@ACDCHighV0ltage Some of the guys in the U-2 program are from a navy background (Former f-14 and -18 guys), and will go back to the Navy after their stint with the U-2 is done.
@jtm11995 Forward momentum, until they slow down enough to fall over to one side. At this point the crew chiefs and avionics crew run out and put in the pogos (temporary wheels inserted in the wings). The crew has to use their body weight on one wing to bring the other wing up so that pogo can be put in. Then it taxi's back to the hanger.
@Stickman698 without forward momentum, there is no lift. A plane not moving doesn't have lift. And this plane falls over if its not moving, without pogos inserted.
@Stickman698 the original question was how does it keep balanced during landings. When forward motion (aka momentum) runs out, the plane falls on its side. That's all I was stating. When the plane is stopped, without pogo's, it falls over. This plane will not stay upright without pogo's in, that and to taxi are the sole reasons for their existence. I'm trying to avoid a technical/philosophical debate over the difference between motion and momentum. I was using it as a synonym.
@Stickman698 After reading this comment I think I understand where out miscommunication and confusion came from. You're talking about actual landing, I was referring to after touching down, during the taxi, but before pogo installation.
this plane looks indeed like a nightmare to land. but why ? it has a huge winspan, it is slow enough, it has power, flaps, windbreaks. looks like a large glider to me.
@arnaud1180 The issue is the huge wingspan and the single wheel it seems. It has a fucktonne of sideslip, and it has to be going arrow straight to not wingstrike
Dear Lockheed: I understand certain compromises have to be made when you're trying to get a plane to fly at 70000 feet, but COME ON. Landing gear is kind of an important thing to halfass guys.
@LegoCLONEfanatic That is just like glider, no guns, long wingls and 2 wheels, and these are easy to land. Dragon lady also has flaps and airbrakes so why it is so hard to land? Pilots are not pilots, they are "drivers" like AF 447 pilots, cant really fly the plane, automaticy...
@NiqiV The U2 is difficult to fly due to the altitude which it flew at. The air is so thin up there that to maintain alt they had to be at max speed (for many hours on a mission). The stall speed at that height was only 5-10kts under max speed; if he slowed even 5kts, he'd either loose alt and be detected, or he'd stall, loose altitude, and/or damage the plane. Try doing that for 8-10 hours! Landing is tough because the wings have so much lift, it "floats" in ground effect. (continued)
@NiqiV So, it resists getting close to the ground so the pilot has to get it down to the runway, without pushing the stick too hard, which could cause a sudden drop. He had to coax it to within a few feet of the runway, and then kill the lift. If he was too high, the plane was so fragile it'd be damaged by landing hard. To make things interesting, the pilot can't see behind or below him, even if he wasn't wearing a full p-suit. That's why they need a chase car. Anyway, it's not easy. At all.
@justforever96 Yea, i understand, but look like their main problem is landing with overspeed, they bounce and bounce and... That one in 02:07 is best one, stalled wing just few cm over groundlevel, gz guy.
@NiqiV Well, I didn't actually watch more than the first few moments, yet. Anyway, I'm not a pilot, but I've heard it said by many who are that the Dragon Lady is by far the trickeist plane to land. There is no room for error, which to those of us who've never tried it looks like guys making dumb mistakes. In reality, it's just hard to do, and with wind conditions and such, it's surprising that every U2 pilot hasn't crashed at least once (in fact, a relatively large percent do)
Video shot by Lt. Col. Stuart Broce. The last Fighter Pilot in American history to shoot down another aircraft in combat. He was an F-14 pilot during the gulf war,later became a U-2 pilot and retired in 2011 at the Beale airshow. what a career! He shot alot of the video you see in documentary too so thank him for it!
this must be a very wild bird but i suppose if you can tame her up the ride would be celestial but then coming down with her seems to be a super-anti-climax as well! to you guys pilots out there, not just U-2s, i salute ya
I could understand the bad landings if they were Navy. Those guys can't land in a cross wind. I understand the narrow flight envelope but high aspect ratio gliders don't seem to have that problem but then they don't flare.
People... this is hardest airplane to fly in the world... You have (in flight) to stay in within like a 20 mph window to avoid stalling the plane... it has only those two landing gears and it flops to one side when the plane has stopped (even when its done perfectly). Also, its an important plane. It came out in the 60s and even today (although we're not in the cold war) it is needed for recon, and even sattelite positioning... These guys are as good as they get. (thanks Wikipedia....)
@luiskablugenize wiki it. It was designed to fly at 70,000 ft. To do that it had to be very light and have massive wings like a glider. That was ok for high altitude flight, but gave it the crazy hard landings you see on this vid.
where are the statement of charges???....i had pay for web gear that was dropped somewhere over in northern iraq...these jet jock's need to pay for their lack of piloting skillz.
@MontagHeidi Every ounce of weight on the plane counts. Would you add weight to the plane if it meant you couldn't fly above Soviet radar or anti-aircraft missiles?
They have just not practiced enough on a simple, single geared glider (like Blanik is). Glider pilots learn how to handle this, in their very first flights....
