U-2 Dragonlady info

[Lensatic]

Great thread. Congratulations, Huggy!

It took me a couple of days to read through the 33 pages, but it was very interesting. I noticed that some of you drivers date back to the early '70s. After my time in the Army, I got my Private Ticket at Ryan Field, SW of Tucson. While I was there I met a U-2 pilot who came out to the flight school and took tail-dragger lessons in the Super Decathlon. I believe that he spent time on the other side of the field with the glider guys, too. Question: Was that required or was he just doing it for fun?

LS

[Spoo]

Great thread. Congratulations, Huggy!

It took me a couple of days to read through the 33 pages, but it was very interesting. I noticed that some of you drivers date back to the early '70s. After my time in the Army, I got my Private Ticket at Ryan Field, SW of Tucson. While I was there I met a U-2 pilot who came out to the flight school and took tail-dragger lessons in the Super Decathlon. I believe that he spent time on the other side of the field with the glider guys, too. Question: Was that required or was he just doing it for fun?

LS

Just for fun. It was req'd.

Edited October 5, 2014 by Spoo

[Lensatic]

Just for fun.

Thanks, Spoo! The Super D was fun. Unless you forgot to vacuum the floor before turning it upside down. ;)

LS

[HiFlyer]

No, not just for fun, Spoo, although it certainly was fun! In the early to mid-seventies (until we left D-M in '76) all the new guys that hadn't flown some tail dragger went to Ryan Field to fly the Super D. It was about an hour flight with a quick trip up to fly it for five minutes and do some stalls, then into the pattern for about 40 minutes of landings to get the feel of a tail wheel landing and ground handling. I think it really helped when I got in the CT the first time. I tried to get them to do it when we got to Beale...they had the airplane at Yuba County airport and it was only about a $100 a ride. If we saved one extra training flight a year we'd have been money ahead. Alas, I guess because they didn't do it in the SR, we couldn't either.

Edited October 3, 2014 by HiFlyer

[Lensatic]

No, not just for fun, Spoo, although it certainly was fun! In the early to mid-seventies (until we left D-M in '76) all the new guys that hadn't flown some tail dragger went to Ryan Field to fly the Super D. It was about an hour flight with a quick trip up to fly it for five minutes and do some stalls, then into the pattern for about 40 minutes of landings to get the feel of a tail wheel landing and ground handling. I think it really helped when I got in the CT the first time. I tried to get them to do it when we got to Beale...they had the airplane at Yuba County airport and it was only about a $100 a ride. If we saved one extra training flight a year we'd have been money ahead. Alas, I guess because they didn't do it in the SR, we couldn't either.

Do you remember the instructor? A little Filipino perhaps?

LS

[HiFlyer]

Sorry, that was fall of 1973 for me. My memory isn't that good.

[Lensatic]

Sorry, that was fall of 1973 for me. My memory isn't that good.

You might have been the guy I met unless there were several of you at that time. I got my PPL in Feb. '74 (I had to check my Logbook. ;)) . He was the only Super D instructor. And I may have been his last student. He had a stroke the night I got my ticket and he was only in his mid-30s. I never saw him again because I started flying out of Freeway for my Commercial. I do know that he died in 2005 at 65, though.

LS

Edited October 4, 2014 by Len Satic

[TarHeelPilot]

The ULTRALORD aka Cory broke 3,000 hours of U-2 time this week in the desert.

HAIL DRAGONS!

[Spoo]

No, not just for fun, Spoo....

Well, shit. I had a 50/50 shot.

Edit: Fixed my original post.

Edited October 5, 2014 by Spoo

[HuggyU2]

Thank you for the kind words, Spoo.

[HiFlyer]

You might have been the guy I met unless there were several of you at that time. I got my PPL in Feb. '74 (I had to check my Logbook. ;)) . He was the only Super D instructor. And I may have been his last student. He had a stroke the night I got my ticket and he was only in his mid-30s. I never saw him again because I started flying out of Freeway for my Commercial. I do know that he died in 2005 at 65, though.

LS

Not sure. There were a bunch of us arriving at that time (later 1973) because of a test program that they were using the old C-models to fly. There were probably at least a dozen guys, all going over to do their one ride in the Super D before flying the CT. I don't recall visiting the glider people on my visit.

[matmacwc]

Whattya doing now Huggy?

Edited October 6, 2014 by matmacwc

[Bobby]

Whattya doing now Huggy?

Posted from the NEW Baseops.net App!

[scoobs]

Whattya doing now Huggy?

Back to United?

[Lensatic]

Not sure. There were a bunch of us arriving at that time (later 1973) because of a test program that they were using the old C-models to fly. There were probably at least a dozen guys, all going over to do their one ride in the Super D before flying the CT. I don't recall visiting the glider people on my visit.

Rats! It would have been a great "It's a small world" story, though. ;) The gliders were only there on weekends and special gatherings. Whoever it was, I think that we just recommended a visit to the glider field. The glider strip is a paved runway now.

LS

Edited October 7, 2014 by Len Satic

[Shaft34]

deleted

Edited October 7, 2014 by Shaft34

[Jughead]

Could this be why Huggy finally retired...?

Plan to “optionally man” the U-2

EDIT: fix link

Edited November 26, 2014 by Jughead

[Hacker]

If it is anything like Huggy's numerous previous "retirements", I'm sure he'll be back on active duty sometime soon.

[AZwildcat]

Plan to “optionally man” the U-2

[HEFOE P]

So where do you send a bunch of U-2 pilots when they someday actually do cancel the program?

Finest AWAC'er initial qual class in decades?

[HuggyU2]

Based on when they will probably cancel the U-2, most of the younger pilots will go to the new U-4 transonic high altitude recon platform.

A handful may be initial cadre in the SR-76.

Some of the older pilots will go to AETC to fly the T-52 trainer (an Alenia M-346). A few will get to fly the new T-6 replacement.

[Danger41]

Based on when they will probably cancel the U-2, most of the younger pilots will go to the new U-4 transonic high altitude recon platform.

A handful may be initial cadre in the SR-76.

Some of the older pilots will go to AETC to fly the T-52 trainer (an Alenia M-346). A few will get to fly the new T-6 replacement.

F-35 still in development

[pcola]

So where do you send a bunch of U-2 pilots when they someday actually do cancel the program?

Finest AWAC'er initial qual class in decades?

SWA, DAL, AA, Alaskan, Hawaiian...

[matmacwc]

Based on when they will probably cancel the U-2, most of the younger pilots will go to the new U-4 transonic high altitude recon platform.

A handful may be initial cadre in the SR-76.

Some of the older pilots will go to AETC to fly the T-52 trainer (an Alenia M-346). A few will get to fly the new T-6 replacement.

Thanks for the update on what you are doing.

[Guest LumberjackAxe]

So where do you send a bunch of U-2 pilots when they someday actually do cancel the program?

Finest AWAC'er initial qual class in decades?

SpaceX? Virgin Galactic?