I recently bought A-10A during Steam sale and started this campaing. Awsome fun i got to say. And it's nice to know that it's not linear. I have some missions tha Beach did not have and vice versa. I guess it depends on how myself and allied forces progress throughout the missions. At one point, where i had to destroy 3 T-72 i noticed that 2 of them were already destroyed before i even got to the attack area. Really adds depth and some dynamic aspect to the campaing.
In the first hop of the valley i keep getting my wing blown off by AAA and SAMS any tips on how to avoid being shot down?
Your best bet is to stay away from them:) AAA are deadly at close range so if you maintain some distance, around 4000-5000 feet above them you should be fine. Engaging them with Mavericks from a safe distance works fine also. Remeber to use chaffs when you get closer to them. AAA are guided by radar so chaffs can help to distract that a bit and make it harder for them to target you. Also do not fly in a straigh pattern when under fire. Zig-zag a lot and try to use terrain for cover.