@NuViss Difference is that you can control a glider while it is rolling on the ground with a speed of about 20kmh, and I doubt you can control this plane when it does about 100, and if one wing hits the ground with that speed, you will not be able to control it...
@energyalt56 The U-2 performs a different role to reconnaissance satellites. There's a common misconception that because two platforms can photograph the Earths surface, then they must do the same job. This is not so. The U-2 performs many different roles, and is far more flexible than space based assets. Foreign policy has no room for nostalgia. If it wasn't needed, it wouldn't be used. Simple as. The incidents you mentioned happened many decades ago. The U-2 no longer performs such overflights
I worked TR-1s 4 years in England and U-2S twice in Korea, plane was designed to fly in "Coffin Corner" at high altitude--any slower it would stall, any faster it would rip apart due to mach buffet.
Best Book on the U-2 I've seen is Lockheed U-2 - Aerograph 3, by Jay Miller, lots of good information and especially photos but no U-2S model info (published back in 1983, so no info after that)...book is a must have for any U-2 enthusiast!!
FYI the planes designer Clarence "Kelly" Johnson [designed the P-38, Super Constellation, F-104, C-130 and about 40 other aircraft you have heard of] was one of the greatest aircraft designers in history. The decision to go with the bicycle landing gear and drop-away "pogps" was entirely to save weight. At that altitude each pound of airframe weight saved translates into one additional foot of altitude - altitude being a primary design requirement.
FYI the plane's designer Clarence "Kelly" Johnson of Lockheed [designed the P-38, Super Constelation, F-104, C-130 and about 40 other aircraft you have heard of] was one of the greatest aircraft designers ever. The decision to go with the bicycle landing gear and the fall-away "pogos" was driven entirely as a weight saving matter. At 70,000+ft each pound of airframe weight you save translates to about another foot of possible altitude.
the thing is that when James May (from Top Gear BBC) first flew in the U2 Spy Plane he said that, when the plane landed, the car was there in order to tell the pilot if everything is in order. But, now i see that the car (with the special force police man) is there (in fact) to arrest the pilot if he crash lands la airship.
Great job all the way on this vidio. I worked the U-2 years ago and yes it is one more bitch to land. Some of the relics like me are on display now. The C model aircraft tail number 680 is on display at the smithsonian in DC. Tail number 716 is just inside the main gate at Davis Monthan AFB. In your vidio I may be wrong but I think the white U-2 was aircraft tail number 953 it was a CT model. The larger airframes were R models.
Wow, it's amazing that any of those planes are still airworthy after all that rough handling.
The pilots who flew them in & out of the town I grew up in must have been master pilots because they landed at night & we never heard any crashes. Yes, we lived close enough to the runway to have heard a crash.
I wonder what the cabin altitude is at when flying around 70,000 ft. I know the engine and structure of the aircraft have limits that don't allow a sea level pressure but I wonder what the pressure is equal to. Anyone?
@takenpictures Not the question. I know the physiology of high alt flight, hyper and hypobaric medicine etc..Just wondered what the cabin altitude would read around 70k (outside the pressure suit), with the pressurization already provided by the engine bleed air, to the operational limit of the cabin etc, etc...N.M. :)
@fabriciorechy Think about it, the Song completely matches the U-2. Watch it one more time. The U-2 is the hardest plane to land, "She Fucking Hates Me" cuz she is a bitch to land.
The U2 is essentially a huge glider landing on inline bicycle wheels.The only method for safely landing one is to literally stall it from precisely 3 feet AGL in level flight. There is zero room for error; a couple of feet too high or low or one wing tipping even slightly during the landing will cause a crash, as happened to these trainees in the video.
Because the pilot can't see, the purpose of the chase car is to call out the height above ground to the pilot so he knows when he's at 3 feet.
@tylerjg I'm not disagreeing with you, but what do you mean he can't see see? At :20, you can see the tarmac. Higher planes like 747s don't need pursuit cars to help with their landings.
@victorrain 747's also have more wheels so they don't have to focus on keeping the plane balanced after it touches the ground. U-2's can't just come straight in. their descent is much less steep than commercial planes. they are the hardest to land.
@guitarskater89 I'm not disagreeing with you. I understand about the wing, and the nose length. But how is the seat angled? And it seems like he can look to his side to gauge tarmac distance.
@victorrain when your in the seat with the suit it limits range of motion a bit and looking off to the side while moving all your flight control would be hard on a pilot (The flight controls are on a cable pulley system so it take a little bit to move them around )plus looking off to the left/right may mess with there orientation any cross wind and its game over for the inexperienced
Wanna bet U-2 pilots are damn good in bed! All that practice controlling a crazy bitch of a plane should equal a powerful flight to the utmost limits in the bedroom! Perfect choice of music!
Must be an UNHOLY BITCH to land. Especially after an 8 hour mission when the pilot is worn out. Don't envy them. They don't even get to enjoy the scenery.
I remember that a U2 was shot down over Soviet airspace and the pilot, Gary Powers, was imprisoned for some years before being exchanged. Very interesting video - thanks.
@Zethioth He seems to be walking alright if he's FUI, especially in a chunky suit like that... And honestly, why the Police? They have no juristiction over military personnel being out of line or doing restricted activities while on duty...
