U-2 Spy Plane Takeoffs & Landings With Chase Car Views

U-2 reconnaissance planes, nicknamed the "Dragon Lady", take off from Beale Air Force Base, CA and land at RAF Fairford, UK - with wide field of views and chase car views. Unit - 9th Reconnaissance Wing. Filmed June 6, 2016.
Film Credits: SrA Benjamin Bugenig
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Have a look at The Gung Ho Vids Amazon Store.
Military Style Gear, Gaming and More. Link Below:
amzn.to/3jq9vLx
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[@ljcook8102]

I remember the good old days--when the U-2 chase vehicles were Chevy El Camino big block powered. And when it was down for maintenance--we used the Flight Surgeon's truck--a fast 350 powered C-10 pickup. But that was also the days of when the start cart for the SR-71 was powered by two Buick Wildcat 425 engines--later switched to 454 Chevy big block engines. With all the hot rod goodies as well. And to turn those engines--it used almost every ounce of horsepower it produced--probably between 900 and 1000. And when engaged, it would pull the rpm down greatly, until the engine got up to rotational speed. Memories of days past, the likes of which we will never see again.

[@maxheadroom224]

That's very intriguing.

[@solosailorsv8065]

Finally someone who has some sense and facts, thanks. TEB into the J-58s was AWESOME times !

[@ljcook8102]

@SoKo Early in its career, the start cart was the only way to spool up the engines and get them started--thus "start cart". If you do a search--there are many pictures of the beast. Heavy--it even had a provision to drive it when in use--but often was broken, and to line the driveshaft with the engine--one had to resort to "people power"--the more available--the better. At least two or three minimum and then it would quickly work up a sweat. Now--later in the SR-71's career it was equipped with normal air starters--that used a blow of high pressure air to spin the engines to speed--and believe me--this was a much needed improvement. But did miss hearing those header equipped--all sorts of speed equipment on both versions--and how loaded the engines got when doing their work.

[@sierrahp]

As an Aussie owner of a 1970 big block El Camino SS, that is an amazing story. Thank you!

[@pjcsmo]

I was involved at RAF Alconbury when the first Mustang SSPs were arriving to replace the El Camino chase cars. In a ride-along, the pilot driving the Mustang lost control briefly - had to hit 130 mph to catch the U-2.

[@thenearestfire4574]

The howl she makes when throttling up is like a mini Vulcan howl :)

[@vicroby4543]

Just what I was thinking.

[@casey5834]

The u-2 is twice as loud as the vulcan. Hear them in person and you'll never hear again.

[@Michael85Patnaude]

Having just heard this at Westover ARB I approve of the relation. Thing shook the neighborhood for about 5 minutes.

[@ufotofu9]

Love those wing guides to keep it from scraping the ground...the wingspan is so long, at resting speed the wings would scrape the ground. And that takeoff. The U2 is at over 45 degrees within a few seconds!

[@egroegartfart]

Hey Geoffrey, I've heard of the u2 but have never read anything about it. I'm going to now that I saw this video. I'm familiar with the sr71 because I used it everyday in black ops 1. Lol. So I've read about that jet. Amazing jet. But how in the world can it land with only two wheels that are in line with each other directly in the center of the plane? I don't understand that. One of the wings has to scrape the ground doesn't it? I did see that it has like a temporary wheel on each wing for take offs that fall off after take off but what about landing? Is it because of weight that it doesn't have more landing gear? Sorry if these are stupid questions. I've watched 3 videos so far on the u2 and they haven't said why it has only the two wheels for landing. Also it must be a pretty light weight plane to just have that tiny wheel in the back? And what about landing on a windy day? I can't imagine how they would keep it level and the wings not come down and scrape. Thanks.

[@chaplainrodgerderamus7804]

@@egroegartfart I am eavesdropping on your conversation and wanted to let you know that I have a book called, SPYPLANE The U-2 History Declassified by Norman Polmar. It is very interesting. I was at RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus on TDY from March to July 1976 while in the U.S.A.F. stationed in the U.K. I maintained the secure communications for the mission until I left. I am many years older now, but I can still see and hear them take off nearly every day. The plane crashed later that year and killed the pilot and several civilians working at the hanger. U.S. caught hell about that.

