U2 departed Fairford

[Nuclearsquash]

Doubt it's of a lot of interest, but i thought i'd post anyway.

I work in a village on the flight path of fairford, for anything approaching from/departing out to the west. I heard a real racket as i was walking out of the office, and assumed it was probably a fast jet of some sort, only to see a U2 making his way rapidly out of Fairford.

Really fantastic sound and a great rate of climb. I knew they occasionally operated out of Fairford, but never thought i'd see one. Looked great in its sinister black, vast wing span. Made my day

Andy

[M-J-B]

I was really excited for a moment as I thought that stupid boring Irish band had finally fked off......

Still seeing a U2 for real would be better than seeing U2 for real

[Lefty Guns]

Great rate of climb? I thought they were as slow as hell...

[FourWheelDrift]

Lefty Guns said:

Great rate of climb? I thought they were as slow as hell...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dv01hv64mis 2008 take off from Fairford.

15000ft/min to around 25000ft then slower rate up to operating altitude.

[Nuclearsquash]

not from where i was stood. Now granted it was no lightning or F-15 etc, but it ascended pretty rapidly, final throttling back above the clouds here in South Gloucestershire.

I wonder where he was off to?

Apologies to those who thought U2 the band had left the country

[Eric Mc]

Hmm - esxpect the CIA to be knocking on your front door. The next US military aircraft you see might be an all white Grumman Gulfstream.

[Nuclearsquash]

Erk - i might get extradited (sp) like that hacker chap.... honest guv I'm just a plane spotter that happens to work near Fairford!

Hi CIA guys , any chance of a free flight in the U2 like our friend Mr May?

[RDE]

I, or someone I know or met once, may or may not have seen one or some U2s taking off from an overseas RAF base a few years ago. I will also be seeing U2 in about three weeks time.

[Nuclearsquash]

Interesting addendum to this here:

http://fightercontrol.forumotion.com/raf-fairford-...

seems said U2 has hydraulic problems with the speed brakes, and is a little miffed he wasn't told something on the ground!

Edited by Nuclearsquash on Friday 31st July 14:08

[Moose.]

To avoid confusion you should have said U-2 not U2

[toothrot]

Nuclearsquash said:

Doubt it's of a lot of interest, but i thought i'd post anyway.

I work in a village on the flight path of fairford, for anything approaching from/departing out to the west. I heard a real racket as i was walking out of the office, and assumed it was probably a fast jet of some sort, only to see a U2 making his way rapidly out of Fairford.

Really fantastic sound and a great rate of climb. I knew they occasionally operated out of Fairford, but never thought i'd see one. Looked great in its sinister black, vast wing span. Made my day

Andy

I used to work directly under the flightpath just behind the runway. Once they took off I thought it was crashign intot he building I got under my desk (like it would have helped!). Noise does not compute. I fair old pooped myself as did most of the office.

[speedtwelve]

Looks like you're not the only one who encountered the same U2:

http://www.pprune.org/military-aircrew/383077-reag...

[anonymous-user]

They do drop in every few months, usually 2-4 of them over a few days. I believe they swap the aircraft that are out East with new ones from Beale AFB. They usually depart early in the morning, before 8 am.

[andy_s]

Skunkworks. There should be a 'spotted' thread so the pilots can surf PH when they get back to see who spotted them. Or is that defeating the object of a spy plane...

'Was that you in the U-2 at 0915 up the M4?'
'Whose is the Black U-2 always parked outside Morrisons?'

Etc in similar vein.

[Man-At-Arms]

Pistonheads

espionage matters !