog, which has been the heart of the base, is going away from Tucson and being reassigned to other places.

Pilots flew two A-10s in farewell flights over the base, showing the tight turns that made the plane so good at staying close to its targets.

Davis-Monthan has been home to the A-10 and the center of A-10 pilot training since the first planes arrived more than 50 years ago. Officially it’s the Thunderbolt-II. But its less-than-sleek looks got it tagged as the Warthog.

“The airplane itself is a dream to fly.”

Retired Lieutenant Colonel Sam Miller started flying the A-10 45 years ago. He became an instructor pilot and later commanded an A-10 unit.

Colonel Miller says to protect troops on the ground, there’s still nothing better than the A-10, built around a 30 millimeter gun so fearsome that just the distinctive BRRRT sound of the rapid-fire cannon can be enough to drive off the enemy,

He says knowing he and the A-10 kept ground troops alive was a great feeling.

“It is very satisfying, and when they tell you it's even more satisfying. There were a number of times where we would debrief or meet them after an engagement, and I could not buy a beer at the bar. No way.”

Current A-10 Pilot Major Duck Yim says protecting soldiers on the ground is the main reason he wanted to fly the Warthog.

“It's such an honor, and to me, everything with the A-10 and the close air support mission is about hope. My brother's in the Army, and so when it came time to ask for a plane at the end of pilot training, I asked for the A-10 because I wanted to just serve and serve in ways I can use the airplane to protect my brother or people like him.”

But now the Warthog is winding down to retirement. The last ones should make their last flights in about four years. Until then, the last of the Warthogs will make their homes at bases in Georgia and Missouri as Davis-Monthan concentrates on missions in rescue and special operations.

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Craig Smith is a reporter for KGUN 9. With more than 40 years of reporting in cities like Tampa, Houston and Austin, Craig has covered more than 40 Space Shuttle launches and covered historic hurricanes like Katrina, Ivan, Andrew and Hugo. Share your story ideas and important issues with Craig by emailing craig.smith@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook and Twitter.