@Versudan It's not real lol, it was made funny. That was Military Police. Security Forces. My sisters job in the USAF is Security Forces, they are basically Police for USAF Bases. But, they aren't over any Enlisted, they are their to keep peace, and make arrests if needed.
@Zethioth lol, I don't know much about my own country's military either other than I probably shouldn't ever be in it. <_<
And thanks. Nah, I didn't make it up. It's the name of a fictional species from an old space flight/military combat sim series called Freespace. Really good game, and Freespace 2 is now freeware, so it's completely legal to download :3 Plenty of videos on Youtube from the games if you want to go and look them up.
She F***in hates me! - The lyrics seemed quite appropriate given the thrashing the dragon lady was giving these poor pilots! I really loved the shot of the outboard wheel falling off.
I was surprized to learn that during the earlier version of the U2, around the late 50's that the camera's used onboard were so intense. That at 60,000 feet AGL, the camera had a viewing of 2.5 feet. That is a hell of a lens and camera. Thats spotting an ant on a football field crawling in the grass at a100 yards away. These guys sure like living on the edge.
@luvin2fly Maybe more than people realize. You fly for hours and hours and hours, then have to look forward to a landing like this one when you are fatigued and ready to go home. On top of that, they flew within a couple knots of both max speed and stall speed at the highest altitude that the plane could go.
I'm not sure of the case now. But the earlier U2 pilots had to resign from their commission due to the U2's were operating under the CIA. So in order to keep things in order, these pilots were flying over airspace not giving permission to do so by other foreign govt. So the CIA handle this. Very interesting program of spying I must say. Cuba has on display on of the engine from a U2 shot down in the 60's on display in Havana. Oh the secrets that this pilots must know.
The US is trying to close out this aircraft. It is set for the chopping block in 2012 if members of the House has their way. But he USAF is fighting to keep this program alive. Many feel that UAV's are the future. and some say that the F22 Raptor was the last of the manned fighters. UAV's have their place, but you will always need a human at some point looking on the horizon making the call. The eyes in space can go down at any point, so we will need these pilots flying..
The pilot must be on 100% O2 before and druing the flight. to keep from getting the bends from such an high allittude. Thsi aircraft at such an high allitude has such a higher Stall Rate when at the 70,000 AGL the there is only a very thin line of diasater. You are flying by the seat of your pants with this aircraft. In this video the pilot has his hands full when landing. This aircraft is not easy to land. It was made for the skies and not for the ground.
Isn't the plane at 1:36 taking off? (or at least trying to take off?) Because I thought the pogos are supposed to fall off immediately after takeoff...
lol 2:17 those guys out there dong donuts on the runway, such a beautiful plane shouldn't have to deal with such awful landings, someone give this plane some proper legs
so how the heck do i get a chase car ride?!?!?!?! i have lived next to Beale my whole damn life and my rides either get canceled or somebody i know will come up to me and tell me "Guess what i got to do last weekend?" and they didn't bother to call me!!!??? all my other friends have gotten them but me! ill ask people tied to the program and they wont even give me the time of the day as if "It was the wrong question to ask them" or something What is wrong with asking that!? I just want a ride!
I worked on the U2's back in the 70's, before they were transferred to Calif. One of the problems us pukes noticed, is that the AF kept trying to train fighter jocks to fly these. They would have been better off getting a tanker or bomber pilot to do the job. The white 2-seater was modified from a single-seater after a trainee decided to land with his gear up. Back then, the videographer would have been arrested.
Lands better with the gear up !!!!
izzysure 1 week ago
Typical Air Force. Now, if those had been Naval Aviators, it would have been a different story!
ACDCHighV0ltage 2 weeks ago
@ACDCHighV0ltage Some of the guys in the U-2 program are from a navy background (Former f-14 and -18 guys), and will go back to the Navy after their stint with the U-2 is done.
tyfly867 1 week ago
Are these planes repaired after crashing?
trailextremist 1 month ago
how do they keep balanced during landings?
jtm11995 1 month ago
@jtm11995 Forward momentum, until they slow down enough to fall over to one side. At this point the crew chiefs and avionics crew run out and put in the pogos (temporary wheels inserted in the wings). The crew has to use their body weight on one wing to bring the other wing up so that pogo can be put in. Then it taxi's back to the hanger.
ashermerkabah 1 month ago
@ashermerkabah Actually it's just the lift from the wings being sufficient to stabilize it until it's lower than a certain airspeed.
Stickman698 3 weeks ago
@Stickman698 without forward momentum, there is no lift. A plane not moving doesn't have lift. And this plane falls over if its not moving, without pogos inserted.
ashermerkabah 3 weeks ago
@ashermerkabah It does NOT land on momentum. It lands on jet engine power.
And I know that a plane not moving generates no lift [other than a few exceptions].
But it uses the LIFT, generated by the forward MOTION, NOT MOMENTUM to balance.