[@bigman7293]

I live somewhat near Beale AFB and there's U-2s flying around in my town all the time

[@SCRKT007]

same i always see gundam mechs taking off where i live

[@trialdex]

Wow Cool but I live not close to an airbase so I don’t see planes that much

[@Capthrax1]

and you can tell cause they are fucking loud and gone

[@WafflesGoneWild1]

I swear dude. That's all Beale ever fucking does. Is launch U-2s all day. Plane after plane after plane.

[@michamarkuszewski4546]

Yeah i live in meryville and there is a lot of them in there.

[@hochhaul]

The plane that served as the archetype for the first UAV's.

[@pjcsmo]

In more ways than evident - the U-2 missions are all pre-programmed such that all plane controls and sensor system (there are many of them on-board operating together) are automated once the pilot gets the plane to the initial point. So the UAVs (eg Global hawk) "just" had to add reliable take-off and landing....

[@jorgejefferson8251]

I love watching the chase car drivers do their thing.

[@TheKeivan324102334]

never explainedd what the chase cars purpose was, or how the plane eventually lands and doesnt strike the wings on the ground

[@Darkknight512]

@@TheKeivan324102334 In the chase car is usually another U2 pilot, the U2 is very hard to land, its landing gear is more like a bicycle and needs to be balanced on. The suit the pilots have to wear and the position they sit in make it kinda impossible for the pilot to see the runway when close to the ground so the person in the chase car calls out the altitude.

[@pjcsmo]

@@Darkknight512 Correct! And the last few feet of altitude are critical, since the U-2 tends to be a glider when that close to the ground. When the aircraft is about one foot off the ground, the pilot often has to pull back on the stick and "crash" the aircraft, although I expect that word is never used by the pilots! If done too high, things tend to get "bent".

[@jmesha]

I was fortunate to get a ride in the chase car (El Camino), the pilot driving the car was amazing, keeping close formation, calling out the altitude and with some snow on the runway, managing the slipping & sliding at around 100 miles an hour!

[@veeseson]

I just watched this same footage on AiirSource. It was terrible with transitions that would blind you. Thank you Gung Ho Vids for putting it proper.

[@OnYourLeft]

I’ve been seeing these taking off from Nellis lately (just up the street). The sound is unmistakable. Very interesting.

[@zulucharlie5358]

1:33 nice shot of the Sutter buttes mountain range in the background

[@jonathanmukai4146]

Saw one of these in person. Such a beauty

[@Kaitydid74]

watching those land and takeoff never gets old, great vid

[@dtennow]

Best U-2 video out there. Thank you.

[@djs495]

Live from Dublin 2007 is better.

[@x9x9x9x9x9]

Such a cool plane. You would think that with the advancements of engines and aerodynamic that the wing wheels would be phased out and the planes be retrofitted. But there is probably a good reason why they didn't/haven't or maybe its a case of "it works so don't mess with it."

[@mw01720]

They were trying to make the plane as light as possible, wing gear and the mechanisms that would allow it to fold would weigh a lot.

[@JoshKosh08]

B52 has the same thing

[@3User]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it

[@cucumberblyat]

Never touch a running system ;)

[@koc988]

@@JoshKosh08 in the case of the B-52 there are much more capable airframe but Boeing has pockets and we aren't at war with a country that can shoot them down so

[@snoop4470]

This is my all time favorite aircraft. It's so cool.

[@robertonavarro7713]

Yes, I saw several U2s in Palmdale, CA. However, pilots on spy missions should watch out for MiG 31s with combat ceilings of 80,000 feet.

[@danutd94]

There would be such an amazing view from this plane, particularly on a Beautiful Day. I’d just hope I wouldn’t get Vertigo from being up so high! It looks so majestic on take off though, soaring like a Bullet in The Blue Sky.

[@skatepark02]

One of these flew over my house last year, the sound was incredible!

[@justinlove8446]

All of these are great, thank you!!

[@jasmijnariel]

U2 - the sweetest thing

[@robertallen6710]

Just ask Putin..

