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Lockheed U-2 “Dragon Lady” Takeoffs and Landings
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View Reddit by pandab34r – View Source
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Lockheed U-2 “Dragon Lady” Takeoffs and Landings
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View Reddit by pandab34r – View Source
NICE. Damn that’s some serious lift. Like even nose-down. Like the B-52.
Aww, I wanted to see the guys do the teeter-totter thing to put the outriggers back in.
The Lockheed U-2 is unique in that a spotter in a chase car (typically another U-2 pilot) needs to assist with the landing. Due to the plane’s unusual configuration optimized for very high-altitude flight, the only way to land it is to actually force a stall, but the pilot has poor ground visibility from the cockpit. The spotter reports the altitude and attitude to the pilot, and at about 2 feet above the runway the pilot initiates a stall in order to land. This procedure, together with the unique bicycle landing gear, poor visibility from the cockpit, and the bulky pressure suits that the pilots have to wear, contributes to this plane being widely regarded as one of, if not the, most difficult to fly and land.
Ignorant question, what is the purpose of these planes? Do they drop bombs?
A U2 pilot in an aviation subreddit a while back said this is the coolest job for the first two flights. Afterward you have to get used to pissing yourself daily.
Heres an ama from some pilots: https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/3o066k/iama_u2_dragon_lady_pilot_ama/
At 70,000 feet the U2 only flies around 5 knots faster than the stall speed, which is also 5 knots under the never exceed speed. Very slim margins when flying at that altitude
I visited Beale AFB for about 2 weeks seeing a good friend and saw a few Take offs and landings (We were going to do a ride along with the chase car during a landing but scheduling didnt work out, sad panda) I have been fascinated with these planes since meeting that friend, and getting to go hang out with my buddy from HS and see these + many other planes is a amazing memory I will also remember fondly.
Beal was also the first place I visited where I got my car bomb searched by scary military people and a huge German Shepard. The only part I was irked about was it was raining, PLUS I had just bought the car from a friend and was suddenly VERY WORRIED that there would be pot somewhere in the car.
I also learned throughout that friendship that Pilots have a “Air” about them… His dad was so cool but also terrifying, His father also seemed to enjoy making me uncomfortable… He was a terrifying little man.
When I was deployed I worked with these, briefly.
I work on the maintenance support equipment for aircraft and we had an air conditioner for the U2 break. We troubleshot it to the compressor. So we ordered one to get here asap. It came in this giant ass wooden box that looked old as hell. We cracked it open and there was a bunch of old newspapers from the 70’s around it and it was soaked in this preservative gooey shit. We installed it, ops checked it and of course it didn’t work bc it sat in a fucking warehouse for 60 years.
And it outlasted the plane built to replace it.
The plane has been flying since 1957
Everything’s fun and games until you live on base and they’re doing engine runs when you’re trying to fucking sleep.
The U-2 is a super cool plane. James May (from Top Gear/Grand Tour etc) did a documentary on the U-2 where he had the chance to fly in one to the top of the stratosphere. Definitely worth checking it out if youre a James May / aviation fan.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ulCHpn9pkY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ulCHpn9pkY)
[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1495812/](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1495812/)
If drive Audi at WOT when plans land was in recruitment material I would have signed up for the air force.
Is there a reason Vin Diesel is living his life a quarter mile at a time behind the plane constantly?
So the little wing supports fall off at take off, does it tip over when it finally stops after landing since it doesn’t have landing gear on the wings?