Stickman698 3 weeks ago
@Stickman698 the original question was how does it keep balanced during landings. When forward motion (aka momentum) runs out, the plane falls on its side. That's all I was stating. When the plane is stopped, without pogo's, it falls over. This plane will not stay upright without pogo's in, that and to taxi are the sole reasons for their existence. I'm trying to avoid a technical/philosophical debate over the difference between motion and momentum. I was using it as a synonym.
ashermerkabah 3 weeks ago
@Stickman698 After reading this comment I think I understand where out miscommunication and confusion came from. You're talking about actual landing, I was referring to after touching down, during the taxi, but before pogo installation.
ashermerkabah 3 weeks ago
why make a plane thts almost impossible to land???
Drspank89 1 month ago
@Drspank89 thats exactly what I was thinking
GreezMode 1 month ago
This is like flying a big glider!
fartinthewind13 3 months ago
This dessign is a collossal piece of crap.
cowboy6591 3 months ago
song?
mongdex 3 months ago
2:17 lol the car spun out
rossesc 4 months ago
What a beautiful toy!
Gianfiorenza 4 months ago
Let's hear it for the last taildragger pilots in the U.S. military!
jaclardy 5 months ago
this plane looks indeed like a nightmare to land. but why ? it has a huge winspan, it is slow enough, it has power, flaps, windbreaks. looks like a large glider to me.
arnaud1180 5 months ago
@arnaud1180 The issue is the huge wingspan and the single wheel it seems. It has a fucktonne of sideslip, and it has to be going arrow straight to not wingstrike
samuszoomer 5 months ago
1:23 That's how I land my E-flite apprentice!
fartinthewind13 5 months ago
Dear Lockheed: I understand certain compromises have to be made when you're trying to get a plane to fly at 70000 feet, but COME ON. Landing gear is kind of an important thing to halfass guys.
EATABAGOFHELL 5 months ago
Why are there so many landing mistakes with this aircraft ?
TheFlightLog 6 months ago
@TheFlightLog Maybe because of the long wings and 2 tiny wheels and no guns.
LegoCLONEfanatic 4 months ago
@LegoCLONEfanatic That is just like glider, no guns, long wingls and 2 wheels, and these are easy to land. Dragon lady also has flaps and airbrakes so why it is so hard to land? Pilots are not pilots, they are "drivers" like AF 447 pilots, cant really fly the plane, automaticy...
NiqiV 3 months ago
@NiqiV The U2 is difficult to fly due to the altitude which it flew at. The air is so thin up there that to maintain alt they had to be at max speed (for many hours on a mission). The stall speed at that height was only 5-10kts under max speed; if he slowed even 5kts, he'd either loose alt and be detected, or he'd stall, loose altitude, and/or damage the plane. Try doing that for 8-10 hours! Landing is tough because the wings have so much lift, it "floats" in ground effect. (continued)
justforever96 2 months ago in playlist Aviation
@NiqiV So, it resists getting close to the ground so the pilot has to get it down to the runway, without pushing the stick too hard, which could cause a sudden drop. He had to coax it to within a few feet of the runway, and then kill the lift. If he was too high, the plane was so fragile it'd be damaged by landing hard. To make things interesting, the pilot can't see behind or below him, even if he wasn't wearing a full p-suit. That's why they need a chase car. Anyway, it's not easy. At all.
justforever96 2 months ago in playlist Aviation
Comment removed
NiqiV 2 months ago
@justforever96 Yea, i understand, but look like their main problem is landing with overspeed, they bounce and bounce and... That one in 02:07 is best one, stalled wing just few cm over groundlevel, gz guy.
NiqiV 2 months ago
@NiqiV Well, I didn't actually watch more than the first few moments, yet. Anyway, I'm not a pilot, but I've heard it said by many who are that the Dragon Lady is by far the trickeist plane to land. There is no room for error, which to those of us who've never tried it looks like guys making dumb mistakes. In reality, it's just hard to do, and with wind conditions and such, it's surprising that every U2 pilot hasn't crashed at least once (in fact, a relatively large percent do)
justforever96 2 months ago
Built LockHeed tough!
indyjons321 6 months ago
"The U-2 Dragon Lady is the most difficult plane to land in the world."
That is because it is like trying to land a feather. Lol!
EMT308 6 months ago
Col. Broce couldn't have been an US Navy F-14 Tomcat pilot in the Gulf War. He was more likely a US Air Force F-15 Eagle pilot.
ChamplainDivision 6 months ago
Great video.. But why was the pilot searched at the end..?
aidler2 7 months ago
So U2's are flown only by major and above ?
hundiraisk 7 months ago
@hundiraisk No. There are Capt's that can pilot them as well.
Atlink 7 months ago
@Atlink exeptions always stronghten the facts ? :)
hundiraisk 6 months ago
i was thinking the opposite
weasele1 7 months ago
i was thinking the oppossite
weasele1 7 months ago
the plane escapes like duck before hunter..
shr70 7 months ago
Video shot by Lt. Col. Stuart Broce. The last Fighter Pilot in American history to shoot down another aircraft in combat. He was an F-14 pilot during the gulf war,later became a U-2 pilot and retired in 2011 at the Beale airshow. what a career! He shot alot of the video you see in documentary too so thank him for it!
ExploreDestination 7 months ago 2
2:14
That is certainly not gonna make it easier to land!
