U-2 crash

[MartG]

Report of a 2 seat U-2 crash - unfortunately one pilot was killed

https://frontlinevideos.com/blogs/videos/news-live...

[carreauchompeur]

bks, I thought Bono might have been involved.

[ChemicalChaos]

Both pilots were filmed parachuting down, so I wonder what went wrong

I wonder what stuffed the plane too.. Then again doesn't it have a ridiculously narrow flight envelope for controllability?

Interestingly, I'm led to believe that the USAF only has (had) the one 2-seater.
Given the U2 is retiring in a few years, I wonder if they'll bother building another, or just refrain from training any new pilots?

[5ohmustang]

Rest in peace. Aim high, fly-fight, win.

[Lurking Lawyer]

ChemicalChaos said:

Interestingly, I'm led to believe that the USAF only has (had) the one 2-seater.

I'm sure I read somewhere in the coverage yesterday that there are (or at least were) 5 2-seaters worldwide.

If the USAF only has one, it's a fair bet that NASA has at least some of the others.

[Vitorio]

Wow, those things still fly? Somehow i'd thought they'd all been replaced by satellites/drones/blackbirds (which themselves probably have been replaced)

[Eric Mc]

U2s are still active. They will be replaced by drones - eventually.

Satellites are very limited in what they can do so are not always the best method of taking aerial images.

[paul_y3k]

If anyone wants to see a U2 up close, landing / taking off, then take a trip to RAF Fairford, Glos. They normally rotate in / out every 6 weeks or so.

[TCEvo]

Sad news, RIP.

Read an interesting USAF pilots biog recently that included his time flying the U2 (plus other kit in the '70's & '80's) recently: "Sky Spy, Memoirs of a U-2 Pilot" by Jim Carter. It was a Kindle download on Amazon if anyone's interested.

[itwasntandy]

Vitorio said:

Wow, those things still fly? Somehow i'd thought they'd all been replaced by satellites/drones/blackbirds (which themselves probably have been replaced)

The U2-S which are used now were mostly built in the 80s, so not that old. they're quite a bit bigger, than the original.

[djc206]

I talk to them at work fairly regularly so it's sad to hear this.

I don't know much about them but I do know this, even at 60,000ft+ the radio is as clear as day.

[BristolRich]

paul_y3k said:

If anyone wants to see a U2 up close, landing / taking off, then take a trip to RAF Fairford, Glos. They normally rotate in / out every 6 weeks or so.

View from inside one of the Pontiac G8 chase cars...

https://youtu.be/hP7NVQ0vNl8

[williamp]

djc206 said:

I talk to them at work fairly regularly so it's sad to hear this.

I don't know much about them but I do know this, even at 60,000ft+ the radio is as clear as day.

well, 60,000ft is less then 12 miles, and its straight up with nothing in the way, rather then sideways over buildings, hills etc. Its not far at all when you think about it...

[Martin43]

TCEvo said:

Sad news, RIP.

Read an interesting USAF pilots biog recently that included his time flying the U2 (plus other kit in the '70's & '80's) recently: "Sky Spy, Memoirs of a U-2 Pilot" by Jim Carter. It was a Kindle download on Amazon if anyone's interested.

This book a side, does anyone know of any other U2 books written by pilots detailing their experiences?

[z06tim]

I have a copy of this, picked up 2nd hand from Hay-on-Wye. Mine's a different edition to that in the link, from 2008 i believe. Not read it yet, so can't review it for you, however it looks farly comprehensive at 500 pages.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Remembering-Dragon-Lady-M...

[TCEvo]

z06tim said:

I have a copy of this, picked up 2nd hand from Hay-on-Wye. Mine's a different edition to that in the link, from 2008 i believe. Not read it yet, so can't review it for you, however it looks farly comprehensive at 500 pages.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Remembering-Dragon-Lady-M...

Hadn't come across that one, thanks - expensive though, £15 as a download.