Being an A-5 driver for almost 3 years ( 1992-1995), I always feel compelled to defend this most 'misunderstood aircraft' on PAFs inventory...I also want to clarify that its not a multirole aircraft but basically a Ground Attack/ Strike fighter whom PAF used in every possible role and despite its design/structure limitations , the poor thing did it very well ...
After completing my Ops conversion on F-6 , I was posted to an A-5 squadron....Not very excited about the aircraft, but I was happy to be close to my hometown and prospects of exploring some social interactions in Peshawar ( good old bachelor days..)......I always had apprehension about the A-5 due to its titles of ''flying coffin..or....widow maker..etc etc..But all my apprehensions and reservations soon vanished, as I started to fly it...
There is also one very interesting aspect about the A-5 is that, it doesn’t have a Dual Trainer....people think that its very similar to F-6..but it isn’t.....its aerodynamics’ and flying characteristics are very different from F-6 ...it was also one of the reasons where pilots took A-5 for granted and tried to fly it like an aircraft that it wasn’t...Lots of crashes in its initial years were attributed to mishandling where pilots would try to fly A-5 just like an F-6 ( which was an air superiority fighter ,much lighter in weight and manoeuvrable) ....many flicks and too many spins...to worsen the situation, it had the Chinese ejection seat that had a habit to fail to eject or problems with the seat-man separation...many pilots who actually ejected from the aircraft but hit the ground while still strapped to seat......However, things started to improve when PAF finally decided to install Martin Baker ( British) zero -zero ejection seat and it not only boosted the aircrews confidence in aircraft but increased the pilot survivability rate as well.....A-5 also got the package updates ( in early 90s) in terms of Chaff/ Flares , GPS ,RWR etc, besides these, many maintenance issues were also being addressed .....Those were the years where A-5 started to evolve as a new aircraft , things were improving tremendously for this aircraft and it was during those years where I had a chance to fly it....we were lucky in way that unlike our predecessors , we got a very updated and refurbished A-5 ....
With its 10 hard pints ( three each wing , four in belly ) and two guns, it can carry variety of munitions and various combinations....
Unlike other Chinese fighters that are always fuel starved , A-5 was also nick named Fuel Bowser by its operators.....It can carry more fuel just within its internal tanks than a F-7 carries it with its all three fuel tanks, and if you also put two drop tanks with A-5...then it can just fly and fly.....PAF employed it in every possible role and in all kind of scenarios...I had the honour to fly it day, night , clear weather to heavy rain , from chilly surroundings of Skardu to hottest weathers of Jacobabd / Mir Pur Khas , dropped variety of bombs, fired rockets and bullets , flew Aircombat and dissimilar air combat missions against all PAF types , supported Army guys in endless close air support missions and harassed many girl colleges in Hayatabad/University town areas of Peshawar with our formation low level afterburner runs.......with this aircraft, possibilities are endless.....There is so much variety and flexibility of roles that comes with this aircraft ....If one compares the Operating Cost of aircraft VS variety of combat training....... I think this aircraft gives you a real good value for money....
To conclude, I would just say that A-5 is a good aircraft with a bad press...PAF had bad initial years but we are over with it....I also admit that A-5 doesn’t have very good sense of humour....you try to be funny with it and it can bite you. All this aircraft demands is respect...Over he years it has evolved into a low-cost all purpose aircraft that has served its purpose well as a stepping stone for pilots proceeding to advance fighters…….In late 90s there were rumours of A-5M arriving but PAF is probably over with A-5s ....Few new A-5s were inducted of late to fill for the attrition and keep the fleet flying. But with F-17s, F-16s and hopefully J-10s arriving in next few years, I don’t see any future of A-5...Its sad that we wont see this aircraft flying in next few years and will definitely miss it...
, soon. 
A-5 will be remember very vividly by all who flew it. As far as the accidents, well that can happen in any aircraft. Ask tht someone close to you that in last 10 years what are the A-5 accident stats compared with Mirage or F-7?? 