RCvehicleGuy 7 months ago
Gotta love the pilots xD
BernasLL 7 months ago
Amazing stuff to watch. I never knew a U2 was so hard to land
FooManAU 8 months ago
The guys flying the dragon lady are bad-ass!
MGCairtraffic 8 months ago
The U-2 seems like its pretty durable.
copperbeech1 9 months ago
@copperbeech1 It was strong but big reason it didn't fall apart is because its light and made with same strong metal others planes are made of.
USMANchampNO1 8 months ago
Why they arrested him? What they arrested him because he had the speed limited?
moshebaran10 9 months ago
oh i love my A/C U-2 baby...ECM Rules~
djnonstp 9 months ago
@MontagHeidi When one pound equals and extra 50 feet, they make sacrifices. All of this for the Cold War. Ai.
Zethioth 9 months ago
this must be a very wild bird but i suppose if you can tame her up the ride would be celestial but then coming down with her seems to be a super-anti-climax as well! to you guys pilots out there, not just U-2s, i salute ya
rinsedpie 9 months ago
don't pilot and drift its again the law!! lol!!
Akinyamok 9 months ago
Hey, can you make this so it can play on iPhone? Thx! Great vid by the way
AceMaker33 10 months ago
destroying a piece of tax dollar equipment like that, your ass should be arrested! Thanks Hawk, for the show!
sonebezi 10 months ago
Whats the worst part about reading Stuff magazine while jammin to Puddle of Mud flying in the most retarded plane named after the most retarded band?
Telling your mother you are gay,
And that you changed your name to Gloria.
Lloydlicious 10 months ago
@Lloydlicious I realize bono may seem old to you, but I believe the band came along somewhere, oh I don't know, 30 YEARS AFTER the plane!!!!!!!!!
MegaHondabob 5 months ago
@MegaHondabob
Cool story bob, almost as dry as this NaCl im licking.
My Gloria comment is just way too above you.
Lloydlicious 4 months ago
Drunk pilot... 8-)
B4airport 10 months ago
I could understand the bad landings if they were Navy. Those guys can't land in a cross wind. I understand the narrow flight envelope but high aspect ratio gliders don't seem to have that problem but then they don't flare.
Eugensdiet 10 months ago
What a crazy bird!
UnkleSi 10 months ago
People... this is hardest airplane to fly in the world... You have (in flight) to stay in within like a 20 mph window to avoid stalling the plane... it has only those two landing gears and it flops to one side when the plane has stopped (even when its done perfectly). Also, its an important plane. It came out in the 60s and even today (although we're not in the cold war) it is needed for recon, and even sattelite positioning... These guys are as good as they get. (thanks Wikipedia....)
admx94 10 months ago
why did they make that plane like that???
luiskablugenize 10 months ago
@luiskablugenize wiki it. It was designed to fly at 70,000 ft. To do that it had to be very light and have massive wings like a glider. That was ok for high altitude flight, but gave it the crazy hard landings you see on this vid.
UnkleSi 10 months ago
where are the statement of charges???....i had pay for web gear that was dropped somewhere over in northern iraq...these jet jock's need to pay for their lack of piloting skillz.
jjjazzycraig 11 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
WAS HE ARRESTED AT THE END OR WHAT?
bibbi18118 11 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
WAS HE ARRESTED AT THE END OR WHAT?
bibbi18118 11 months ago
WAS HE ARRESTED AT THE END OR WHAT?
bibbi18118 11 months ago
@bibbi18118
I have the same question
kraczek 10 months ago
If I was flying that plane, that's what it would look like.
TheFunkadelicFan 11 months ago
A very close family friend used to fly U-2s for the USAF (I have no idea what he flies now)... easily the most badass person I've ever met.
FalloutRadius 11 months ago
@MontagHeidi Every ounce of weight on the plane counts. Would you add weight to the plane if it meant you couldn't fly above Soviet radar or anti-aircraft missiles?
psugeog11 11 months ago
What's the point of building something the big and ugly if all its good for is drifting... Thought that's what Nissan Silvia's were made for...
175myles 11 months ago
They have just not practiced enough on a simple, single geared glider (like Blanik is). Glider pilots learn how to handle this, in their very first flights....
NuViss 1 year ago
@NuViss Difference is that you can control a glider while it is rolling on the ground with a speed of about 20kmh, and I doubt you can control this plane when it does about 100, and if one wing hits the ground with that speed, you will not be able to control it...
Arnogorter 11 months ago
Beale is the best!
PhatFarm60 1 year ago
3:12 WTF? Is that just a joke?
RoboTekno 1 year ago
I like how they're almost expected to crash the plane and have a good laugh about the guy crashing at the end by pretending to arrest him.
Gidien2000 1 year ago
1:30 Nice Drifting Man!!!
trick0077 1 year ago 15
U-2 is outdated, newer U2 station in Japan, its waste money, sat can do better job.
