Lockheed U-2 Flight - 70,000ft (2 Seat TU-2 Trainer)

Please read these notes before asking questions:
- Yes, it's James May, aka, Captain Slow of Top Gear fame.
- No, this isn't from an episode of Top Gear. This was from a TV special called "James May On The Moon", which was made to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Apollo Moon Landings. James May has made several series that are completely unrelated to Top Gear.
- The music is called "Flight" performed by Ty Unwin especially for this show.
I'm sad to say that it is not currently available on its own.
- The chase cars on take off and landing are a standard part of U-2 operations. They are there to assist the pilot, especially on landing. Landing a U-2 is a very difficult and delicate operation.

Check out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfP8Mm_1fXw
For clips from the training as well as some alternative scenes from the flight.
-
Surely the most amazing and humbling views to be seen by any human on a regular basis. The view from a U-2 cruising at 70,000ft as the sky above turns black and the curvature of the Earth is visible.
Despite first flying over 50 years ago, the U-2 continues to serve in the USAF, having outlasted its Mach 3 replacement, the SR-71 (also from Lockheed).

The only people to have gone gone higher on any sort of regular basis were SR-71 pilots.
Astronautics have, of course, gone higher still, but certainly not on a regular basis.

There is a special message at the end of the video that I hope can be taken to heart by all.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

[jasonthemankiller]

Didnt the Russians shut down one of these with a Rpg7 back in the 50s?

[bryUK]

@jasonthemankiller Hah... not an RPG7, an SA-2 in 1960. An SA-2 is a massive Surface to Air Missile about the length of telephone pole that was almost purpose built for shooting down high flying aircraft like the U-2..

Nothing shoulder launched will get remotely close to a cruising U-2.

[bryUK]

@Ashtree81 Actually, yes, it does. It has titanium skids on the wingtips for that very purpose.

[LOLOMGZZZZZ]

Pilot sounds like a marine from starcraft

[fiverats1]

@TheGoaltender94 they were used to see if anyone was intercepting it. thats why i love em

[fiverats1]

@bryUK and that is why i hate black ops :/

[fiverats1]

@jasonthemankiller it was a pegasus missle, but on the occasion it was shot another missle *fired from the same launcher* shot down one of the intercepting MIG-15s. an RPG-7 would be a one in a sextillion chance.

[TheGoaltender94]

I love the rear view mirrors XD

[donrumsey]

Brilliant, indeed!  Thanks for sharing!

[cscdigitalgraphics]

Nice, taking us where we have never gone before

[Fastvlad]

new season of Top Gear

[jasonthemankiller]

@bryUK

It was a joke