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.

[Prophet in the wilderness]

Just imagion taking a ride in one of them.

[Prophet in the wilderness]

The US got the titanium from the USSR , and built the SR-71 from the titanium that the US got from the USSR and built this plane under the Soviets noses.

[Conspiracy Guy]

LOL

[Conspiracy Guy]

John Astin was a hoot as Gomez

[LibertarianInExile]

Yep. I grant you Raul Julia was a fine actor, but Astin set the standard.

[MarkL]

I've heard that while on mission, the U2 is one of the most difficult planes in the world to fly.

The problem seems to be that at the altitudes they fly while on mission, the "thin air" requires them to fly at speeds which are just shy of the velocity that will rip those wings off of the plane! At least that's something I was told years ago by a friend who was stationed at AFIT at Wright Patterson.

Mark

[MarkL]

It's hard to believe that Kelly Johnson & the gang at the Skunk Works designed that plane with slide-rules and log tables!

Mark

[Coldwater Creek]

This brings back old memories. My Husband flew escort for Gary Powers and the U2 back in the late fifties.

[DefiantZERO]

A U2 spy plane can crash, but we can't get a jetliner with U2 onboard to go down..

[Kay]

Pilot's name was Maj.Duane Dively, 43, from Beale Air Force Base. "He continued to fly his beloved U-2, according to his family."

(Didn't know if you saw it.)

[Dashing Dasher]

Thank you.

[Conspiracy Guy]

I never saw any or the Addams Faily movies.

[chipmunk79]

He was a great man who had an easy going personality and did not let the small stuff get into his way of life. The first one willing to fly and never complained or worried about events he could not control. I"m sure he he rode his jet in while trying to save it......

God Bless

[familyop]

"I always get a chuckle out of these threads due to all the misinformation out there about the U-2..."

Yes. There are some interesting declass'd reads about U-2s around the Net. At least one of the pilots' manuals is very interesting--whole lotta hand holding going on ("mobile," etc.).

[csvset]

Maj. Duane W. Dively, 43, of Rancho California, Calif.

[Texas Eagle]

http://www.appeal-democrat.com/

[Dashing Dasher]

Thank you.

[LibertarianInExile]

They're actually not bad. Much less weird than the series. The last one is not as good as the first, but still entertaining. A surprisingly good ensemble cast.

Still, John Astin is the man.

[Wu]

There is also one at the museum outside of Eglin AFB in Florida.

[Conspiracy Guy]

I don't watch much TV. I never go to movies. I spend my free time outdoors.