Posted on 11/25/2016 11:10:08 AM PST by Brad from Tennessee
In the Middle East (CNN)Getting dressed for a combat mission in a U2 "Dragonlady" reconnaissance plane looks almost like the preparations for a space flight, the pilot in a yellow compression suit wearing a massive white helmet.
The suits need to be cooled the entire time, otherwise the pilots would die of heat exhaustion in a matter of minutes, but they are necessary to protect the crew members as they fly surveillance missions over Iraq and Syria at more than 70,000 feet scoping out ISIS targets.
The US Air Force gave CNN rare access to U2 crews flying out of a secret location in the Middle East. We can only identify the pilots by their rank, first name and their call sign.
The pilot getting suited up was named Capt. Steven. His call sign is "Meathead." He was brought to the plane in a bus similar to those that bring astronauts to their spacecraft. He was connected to a mobile cooling unit the entire time. Dozens of ground personnel were readying the U2 jet for a 10-hour mission. "You do things to keep your mind busy," Capt. Steven said, referring to the toll the long hours sitting in the cockpit take on them. "The radios are constantly going, there's constant communications with guys on the ground. So it keeps you busy."
The "Dragonlady" lifted off soon after, quickly climbing into the Middle Eastern sun. The U2 is built for altitude. It can climb to well over 70,000 feet, making it an important asset in the effort to find and destroy senior ISIS fighters, safe houses and battle positions. . .
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
Why does the Air Force let traitors get access to their operations? Someone needs to be fired!
Then I a remembered I am talking about the U2 which has unretired more times than I can count.
I did her payload for 15+ years
I didn't even think about asking him what that was like.
Glad to know the U2 is still a useful asset. I worked with them back in the ‘80s when I was on active duty. They were rugged and dependable.
They have been trying to kill her for 14 years
She works just like the A10
They want to kill it to spent more money but she still works after 50+ years and she works good
Barry Goldwater was the only “non rated” pilot of the SR71 Blackbird, he also flew the U2 and B52’s. I have read he flew over 150 different aircraft. Amazing guy.
That guy is a serious pilot!
Bono and Yoko?
I didn't even think about asking him what that was like.
You need to ask him. SR71 ?
WOW!!
They were as different as different could be. The U-2 is similar to a glider, with one big gas tank and a huge wing span. It's slow, reliable, and can fly long missions without refueling. The SR-71 is more like a rocket, unbelievably fast and maneuverable, with an insatiable appetite and a well-known tendency to break down. The U-2 pilots used to say that any time an SR-71 was to fly, the maintenance crews would get two of them ready, because one would certainly break down and the other one was likely to.
Your relative was very unusual--very few pilots qualified to fly both aircraft, at least back in my day.
RIP Major Duane Dively
I don’t wanna say any more about him, not on a public forum. Let’s just say his entire family had some SEVERE piloting chops. It was almost in their DNA.
Duct tape the wingtip? /S
They renamed it for awhile too as the TR-1.
You can see it for yourself, on Mythbusters.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3p7sun
Search for "mythbusters u2" for several other videos.
Adam and Jamie go through the crew training together, so that if one of them washes out, the other can take the flight. Both complete it, and they were supposed to draw straws -- but Jamie bows out because he knows Adam wants it so badly.
They cruise at 50,000+ feet over the San Francisco bay -- you can see the curvature of the earth, and the blackness of space above them.
It may be my favorite episode.
I believe you!
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