[@russellhueners8499]

They balance the aircraft for landing by transfering fuel between the wings, kind of like a balance bar for tightrope, wing tips are extra sturdy , they do tip over now and then, 20mph sidewinds max for landing I believe

[@pinoyako9830]

Who came here because of China's claim that U-2 entered their "no fly zone"?

[@ernstthalmann1262]

FYI the "Chinese No Fly Zone" is actually the temporary military drill zone. By International Law is a country's right to draw out a temporary no fly zone for military training purposes, and it would be against international practices for US to send a spy plane into the no fly zone.

[@zyn1347806]

我

[@zajagter2888]

Can they just shut up

[@WetaMantis]

@@ernstthalmann1262 No.

[@cerealpuffsalmomd1625]

This time im here because of China's balloons

[@pilotmiami1]

Thenks

[@itabiritomg]

almost a jet powered glider!

[@ThePaulv12]

Well it is. At high altitude it's probably only going 70-90KIAS.

[@marty5300]

I used to live right outside Beale as a kid in the 80s. Constant B52's and U2 flights taking off and landing from there. I used to just sit in the yard and watch them come and go.

[@sin9493]

So this is what they do in Area 51, Problem solved....

[@darnit1944]

And other prototype aircrafts.

[@pjcsmo]

This video is from Beale AFB, Northern CA and from the UK.

[@cerneysmallengines]

the U2 doesn't fly around the world, it just leaves the earth and let's earth rotate to where it wants to go. lol

[@Stephanfritzel]

Love it. I was stationed at Beale for 2 years. I miss driving up or down Doolittle and the U-2s doing training would fly right over your car as the shadow would pass over you. 🥹 Happy memories lol. U-2s aren't as cool as SR-71s but they're still badass and I miss the sound of their engines shaking my building lol.

[@stevemcgarrett303]

Stationed with them during the Gulf War. Nobody was sleeping in tent city when they were taking off. Loudest plane I've ever heard take off in 40 years on Air Force bases. Louder than BUFFs and F-35's by far.

[@Zooboo1]

Some work horse....in the 60s pics were taken and on the ground you could see the brand of cigs EGs were smoking

[@protoolsfanatic7276]

plenty vids of taking off and landing but can not find any of how the wings dont touch the ground when below 50 mph.

[@coolleo149]

Sounds a bit like the Vulcan howling

[@kmlonfzs]

Here from "Daily Dose of internet."

[@osiris6883]

KML SINGH same

[@Lxmer_nce]

Wait what what video

[@goodday381]

Which vid must of forgot

[@deecook8393]

If the wing wheels just falll off, how does it land without damaging the wings? The clips end before the plane comes to a stop for us to see.

[@rorybailey3279]

I am I right in thinking just before take off it it has temporary wheels for the wings but dont require them on landing

[@gawge_9609]

Yes. You can see the wheels get ejected shortly before the aircraft becomes airborne.

[@goober208]

you should see them land

[@clearwatervalleythrift3443]

One of these just flew over my house. It was so loud, I had to come here and see what it was.

[@scottsmith4612]

Saw one land at Wright-Patterson AFB. Very loud.

[@JetFalcon710]

I haven't seen a U-2 in person yet, but I know they're awesome and very loud

[@hashemsaideen6791]

what about the car ...???

[@9traktor]

A masterpiece of U.S. engineerity!

[@622572]

What to say about Blackbird then?

[@newton18311]

Nearly as good as the English Electric lightning the only plane to catch and intercept it

[@walkingmanvideo9455]

That chase car is going hard

[@robertallen6710]

Before I watched this vid I never even heard of a chase vehicle for aircraft...when I saw the BMW or whatever it was I thought it was some random maniac on an adjacent road to the runway, just getting his kicks lol

[@stephenf25]

How does it balance!?