Russian shot down two, Chinese shot down six, one is american pilot, rest 5 poor fellow were Taiwanese pilots
cz its danger to fly into China, so they gave to Taiwan
Chinese use J-6(old time Mig), they can't reach the height,developed a new verticle back flip fly method with AIM to shot down all there U-2s
U.S need to stop all this nonsense provocative, stupid act in peace time
energyalt56 2 months ago
@energyalt56 The U-2 performs a different role to reconnaissance satellites. There's a common misconception that because two platforms can photograph the Earths surface, then they must do the same job. This is not so. The U-2 performs many different roles, and is far more flexible than space based assets. Foreign policy has no room for nostalgia. If it wasn't needed, it wouldn't be used. Simple as. The incidents you mentioned happened many decades ago. The U-2 no longer performs such overflights
stevel666 1 month ago
or spy plane's in the air!
XxtekiexX 1 year ago
why did they arrested him?
krystx 1 year ago
@krystx Yah i was wondering that myself
XxtekiexX 1 year ago
@krystx I'm wondering the same, but probably he was joyriding?
PHeMoX 1 year ago
@PHeMoX the last part is a joke
trick0077 1 year ago
@krystx joke for crashing the plane
trick0077 1 year ago
@krystx It's a JOKE. If the pilot had been driving a car that way, he would probably have been arrested for suspicion of driving while intoxicated.
upajos 1 year ago
гггггг ай молодцы!
COBECTb1976 1 year ago
This is just one more of the reasons the U.S. pretty much KICKS ASS!!
fzappa007 1 year ago
0:33 lol!
johnsonx33x 1 year ago
is that a fuckin glider?
MrSupersam14 1 year ago
10 people just...don't....get it.
jaclardy 1 year ago
@jaclardy no shit jac..............right???
fzappa007 1 year ago
What tasteless music!
poetrymischief 1 year ago
Great video and song to go with it!
I worked TR-1s 4 years in England and U-2S twice in Korea, plane was designed to fly in "Coffin Corner" at high altitude--any slower it would stall, any faster it would rip apart due to mach buffet.
Best Book on the U-2 I've seen is Lockheed U-2 - Aerograph 3, by Jay Miller, lots of good information and especially photos but no U-2S model info (published back in 1983, so no info after that)...book is a must have for any U-2 enthusiast!!
cubano63 1 year ago
so why'd he get arrested?
MrJoshbl 1 year ago
Comment removed
EftelFan 1 year ago
@MrJoshbl I think it was it was a joke for the video.
Zethioth 1 year ago
AKullg4r
FYI the planes designer Clarence "Kelly" Johnson [designed the P-38, Super Constellation, F-104, C-130 and about 40 other aircraft you have heard of] was one of the greatest aircraft designers in history. The decision to go with the bicycle landing gear and drop-away "pogps" was entirely to save weight. At that altitude each pound of airframe weight saved translates into one additional foot of altitude - altitude being a primary design requirement.
visinthewise 1 year ago
@Kullg4r
FYI the plane's designer Clarence "Kelly" Johnson of Lockheed [designed the P-38, Super Constelation, F-104, C-130 and about 40 other aircraft you have heard of] was one of the greatest aircraft designers ever. The decision to go with the bicycle landing gear and the fall-away "pogos" was driven entirely as a weight saving matter. At 70,000+ft each pound of airframe weight you save translates to about another foot of possible altitude.
visinthewise 1 year ago
Yep, she sure is a bitch!
xXDJMEDIAXx 1 year ago
The song does actually fit the video since ''the dragon lady'' seems to not be easy to fly
Ramster211 1 year ago
what a bitch!
amnesiai 1 year ago
Maybe needs training wheels on the wingtips?
nameofthepen 1 year ago
he got arrested?
shit.
born4computer 1 year ago
sound: off
Joeey 1 year ago
Who's idea was it to replace the U2's landing gears with bicycle wheels?
Kullg4r 1 year ago
@Kullg4r It has a good reason... Just can't remember...
Zethioth 1 year ago
the thing is that when James May (from Top Gear BBC) first flew in the U2 Spy Plane he said that, when the plane landed, the car was there in order to tell the pilot if everything is in order. But, now i see that the car (with the special force police man) is there (in fact) to arrest the pilot if he crash lands la airship.
Well that's gotta put some pressure on him :))
JoRj0015 1 year ago
6 people landed one of the U2's in this video
ryan0157 1 year ago
Very good humor! The music just fits the story very well.
dslsynth 1 year ago
Comment removed
pelagic6 1 year ago
@pelagic6 I think it was originally designed that way because of weight.
stranded170 1 year ago
@pelagic6 Because the downfalls of the landing and crosswind sensitivity were overshadowed by the boost to performance.
For an "engineer," you're a fucking moron.
Buffwae 1 year ago
Comment removed
pelagic6 1 year ago
LOL @ the ending....
coryboy345 1 year ago
That must be a horrible craft to land in a crosswind. Hats off to U 2 and TR 1 pilots and support crew.
abdalabinladen 1 year ago 3
awesome plane, it`s more like a glider :)
rou162 1 year ago
Great job all the way on this vidio. I worked the U-2 years ago and yes it is one more bitch to land. Some of the relics like me are on display now. The C model aircraft tail number 680 is on display at the smithsonian in DC. Tail number 716 is just inside the main gate at Davis Monthan AFB. In your vidio I may be wrong but I think the white U-2 was aircraft tail number 953 it was a CT model. The larger airframes were R models.
soonerwest1 1 year ago
whats the matter? why the pilot under arrest?? thanks for the answers!
acolitosinfronteras 1 year ago
@acolitosinfronteras LoL for speeding I guess.... it's gotta be a joke dude
jbitar 1 year ago
Wow, it's amazing that any of those planes are still airworthy after all that rough handling.
