BeechTalk - BT - U-2 "Spy Plane" Still in Use

Username Protected · **Posted:** 29 Jan 2012, 07:33

"Wars have come and gone. But for more than half a century, the CIA and U.S. military have relied on a skinny sinister-looking black jet to go deep behind enemy lines for vital intelligence-gathering missions."

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-0 ... rack=icymi

"The fleet of 33 spycraft was supposed to be replaced in the next few years with RQ-4 Global Hawks, the high-tech drones that have been part of the Air Force since 2001. But this week the Pentagon proposed delaying the U-2's retirement as part of Defense Department cutbacks."

That's a mighty long lifespan. Francis Gary Powers was shot down in 1960.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 29 Jan 2012, 08:01

The last taildragger in the military arsenal...

Username Protected · **Posted:** 29 Jan 2012, 08:40

"Northrop lashed out at this week's Pentagon plan, saying the U-2 needs to be replaced. In a statement, the company said the U-2 "places pilots in danger, has limited flight duration and provides limited sensor capacity."

.......and we have the answer to those concerns at only $167MM per copy.

I had a chance to see NASA's test bed U-2 up close and personal last Summer. I had no idea there was a whole flock of them still flying around :doh:

.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 29 Jan 2012, 10:32

Back in the early 60's, the public could enter Patrick AFB and drive parallel to the Ocean highway. Patrick is just a couple of miles south of Cape Canaveral. There was a large single hangar that sat right on the road. We saw a strange black plane being brought to the hangar and put away. From the time it landed, until it was behind closed doors was a minute or so. Later we found out, it was a U2 that flew over Cuba. Pretty cool to witness part of history.
BTW, that hangar was still there a few years ago, but the public is not allowed to drive along they road now. Times are different!

Username Protected · **Posted:** 29 Jan 2012, 12:40

Both the drones and the U2s are flown out of Beale AFB about 30 miles from where I'm sitting. Used to see the U2s all the time and at one time, flew pretty close to one as it was making its big final approach. It is very eery to do that because you just feel like you must be doing something wrong. Used to be SR71s out there too..... As a kid, we would go out to the Beale Air Show and watch the blackbird take off, then fly over and then a few minutes later the announcer would say that he is just turning around..........over Salt Lake..... or something to that effect.

There is a perpetual TFR over Beale.... mainly for the drones. But they are pretty cool folks over there.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 29 Jan 2012, 12:47

Learned to fly at Ellington Field. Home of Nasa's T38s G1's G2's Super Guppy and U2's. The U2's were simply amazing to watch takeoff climb out and land......I never heard any complaints from any of the pilots that flew them...Sure a new 58 Baron would be nice but my 66 55C will do the same thing and I can burn a ton of gas for what it could cost me to sale my bird and buy a new one....