[@somedudeinchirons4936]

Very similar to a bicycle. A bicycle would just fall down at speed unless it had a huge momentum shift

[@xrsuperduper7660]

Does it shoot raw :)

[@pooriamir6553]

How does it maintain its balance after landing? What is the chase car for? 🤔,👏👏

[@pjcsmo]

The balance on landing is maintained like a bicycle maintains its balance! Also like a bicycle, that doesn't work that way taking off from a dead stop (!), hence the need for the pogos' The pilot in the chase car talks the U-2 pilot down the last 10 feet: as the wingspan exceeds the fuselage length, this "glider often needs to be forced down to about 1 foot off the runway and then "crashed" to get it to stop flying. The ground effect often try to hold the plane off the runway.

[@pooriamir6553]

​@@pjcsmoThank you for the clear explanation. I got the answer to my question completely 🌹👏👏

[@leesaunders7232]

Why do these have a chase car for take off and landing|?

[@bewimotos]

what are the chase car for?

[@michaelsmalley9755]

The plane is very difficult to land and it doesn't have landing gear on the wings. So the chase car, which is also driven by a U2 pilot acts as a spotter for the pilot of the plane so he can keep the plane level for a safe landing.

[@onlyme112]

@@michaelsmalley9755 Thank you so much for explaining that. Makes sense...

[@riversweet]

No more G8. :/

[@rohan_3128]

Wow! I never thought I would see U-2, I thought they didn't existed

[@EpicSauce12345]

She gets goin QUICK

[@redmeat2ndamendment695]

@3:20 too cool...

[@louielouiepks]

What keeps the wing wheels from falling off too earlier during taxi ??

[@georux6783]

Something the engineers figured out as to not waste a 50 million dollar plane.

[@pjcsmo]

Gravity. when the wings start to lift, its not too early any more!

[@verschlusssache6283]

What happens when it stops? Since it has no sidegear.

[@chaplainrodgerderamus7804]

You would think so, but you know this is a giant glider and the added weight could effect it's flying, not sure. I was in Akrotiri, Cyprus in 1976. I watched it take off and land nearly every day. I was a Crypto Maintenance 306 filling in for Tech Control on TDY. I spent four months of the hottest weather I had ever spent, even in my home state of Alabama. I really enjoyed it. They had a T-shirt made with a map of Cyprus and Snoopy sitting on it like on the tail of the aircraft. Was there anyone else there during that time or sometime near then. I was TDY from RAF Croughton, UK and was there with men from Davis Mathis AFB. I think that is the right spelling. I left before the crash, but didn't know any of the men killed. It's a great plane.

[@felixculpa4192]

I didn't know they had to place supports underneath the wings before takeoff, but obviously it makes sense.... pretty cool how they just fall away once the jet is at speed..... P.S. - How cool is it that WE live in a time where we can just watch these marvels takeoff and land, on the internet?! Think about the old Cold War days and how secret this jet was, and here we are just peacefully watching them do their thing as if they've never been a big secret lol....

[@AnonymousAnonymous-sk5qz]

How do they land without landing wheels on wings? They have them on takeoff but fall off.

[@texasforever7887]

The wing tips are made from special materials designed to scrap the ground. Also when they land the wings and the whole aircraft are incredibly light being empty of fuel. When it comes to a stop it simply leans to one side

[@oscardb9131]

I don't know this just fits nina simone "feeling good"

[@gto-zc6zz]

I was with the 4080th SRW from 1965 to 1968 at Davis Monthan AFB in AZ The pogos were taken off just before take off, and the crew chief would hold the wing and take a few steps as the plane started to take off and let go of the wing.

[@kirkmooneyham]

That procedure is a called a hand-launch. It is still done occasionally, but is an alternate, not standard procedure.

[@gto-zc6zz]

@@kirkmooneyham When I was with the 4080th SRW that was the only way they would launch. They use to launch with the pogo's in and they would fall off when the aircraft lifted off. The story goes that when the unit was stationed at Laughlin AFB TX on one flight one of the pogo's got stuck and fell off the U-2 and hit a building. S after that they would remove then before takeoff. It sure is a sweet aircraft. These new one's are on steroids.

[@bensrandomness8678]

2:03 are the wing gear supposed to break off?

[@ambergris5705]

Yes, for lightness

[@matthewbrooder9414]

yes. they're known as pogos and fall of once the plane can balance

[@IngvarMar]

How does it land without wheels under the wings? Won’t it just fall on one side after stopping?

