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U2 Spy Plane Crashes (June, '05)
The New York Times ^ | Wednesday, June 22, 2005

Posted on 06/21/2005 9:40:49 PM PDT by 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.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: planecrash; southwestasia; spyplane; u2; uae
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To: Lazamataz

I'm a Capricorn. I like to take long walks and my favorite color is yellow.


81 posted on 06/22/2005 5:46:42 AM PDT by Conspiracy Guy (Warning.... Contents under pressure....)
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To: Turbopilot

Yes there is one at Batttleship Park. I want one for my front yard.


82 posted on 06/22/2005 5:47:30 AM PDT by Conspiracy Guy (Warning.... Contents under pressure....)
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To: Conspiracy Guy
I'm a yellow. I like to take long capricorns and my favorite color is "walk".


83 posted on 06/22/2005 5:51:50 AM PDT by Lazamataz (The Republican Party is the France of politics.)
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To: Ronin
U2s are still in business? Wow! I thought they had been retired.

I thought so too. The SR71 was retires because satellites could provide the same service, or so said the Pentagon.

84 posted on 06/22/2005 5:58:36 AM PDT by The_Victor (Doh!... stupid tagline)
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To: DoorGunner

The El Camino has been replaced by a Camaro.

Everything else you said is correct.

It's a tricky bird to take-off, fly, and land.


85 posted on 06/22/2005 5:59:46 AM PDT by Dashing Dasher (Jun 21, 1913, Georgia Broadwick became the first woman to parachute from an airplane.)
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To: kristinn; Aeronaut

I just heard that the plane crashed on landing in UAE and the pilot was killed.


More when I know.


86 posted on 06/22/2005 6:01:01 AM PDT by Dashing Dasher (Jun 21, 1913, Georgia Broadwick became the first woman to parachute from an airplane.)
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To: Lazamataz

In High School our color was clear.


87 posted on 06/22/2005 6:02:02 AM PDT by Conspiracy Guy (Warning.... Contents under pressure....)
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To: Ronin
U2s are still in business? Wow! I thought they had been retired.

Well....this one sure has!

88 posted on 06/22/2005 6:03:16 AM PDT by LilDarlin (Being very feminine got me this far; it will get me the rest of the way, too!)
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To: Conspiracy Guy
In High School our color was clear.

In High School our color was Everclear.

89 posted on 06/22/2005 6:04:26 AM PDT by Lazamataz (The Republican Party is the France of politics.)
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To: Lazamataz

Our cheerleaders were very popular.


90 posted on 06/22/2005 6:08:15 AM PDT by Conspiracy Guy (Warning.... Contents under pressure....)
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To: SkyPilot
Actually, the U-2 fleet underwent a major upgrade in the last few years where the original engines were replaced by a modified version of the non-afterburning General Electric F118 engine, the same engine used on the B-2 Spirit bomber.

But the plane is very tricky to fly--you take off and land on very narrow-track bicycle landing gears. One wrong move and disaster results, to say the least.

91 posted on 06/22/2005 6:09:05 AM PDT by RayChuang88
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To: RayChuang88

I have flown sailplanes but sailplanes have better visibility in landing mode. U-2 pilots have poor downward vis and the landing profile is very unforgiving. It takes a brave highly skilled pilot to strap a U-2 on.

I'll stick to sailplanes, tricycle gear, floatplanes, amphibs, and taildraggers. Because that is all I'm rated for.


92 posted on 06/22/2005 6:15:06 AM PDT by Conspiracy Guy (Warning.... Contents under pressure....)
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To: montag813
"If this plane is in China..."

Since the article says; "...the plane crashed on landing at Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates, its home base."

Why would you think it was in China?
93 posted on 06/22/2005 6:15:34 AM PDT by monday
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To: Conspiracy Guy
Our cheerleaders were very popular.

Our cheerleaders were poplars.


94 posted on 06/22/2005 6:20:05 AM PDT by Lazamataz (The Republican Party is the France of politics.)
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To: Prince Caspian
" Far from some tough, warrior type personality, he was exceptionally professional, thoughtful, careful, deliberate, and thorough"

Those airplanes cost millions of dollars. It would be idiotic to put them in the hands of emotional gung ho types.
95 posted on 06/22/2005 6:21:54 AM PDT by monday
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To: Conspiracy Guy
People tell me I'm angry.

I tell 'em to f&$* off.

96 posted on 06/22/2005 6:30:05 AM PDT by Lazamataz (The Republican Party is the France of politics.)
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To: kristinn

AP now reports the pilot of the U2 was killed.


97 posted on 06/22/2005 6:32:08 AM PDT by Dog Gone
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To: Petronski

Same here. I was thinking, "is it the 50th anniversary of the Powers-U2 incident already?"


98 posted on 06/22/2005 6:39:04 AM PDT by Bogey78O (*tagline removed per request*)
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To: Lazamataz

Not very lively unless the wind is blowing


99 posted on 06/22/2005 6:44:24 AM PDT by Conspiracy Guy (Warning.... Contents under pressure....)
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To: Lazamataz

Good policy.


100 posted on 06/22/2005 6:44:52 AM PDT by Conspiracy Guy (Warning.... Contents under pressure....)
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