The pilots who flew them in & out of the town I grew up in must have been master pilots because they landed at night & we never heard any crashes. Yes, we lived close enough to the runway to have heard a crash.
Much respect for those pilots!
deezynar 1 year ago
I wonder what the cabin altitude is at when flying around 70,000 ft. I know the engine and structure of the aircraft have limits that don't allow a sea level pressure but I wonder what the pressure is equal to. Anyone?
Chuckjagermeister 1 year ago
@Chuckjagermeister The pilots wear spacesuits, just like astronauts.
takenpictures 1 year ago
@takenpictures Not the question. I know the physiology of high alt flight, hyper and hypobaric medicine etc..Just wondered what the cabin altitude would read around 70k (outside the pressure suit), with the pressurization already provided by the engine bleed air, to the operational limit of the cabin etc, etc...N.M. :)
Chuckjagermeister 1 year ago
2:17 see the mobile spinning out behind the aircraft!!!!
1976GEME 1 year ago
Nice video, TERRIBLE music.
fabriciorechy 1 year ago
@fabriciorechy Think about it, the Song completely matches the U-2. Watch it one more time. The U-2 is the hardest plane to land, "She Fucking Hates Me" cuz she is a bitch to land.
Zethioth 1 year ago
2:47 lol, lands better with the gear up :D
FuriousVigor 1 year ago 27
@FuriousVigor gear falure, you cant pick when it happens, you can olny do your best to make sure that you walk away with a repairable aircraft
ryan0157 1 year ago
As bad as the music is, it does fit the way the Dragon Lady fly's and lands.
Postie218 1 year ago
The U2 is essentially a huge glider landing on inline bicycle wheels.The only method for safely landing one is to literally stall it from precisely 3 feet AGL in level flight. There is zero room for error; a couple of feet too high or low or one wing tipping even slightly during the landing will cause a crash, as happened to these trainees in the video.
Because the pilot can't see, the purpose of the chase car is to call out the height above ground to the pilot so he knows when he's at 3 feet.
Bullzeye95 1 year ago
What's that pursuit car supposed to do anyway? Jump out and help the pilot if he crashes?
victorrain 1 year ago
@victorrain tell the pilot how far away he is from the ground. the pilot can't see the ground from where he is sitting.
tylerjg 1 year ago
@tylerjg I'm not disagreeing with you, but what do you mean he can't see see? At :20, you can see the tarmac. Higher planes like 747s don't need pursuit cars to help with their landings.
victorrain 1 year ago
@victorrain 747's also have more wheels so they don't have to focus on keeping the plane balanced after it touches the ground. U-2's can't just come straight in. their descent is much less steep than commercial planes. they are the hardest to land.
tylerjg 1 year ago
@tylerjg Ah I see, so the pursuit car also has to tell the pilot if the wings are leaning too far one way or another?
victorrain 1 year ago
@victorrain Yup. :)
Zethioth 1 year ago
@victorrain the angle of his seat and the length of the nose makes it almost impossible to gauge how far the tarmac is plus that wing loves to fly
guitarskater89 1 year ago
@guitarskater89 I'm not disagreeing with you. I understand about the wing, and the nose length. But how is the seat angled? And it seems like he can look to his side to gauge tarmac distance.
victorrain 1 year ago
@victorrain when your in the seat with the suit it limits range of motion a bit and looking off to the side while moving all your flight control would be hard on a pilot (The flight controls are on a cable pulley system so it take a little bit to move them around )plus looking off to the left/right may mess with there orientation any cross wind and its game over for the inexperienced
guitarskater89 1 year ago
@guitarskater89
Notice the indicated airspeed at altitude. No need for boosted controls. 104 kts IAS.
clargay 1 year ago
0:32 fucking priceless :)
Khang112 1 year ago 3
why arent there wheels on this plane?
Hautamekki 1 year ago
Is the pilot getting arrested? If yes, why so?
casterofchaos 1 year ago
@casterofchaos no he's not, its a joke
refused215 1 year ago
Wanna bet U-2 pilots are damn good in bed! All that practice controlling a crazy bitch of a plane should equal a powerful flight to the utmost limits in the bedroom! Perfect choice of music!
hisrcowgirl 1 year ago 2
LOL the 'police'-cars tracking the plane :P haha it's goes everywhere but not straight
PowerblinQ 1 year ago
Must be an UNHOLY BITCH to land. Especially after an 8 hour mission when the pilot is worn out. Don't envy them. They don't even get to enjoy the scenery.
lostinspacelac 1 year ago
That music is perfect !
19thSFGA 1 year ago
Ohhh...
I love valzers!
k3lfnsN 1 year ago
I remember that a U2 was shot down over Soviet airspace and the pilot, Gary Powers, was imprisoned for some years before being exchanged. Very interesting video - thanks.
spada3man 1 year ago
No really... Why did the pilot get arrested at the end of it?