[@giovannycalvache7939]

Igor that’s exactly what happens

[@literallya442ndclonetroope5]

The wings create enough lift that it will, when its too slow, just dip on one side, but it would be too slow by that point to cause damage.

[@literallya442ndclonetroope5]

Though sometimes the wings to dip, so the wings are intentionally designed to not get damaged from it.

[@kirkmooneyham]

@@literallya442ndclonetroope5, there is a skid plate under each wing tip to lessen the damage. It gets scraped up and must eventually be replaced, but they last a long time.

[@silverspaceflyer]

When the U2 takes off, it has support wheels under each wing to prevent the wings hitting the ground, and these support wheels drop away as the aircraft reaches speed. When it lands, it doesn't have these support wheels, so why don't the wings hit the ground as it comes to a stop? Also, what's the point of the chase car?

[@cia6543]

When it lands the lift produced keeps the wings up from hitting the ground, as it slows down to the point where no more lift is produced one side of the wing falls to the ground, the reason nothing gets damaged is because there are titanium skid plates mounted on the wingtips. The plane stops on the runway and a crew on a different vehicle mount the temporary wheels, called pogos back on so it can taxi back without possibly inducing damage. Chase car is for guidance, the U-2 has low visibility so it needs another U2 pilot guiding it down over the radio.

[@silverspaceflyer]

@@cia6543 That's very informative. Thanks very much!

[@DavidEVogel]

so why don't the wings hit the ground as it comes to a stop? Sometimes they do. On the end of each wing is a replaceable "skid" so that the wing is not damaged

[@pjcsmo]

Max is correct about the titanium skids and the crew who arrives and installs the pogos for taxiing. One evening when I was along with the chase car pilot the U-2 pilot decided to taxi all the way back to the hangar without stopping. Sort of like riding your bicycle really slowly. I don't know how often they do that - the pilot driving the Mustang SSP that night said "now he's just showing off". The U-2 did not stop and drop a wing tip that night until parked in front of the hangar.

[@pjcsmo]

The pilots full space suit as well as the long nose often configured on the plane contribute to the visibility challenge. .@@cia6543

[@pineapplepizza8645]

that u2 is hot

[@x4dd]

What's the purpose of the chase car ?

[@hi-ball902]

Can someone please tell me why the car chases the plane when it's landing? I scrolled down but didn't see anything explaining why the car chases the plane. Thanx

[@jacklinden780]

So they actually drop the wing wheels loose?

[@pjcsmo]

yes: they are pinned in place while taxiing, but just before the take off roll starts the ground crew pulls the pins and the pogos fall away as the wings lift.

[@jeffbigfan13]

Looks as fun as powertower

[@TheDormonid]

What is the point of the chase car?

[@hinglemccringleberry8193]

Luiz Almeida a U2 take off/landing is very tricky, they are there to make sure everything goes according to plan

[@BPCADownStateChapter]

The U2 is a very unusual design aircraft and lacks the normal controls pilots use for landing and has only two center wheels like a bicycle, not the tricycle arrangement most airplanes use. So the chase car calls out to the pilot when he is low enough to the runway to cut the engines and drop to the ground.

[@TheNeshkey]

Like a drone with a cockpit

[@remembermcdonnelldouglas948]

Glider take off 😎

[@jasonpason4172]

T hi s is what I was thinking a glider with jet power

[@pjcsmo]

Glider landing too! That's why the chase car pilot has to talk the U-2 pilot down, even requiring sometimes forcing it to land from one foot - higher would break something...

[@chandick1620]

A: the wheels keep falling off B: try some duct tapes

[@jasmijnariel]

1:05 how many spy planes do you need

[@senormedia]

yes

[@matweezy1760]

You’re telling me people actually believed this plane was a UFO at one point in time

[@normaluser333]

Of course, this was like the iron man suit back in the 50s

[@daniel-it2lw]

whats the point of the chase car??

[@BobRadu]

Awesome video, but such a tease. I can never see one until the plane slows down enough for the wing to bend or dip. When do they put the wheels back on?

