4 ms·
Difficult to get it back on the ground without killing yourself too - to the point that the backup pilot drives behind at ~140mph, calling out helpful informati
by tolien 6y ago
Difficult to get it back on the ground without killing yourself too - to the point that the backup pilot drives behind at ~140mph, calling out helpful information [1].
Saw a U-2 at an airshow and somehow I expected more. It had really badly damaged paint and just looked like some neglected museum exhibit that had been left outside too long.
1: https://jalopnik.com/the-140-mph-chase-cars-of-the-u-s-air-force-5537629 https://jalopnik.com/the-140-mph-chase-cars-of-the-u-s-air-f...
- meowster 6y agoI've seen a U-2 up-close in-person (it was actually one of NASA's versions). It looked pretty decent. It's pretty basic and bare-bones though: every pound saved off of it equals one foot higher that it can climb.
- blackrock 6y agoThey should get a lighter pilot.
- cornellwright 6y agoI saw a U-2 at an airshow (California Capitol Airshow at Mather) and it also looked beat up. I asked about it and they said that it's a working airplane, not some show piece. Basically it just had a lot of hours on it since it was last repainted.
- TigeriusKirk 6y agoThe trainer versions go in and out of Mather fairly often. I assume they're based at Beale AFB and just use Mather for short training hops.
- CalChris 6y agoMather AFB has been closed since 1993.
- TigeriusKirk 6y agoAt which point it became Sacramento Mather Airport, where the trainers fly in and out of from time to time.
- cornellwright 6y agoThe U2 I saw at Mather was based a Beale (as were the Air Force folks exhibiting it). They said the U2s get rotated in and out of service/training and that this unit had been all over the world.