Versudan 1 year ago
@Versudan It's a funny video. My guess is FUI? Flying Under the Influence?
Zethioth 1 year ago
@Zethioth He seems to be walking alright if he's FUI, especially in a chunky suit like that... And honestly, why the Police? They have no juristiction over military personnel being out of line or doing restricted activities while on duty...
Versudan 1 year ago
@Versudan It's not real lol, it was made funny. That was Military Police. Security Forces. My sisters job in the USAF is Security Forces, they are basically Police for USAF Bases. But, they aren't over any Enlisted, they are their to keep peace, and make arrests if needed.
Zethioth 1 year ago
@Zethioth Oooh right, thanks for clearing that up for me. Sorry, I'm Aussie not American so I don't know all the nuances of your military hierachy :3
Versudan 1 year ago
@Versudan No problem. I don't know a thing about the Australian Military. :)
I like you Name, did you make it up or is it something?
Zethioth 1 year ago
@Zethioth lol, I don't know much about my own country's military either other than I probably shouldn't ever be in it. <_<
And thanks. Nah, I didn't make it up. It's the name of a fictional species from an old space flight/military combat sim series called Freespace. Really good game, and Freespace 2 is now freeware, so it's completely legal to download :3 Plenty of videos on Youtube from the games if you want to go and look them up.
Versudan 1 year ago
She F***in hates me! - The lyrics seemed quite appropriate given the thrashing the dragon lady was giving these poor pilots! I really loved the shot of the outboard wheel falling off.
LETCA 1 year ago
!!!!!!!
dshutov 1 year ago
I was surprized to learn that during the earlier version of the U2, around the late 50's that the camera's used onboard were so intense. That at 60,000 feet AGL, the camera had a viewing of 2.5 feet. That is a hell of a lens and camera. Thats spotting an ant on a football field crawling in the grass at a100 yards away. These guys sure like living on the edge.
luvin2fly 1 year ago
@luvin2fly Maybe more than people realize. You fly for hours and hours and hours, then have to look forward to a landing like this one when you are fatigued and ready to go home. On top of that, they flew within a couple knots of both max speed and stall speed at the highest altitude that the plane could go.
Tubes12AX7k 1 year ago
I'm not sure of the case now. But the earlier U2 pilots had to resign from their commission due to the U2's were operating under the CIA. So in order to keep things in order, these pilots were flying over airspace not giving permission to do so by other foreign govt. So the CIA handle this. Very interesting program of spying I must say. Cuba has on display on of the engine from a U2 shot down in the 60's on display in Havana. Oh the secrets that this pilots must know.
luvin2fly 1 year ago
The US is trying to close out this aircraft. It is set for the chopping block in 2012 if members of the House has their way. But he USAF is fighting to keep this program alive. Many feel that UAV's are the future. and some say that the F22 Raptor was the last of the manned fighters. UAV's have their place, but you will always need a human at some point looking on the horizon making the call. The eyes in space can go down at any point, so we will need these pilots flying..
luvin2fly 1 year ago
The pilot must be on 100% O2 before and druing the flight. to keep from getting the bends from such an high allittude. Thsi aircraft at such an high allitude has such a higher Stall Rate when at the 70,000 AGL the there is only a very thin line of diasater. You are flying by the seat of your pants with this aircraft. In this video the pilot has his hands full when landing. This aircraft is not easy to land. It was made for the skies and not for the ground.
luvin2fly 1 year ago
What happened to that chase car at 2:16 ?
buckfushes 1 year ago
Isn't the plane at 1:36 taking off? (or at least trying to take off?) Because I thought the pogos are supposed to fall off immediately after takeoff...
MagicAbracadabra 1 year ago
lol 2:17 those guys out there dong donuts on the runway, such a beautiful plane shouldn't have to deal with such awful landings, someone give this plane some proper legs
onebadevox 1 year ago
so how the heck do i get a chase car ride?!?!?!?! i have lived next to Beale my whole damn life and my rides either get canceled or somebody i know will come up to me and tell me "Guess what i got to do last weekend?" and they didn't bother to call me!!!??? all my other friends have gotten them but me! ill ask people tied to the program and they wont even give me the time of the day as if "It was the wrong question to ask them" or something What is wrong with asking that!? I just want a ride!
OsanBlackCat5RS 1 year ago
why the pilot had been arrested? :)
squarcitto 1 year ago
Actually the sng is brilliant, says it all.
parrylynn 1 year ago
i want a trip to the space with this :)
OzzymanNL 1 year ago
wat are you peaple talking about i like this song dame!!!!!!!!!!!
mikeyman466 1 year ago
damn, i would shit my pants. thats sick :D
FlashgottakaMK 1 year ago
Enjoyed the video. Thanks for the upload.
dtoften 1 year ago
I worked on the U2's back in the 70's, before they were transferred to Calif. One of the problems us pukes noticed, is that the AF kept trying to train fighter jocks to fly these. They would have been better off getting a tanker or bomber pilot to do the job. The white 2-seater was modified from a single-seater after a trainee decided to land with his gear up. Back then, the videographer would have been arrested.
2erlee 1 year ago
Doesnt it have a rudder? Useless cunts
mattathm 1 year ago