U2 Spy Plane Crashes (June, '05)

The New York Times ^ | Wednesday, June 22, 2005

[kristinn]

WASHINGTON, June 21 - A U-2 spy plane crashed Tuesday night in Southwest Asia, the Defense Department announced, specifying an area where American aircraft support missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The crash is the first of a U-2 in that region. Military officials who have been briefed on the crash said early indications were that the plane crashed on landing at Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates, its home base. The were no indications of hostile fire, they said.

The cause of the crash and status of the pilot are not known, the Pentagon said.

[kristinn]

Prayers for the pilot.

[Ronin]

U2s are still in business? Wow! I thought they had been retired.

[Petronski]

I thought this was one of those anniversary threads. I had no idea those grand old birds were still in service.

[LibFreeOrDie]

I didn't know that the U.S. still used U2's.

(I'm old enough to remember the U2/Gary Powers incident in 1960.)

[HiJinx]

Aye, they're still in use in several different configurations.

[Not now, Not ever!]

You might be thinking of the SR-71 "Blackbird" I think there are only two still flying,one at NASA and the other at?

[minus_273]

no we still use them and the sr-71s still. They were recently (in the 90s) upgraded with new engines.

[Destro]

If we are still using the U2s - why did we retire the Blackbirds? (or did we?)

[Dimez Apart]

nope, there're done

[Not now, Not ever!]

Darn shame, That, A beautiful bird.

[mysto]

U2s are still in business? Wow! I thought they had been retired.

Yeah, U2's still around... The Joshua Tree is a great album...

Oh, you mean the spy planes... LOL

[Andrew LB]

I saw a show on the history channel recently about the SR-71 and they said the aircraft is now retired. Mostly due to massive expense. Satellites and UAV spy aircraft are far more practical these days.

[Pro-Bush]

U2's are used by the 9th Reconnaissance Wing at beale air force base.

[pterional]

At 100,000 dollars an hour to fly spy satellites seem cheaper.

[EternalVigilance]

Don't know if it's still there, but there was a retired Blackbird sitting on the tarmac at the museum at Offut Air Base in Bellevue, Nebraska a couple years back when I was there. Walked around it, touched it...one of the most amazing aircraft in history, IMO.

[kayak]

There is a "Blackbird" on display at the new National Air and Space Museum near Dulles outside Washington, DC. It is an awesome sight!

National Air and Space Museum

[Servant of the 9]

The planes are all over 40 years old, closer to 50.
They are so hard to fly that they would not meet minimum US military specs if they were a new design.

So9

[southland]

The Blackbird was very expensive to fly besides the Aurora perhaps took its place.

[Andrew LB]

Ahh... the Aurora. :) I've heard so many rumors about that jet over the years its crazy.