U-2 Spy Plane Insane Take Offs at RAF Fairford Below are take off, landing, and the James May Flight videos.
If you like jet-powered aircraft then check out all our many other #JetFriday posts. If you enjoy this video, please share our page with your friends and colleagues. Also here are two other opportunities to see how difficult the U-2 is to launch and land. What’s it like to fly in the U-2 Dragon Lady? Ride along with James May at the edge of space in the U-2. The SR-71 was introduced in 1964 but retired from service in 1999. The U-2, introduced in 1957, has outlasted its spy plane counterpart, the much more expensive SR-71 Blackbird. Duotech designed and manufactured a unit that keeps both the cockpit windshield and camera windshield from frosting or fogging over during high altitudes. Duotech Services has also taken part in helping the U-2 continue on with its mission. In 1994 the U-2 was completely modernized with a glass cockpit, updated the legacy wiring, and fitted with a more fuel efficient engine. So during a flight, there is little rest for the pilot who is constantly monitoring the instruments, managing the camera, while trying to simply hold onto the aircraft. The difference in speed between going too fast and stalling the U-2 is only 13 mph. The thin air at 70,000 feet along with its lightweight frame has earned it a reputation of being very difficult to fly. When at altitude the U-2 is a lot of work also.
U2 AIRCRAFT DRIVER
The driver of this chase car is also a U-2 pilot and will communicate with the pilot during these critical times. During takeoff and landing, the U-2 is followed by a chase car. Because of the space suit, the U-2’s hull shape, and a dual-wheeled landing gear along the center of the aircraft, the pilot has great difficulty seeing the ground. The U-2 Dragon Lady may soar at altitudes above 70,000 feet, but when it’s near the ground it can be very difficult to manage. This would be the beginning of the Cuban Missile Crisis that brought the world to the brink of nuclear war. In October of 1962, a U-2 pilot flew a top-secret reconnaissance mission over Cuba and located Soviet missile sites that would eventually house tactical nuclear weapons. In order to rescue the pilot held by Russia, both sides would eventually agree to a prisoner exchange–Powers for a Russian spy the U.S was holding. In May of 1960, the downing of a U-2 piloted by Gary Powers over Russia resulted in an international incident that set back talks between the U.S. The secrecy behind this initial project code-named “Aquatone” and the fact that the U-2 flew at 70,000 feet, much higher than passenger aircraft of its time, which cruised between 10-20,000 feet, led to the belief that Area 51 was hiding secrets like UFOs and Aliens. They chose a very remote area in the desert near a salt flat called Groom Lake. government needed a location not easily accessible by civilians or spies.
In 1955, the U-2 was authorized by President Eisenhower for development. First, it is the reason there is a secret military base called Area 51. The U-2 Spy Plane, also known as The Dragon Lady, has a unique history to it. Prior to a flight, pilots will spend time breathing pure oxygen to get any nitrogen out of their lungs to avoid decompression sickness. They don’t just hop into this craft and take off. This Cold War era aircraft’s normal operating altitude is so high that to protect its pilots from the cold air and solar radiation, they wear space suits like an astronaut and have a team that gets them suited up and strapped in. At an altitude of 65,000 feet, its camera can resolve features as small as 2.5 feet. From this extremely high altitude, the U-2 can still photograph everything from horizon to horizon on the ground below. It is flying over an undisclosed region of the world gathering intelligence about a large number of troops mobilizing very near a NATO ally’s border. It’s at the edge of space, 13 miles above sea level, so without radar, it will likely go unnoticed by anyone on the ground below. An all black, single-engine aircraft soars through the sky above 70,000 feet.
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