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The amazingly difficult landings of the U-2 Dragon Lady spy plane
The Lockheed U-2 Dragon Lady is a beautiful spy plane that flies at high altitudes (70,000 feet in the air) to provide reconnaissance for the military. It’s also a pain in the ass to land too, requiring an actual chase car on the ground to tell the pilot how far the U-2 is from the ground. Here’s a Sploid video showcasing those delicate and difficult landings of the Dragon Lady. (sploid.gizmodo.com) Altro...
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Interesting... I would have thought they would have a Radio Altimeter that could have done the same thing for them and more accurate.
There was a recent Mythbusters episode where Jaime and Adam both went through a week of training just to be a passenger in a U-2, but only one could go. Jaime was kind enough to defer to Adam (since Adam actually collects spacesuits and other aerospace paraphernalia), and you could tell Adam had a wonderful time.
What this article doesn't tell you is that the chase car is driven by a certified U-2 pilot. This is because they want the person giving instructions to the landing aircraft to be familiar with the way the aircraft handles.
What this article doesn't tell you is that the chase car is driven by a certified U-2 pilot. This is because they want the person giving instructions to the landing aircraft to be familiar with the way the aircraft handles.
