U-2 Dragonlady info

[Hacker]

3 hours ago, HuggyU2 said:

A few years ago, when I ran the U-2 Recruiting shop, I met with a Vance SQ/CC who did not want his IP's coming to the U-2.  Interesting conversation and perspective.  

What was the timeframe?  Stone Temple was a '38 IP at Vance at the same time I was ('09-'13) and he did a nice job talking up the Dragon Lady IMHO.

Might have been a different story down the street in the T-1 or T-6 squadrons, though.

Edited November 16, 2021 by Hacker

[Spoo]

7 hours ago, HuggyU2 said:

He believed it was a dead-end career move.

Clearly true.

[HuggyU2]

9 hours ago, Hacker said:

What was the timeframe?  Stone Temple was a '38 IP at Vance.

It was just before Stone, IIRC.  I recall it was a fighter guy who was the T-1 SQ/CC... but it's been a while.  

I've seen different AETC leaders push back at various times.  Anecdotally, Vance seemed to do it the most.  

Ironically, we got a lot of good U-2 pilots from Vance.  

Side note:  next time I run in to you, remind me to tell you the story of Stone being a German spy who infiltrated DoD and became the first foreign spy to fly the U-2.  

Edited November 16, 2021 by HuggyU2

[RegularJoe]

Will the U2 crews ever be able to fly with the newer SpaceX type pressure suits? Seems like it would be quite an improvement (not that I would have any direct experience)

[HuggyU2]

Which would you choose?

[RegularJoe]

12 hours ago, HuggyU2 said:

Which would you choose?

Remind me again how many years is Orion behind its Original launch date 😉.  Latest setback was "humidity"

 

Hahaha 

 

Cool factor definitely old school but the new suits seem so much less bulky and cumbersome 

Edited January 26, 2022 by RegularJoe

[Majestik Møøse]

The SpaceX suits are completely for show. They can’t turn their helmets, for one, so they can’t look sideways, which is useless in an airplane. The suits are designed to be strapped into a rocket where you stare forward and watch the touch screens telling you everything is ok for a 20 minute flight. There’s no parachute harness or LPUs, which would all go over the top of this suit. I don’t know if this helmet and suit combo would survive a rapid d from sea level to a near vacuum, but it sure doesn’t look like it and I bet they never tried.

[uhhello]

3 hours ago, Majestik Møøse said:

The SpaceX suits are completely for show. They can’t turn their helmets, for one, so they can’t look sideways, which is useless in an airplane. The suits are designed to be strapped into a rocket where you stare forward and watch the touch screens telling you everything is ok for a 20 minute flight. There’s no parachute harness or LPUs, which would all go over the top of this suit. I don’t know if this helmet and suit combo would survive a rapid d from sea level to a near vacuum, but it sure doesn’t look like it and I bet they never tried.

You don't think they tested the suits for depressurization ?

[pawnman]

24 minutes ago, uhhello said:

You don't think they tested the suits for depressurization ?

I was more confused about the parachute/LPU comment.  Like...has Moose ever seen what NASA puts crews in?

[HuggyU2]

19 hours ago, pawnman said:

I was more confused about the parachute/LPU comment.  

My guess is he is referring to a U-2 cockpit environment.  

My understanding is those dork-suits were one-time use, throw them away.  Despite the sarcasm of my post (yes, I know you're shocked), realize that I will go speak to the pressure suit specialists at Beale, and try to reply here with a factual answer.  Don't hold your breath.  I'm a part-timer.  

Edited January 27, 2022 by HuggyU2

[Guardian]

Part time U-2 guy or part time base ops’er

[HuggyU2]

Attention Columbus AFB IP's and student pilots...

Beale will be bringing a T-38A to the Columbus AFB Airshow next month.  The plan is to get there Thursday, and have an informal meeting Friday for anyone interested in learning more about the U-2 Program.  No rent-a-crowd... the only people that will be there should be pilots interested in learning more about a U-2 career.  

Myself and Lt Col "Ghost" will be there.  Ghost is the U-2 FTU DO, and will become the 99 RS/CC around June.  He was a former T-38 IP at CBM 18 months ago and flew the U-2 previous to that.  

If you won't be available Friday morning, you simply need to let me know and I can arrange for us to meet at the airshow on Saturday and chat.  

As mentioned, happy to talk to student pilots also.  We can't get you for at least 4 years, but knowledge is power.  

