Thread: U2 Ride Along

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A friend sent me this link, reminding me how much I enjoyed it a few years back. If you've never seen it, the attached video is an amazing second seat ride in the U2 spy plane that was developed and first flown in 1955. The U-2 was built to go higher than any other aircraft. In fact today, more than 50 years since it went into production, the U-2 flies higher than any aircraft in the world with the exception of the space shuttle. It is flying more missions and longer missions than ever before — nearly 70 missions a month over Iraq and Afghanistan, an operational tempo that is unequaled in history. The pilots fly for 11 hours at a time, sometimes more than 11 hours up there alone. By flying so high, the U-2 has the capability of doing reconnaissance over a country without actually violating its airspace. It can look off to the side, peering 300 miles or more inside a country without actually flying over it. It can "see" in the dark and through clouds. It can also "hear," intercepting conversations 14 miles below. The U-2, an incredible piece of history and also a continuing and current piece of high technology! Enjoy the ride! Click the link below, and be sure your sound it turned on.
Breathtaking spy plane footage. [VIDEO]

And here's a link to a history of the U2:
Lockheed U-2 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Thanks Rog, dang good video!!!! A lot higher and faster then our old HH-3's ever got!!!!

yep, an a/c that I would have liked to flown, along with the SR71, which I know was faster and think it was considerably higher ceiling, brought about partially by Powers? getting shot down over russia when he had a flame out and had to descent for a re lite---He later was killed in a traffic copter flying for some LA news station--

Awesome video, flying that high they are just a couple knots under Vmax and just a couple of knots over stall speed. Talk about flying in a narrow window!

Makes my King Air time look like I spent it in a wagon.

Thanks for posting this!!!

The coffin corner that they refer to is common in all high altitude a/c----the higher you go the closer the 2 speeds get together---

Originally Posted by jerry clayton

yep, an a/c that I would have liked to flown, along with the SR71, which I know was faster and think it was considerably higher ceiling, brought about partially by Powers? getting shot down over russia when he had a flame out and had to descent for a re lite---He later was killed in a traffic copter flying for some LA news station--

Jerry, you're right about the Blackbird. It was the world's fastest and highest-flying operational manned aircraft throughout its career, setting an "absolute altitude record" of 85,069 feet (25,929 m) (several aircraft exceeded this altitude in zoom climbs but not in sustained flight). That same day the Blackbird set an absolute speed record of 1,905.81 knots (2,193.2 mph; 3,529.6 km/h). The last official flight of the SR71's was in 1997, I believe. What makes the U2 special is that the base 50's design is still in operation today, and it would be amazing to score a back seat ride in one, but not much chance of that.

I think there were only 5 made with the back seat( everything was lite,lite,lite or not there at all---

Flight envelope was very critacle with that plane--wings were straight instead of swept to enable the trim/cg to be constant--since it didn't have a flying/trimable horizontal stabalizor---I seem to remember that it had forward and reward film cannisters for balance

Also , the pilots were all one size!!!!!

Hey Jerry,would you happen to know Jim Renshcen ?

I don't remember the name--where is he from???

I spent 5 years at Beale AFB providing computer support for the SR-71 and to a lesser degree the U2/TR-1. It was one of the best assignments of my 24 year USAF career. We still live near Beale and I still see the U2s flying training missions. I am proud to be part of that unique team. IMO the SR-71 was retired because advances in communication made it predictable. As fast as it was, it could be seen coming and the target could hide for a few minutes. The SR had limited linger time, once it flew past, operations could continue. The U2 can hang around for hours and now can send down real time information. Eventually it may be replaced by drones, but in the mean time, the Dragon Lady lives.

Pat

Sort of same thing with sats---they know when and how long between them---sr71 was revived in gulf war 90s for quicker info to the commanders instead of the sat info thru all the channels ----u2 and drones that can spend hours in the area and send down live info to battlefield commanders--Hot air balloons?????????

Jerry,He's from around St.Louis.Just thought you might know him. He was a Nam veteran fighter pilot,airline pilot,and was the Commander of Mo.Air National Gaurd. @ Lambert.

Nope, don't think I ever came across him---Altho I grew up between Stl and Springfield Il I left that area in 61 for ORD---was in Army prior to Nam(63-65) and only flew after I was in Army--Did it the hard way-- paid for my own flight training and GI bill didn't do flight training until years later, I worked ot when it was -20* for money---If he was Stl area he was probably Ozark or TWA pilot--If you know him you might ask if he's ever run across me as I'd bet we probably know some of the same people---My whole new hire class was full of fighter jocks except for me and one other guy who was a doctor so military wouldn't let him fly