Drop me a pm if interested.  

 

Edited February 17, 2022 by HuggyU2

[HuggyU2]

Update for those at CBM interested in a potential U-2 career:

We hope to arrive Thursday morning.  14th FTW should be setting up a location in one of the flying squadrons for us to answer questions and talk about the U-2... probably Thursday afternoon.  Maybe Friday morning also.  

Happy to talk 1-on-1 anytime during the weekend.  Just track us down.  

And if you want to see why the T-38A is way more awesome than the T-38C, come take a look.  

[HuggyU2]

Attn Vance Pilots: 

We will be at Vance late tomorrow and will be doing a meet & greet at the 25 FTS.  Should be around 1730... but check your emails. 

Students interested in learning about the U-2 are welcome too, and we are glad to have you show up.  

[HuggyU2]

Thanks to those at Vance and Columbus that came by to meet us. We even had one pilot that came in from another base a couple hours away to listen.  
Based on what I heard, there are still a lot of inaccurate beliefs about the U-2, so if someone tells you "you can't apply because of X", give us a call to verify that. 

[HuggyU2]

Attn Travis AFB pilots:

Beale is sending a U-2 and T-38A to the airshow this weekend.  

If interested in learning more about the U-2, there will be pilots at the static displays, so swing by and ask them your questions.

[ClearedHot]

Ok Huggy, time to get off probation by telling us how you don't crap yourself on those long flights.

Don’t Poop at 70,000 Feet: CIA Wrote a Manual for U-2 Pilots on How Not To

[HuggyU2]

Congrats to BigRed on his initial Solo in the U-2 on Wednesday.  🥃
He will be known as "Solo 1095".

Not bad for an old Navy guy.

 

 

 

 

Edited February 4, 2023 by HuggyU2

[Arkbird]

On 2/16/2022 at 9:39 PM, HuggyU2 said:

Attention Columbus AFB IP's and student pilots...

Beale will be bringing a T-38A to the Columbus AFB Airshow next month.  The plan is to get there Thursday, and have an informal meeting Friday for anyone interested in learning more about the U-2 Program.  No rent-a-crowd... the only people that will be there should be pilots interested in learning more about a U-2 career.  

Myself and Lt Col "Ghost" will be there.  Ghost is the U-2 FTU DO, and will become the 99 RS/CC around June.  He was a former T-38 IP at CBM 18 months ago and flew the U-2 previous to that.  

If you won't be available Friday morning, you simply need to let me know and I can arrange for us to meet at the airshow on Saturday and chat.  

As mentioned, happy to talk to student pilots also.  We can't get you for at least 4 years, but knowledge is power.  

Drop me a pm if interested.  

 

Any plans to come out to Columbus this year? I've got a friend out there flying U-2s and from the one picture I've seen, he seems pretty excited about it. Went to OTS with him and he was a FAIP out there at Beale.

[HuggyU2]

You must be talking about Skar!  He's great! 

No plans as of today to go to CBM.  If we take our recruiting stuff out on a roadshow, I'll post it here.  But don't hesitate to fly out to Beale and spend a day with us.  

[Arkbird]

2 hours ago, HuggyU2 said:

You must be talking about Skar!  He's great! 

No plans as of today to go to CBM.  If we take our recruiting stuff out on a roadshow, I'll post it here.  But don't hesitate to fly out to Beale and spend a day with us.  

Yeah he's a good dude. Was always solid. 

Gotta get myself through upt first but assuming I do, I'll be sure to head out there in a few years. 

[60 driver]

On 11/15/2021 at 7:15 PM, HuggyU2 said:

He believed it was a dead-end career move.

This made me chuckle.  Had the same conversation a few times, my response was generally "I think you and I have different ideas of what a dead end looks like".

[ClearedHot]

Reports this afternoon saying we flew the U-2 alongside the Balloon last week.  Huggy, ever done anything like that...onboard sensors or handheld camera (if you can say).

 

 

[60 driver]

Ran across this at random the other day and haven't seen it posted here. 

Declassified CIA history of the U-2 and Area 51.  I haven't read it all yet but it looks pretty comprehensive. 

https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB434/

[uhhello]

"The US sent up U-2 spy planes to track the balloon’s progress, according to US officials.

One pilot took a selfie in the cockpit that shows both the pilot and the surveillance balloon itself, these officials said – an image that has already gained legendary status in both NORAD and the Pentagon."

 

So gonna need that picture