[@Gung_Ho_Vids]

I think one of the wings actually drags on the runway. This is as close as I can get you from what I have... kzbin.info/www/bejne/f36QeZuIjrV1erM

[@BobRadu]

Gung Ho Vids Ah, there you go. Thanks!

[@nosenseguy148]

Wonder why it doesn't have an attached landing gear in his wings.

[@Viking_6_3]

When landing, what happens when it stops?

[@hbnkasflik3202]

nothing

[@goober208]

The pilot gets out with an oxygen mask. They break both wings off, Break the plane in half and push it into the U-2 compound

[@goober208]

Utapao 73-74

[@trenton1190]

Good question. The video conveniently left the interesting part out.

[@pjcsmo]

When it comes to a stop, one wing's titanium skid plate gently hits the ground. The pickup with the pogos that were collected after take off pulls up and several strong airmen balance the plane and re-install the pogos. Pretty basic!

[@poppetrurazvan3900]

Do not fly over foe teritory. There are a lot of civilian search and rescue over the oceans. I was very impresse about a young wonan who vas recently lost at the sea. Best regards from Cluj.

[@matthewc3998]

love this, my grandfathers place is right under their approach in Marysville. I was amazed the first time i saw one on final. I used to see a lot of weird shit flying at night.

[@avabrenner3327]

What do the chase cars actually do?

[@trenton1190]

Exactly.

[@kirkmooneyham]

The primary reason is that, due to the ground effect from the long wings, the aircraft doesn't want to land. The pilot has to spoil the lift. If that was done at too great a height, it would damage the landing gear. So, the chase (mobile) pilot in the car tells the flying pilot how far off the ground they are so the pilot knows when to spoil the lift. Other than that, mostly the mobile does a constant visual inspection during takeoff and landing, to increase safety.

[@RV_kidtech]

what is it in tank between wind oil or oxigen?

[@pjcsmo]

Sensor systems

[@globserver3448]

How can it stay in balance??

[@royalteluis623]

You know a bike right . If a bike stops it will fall over same with the u2

[@globserver3448]

@@royalteluis623 ok. But you are saying that when it stops it falls down; I'm wondering how it does not (as it does Not, otherwise it couldn't go on, and it'd be damaged too)

[@royalteluis623]

glObserver when it is close to stopping they send a special truck to tow it to its hangar where they will install take off wheels on it to keep it from falling

[@royalteluis623]

Sam Harris “perfectly balance . As everything should be”

[@globserver3448]

@@samharris8737 if you mean that fuel shifting let it distribute equally its weight, ok; no doubt that cannot let it stay in balance when it's stopped.

[@cmurphy3748]

Audi chase vehicle?

[@route66garage59]

Yup! It’s a Wowdi 😬

[@santri2328]

That was loud sound for spying

[@sudeepoo7]

Every U2 gangsta untill SR 71 blackbird arrives.

[@DavidEVogel]

The SR-71 is no longer in service.

[@adidog1489]

car didnt take off

[@prod.lacabra]

😻

[@TipTopDreamer]

Why is there a chase car??

[@norwegiangangsta]

My left ear enjoyed this. So did no one fucking bother with watching the video & check the audio quality?

[@coriscotupi]

04:20 - Why don't they use radioaltimeters like everybody else instead of the chase cars telling them the height above the runway?

[@BlackHawkBallistic]

Are they accurate to the foot? Once you reach 2' or whatever it is you basically stall the plane and it just drops which is why the other pilot in the chase car calls altitudes? Might also be it's easier to have the pilot focus on landing on a bicycle landing gear with callouts in his ear instead of watching gauges.

[@coriscotupi]

@@BlackHawkBallistic *"Are they accurate to the foot? "* Modern radioaltimeters can have the airplane call "5 feet" to the pilot. Once you are a couple of feet off the ground, you'll set any airplane down by the visual cues. I've never flown a U-2, but unless it has severely restricted visibility that's how it could also be done with the type. The single centerline gear won't have a play in this, as gliders also have a single central gear (incidentally, the open-class Flugtechnik & Leichtbau "ETA" glider has the same 31-m wingspan as the U-2) and their pilots land visually every day without external help. I suspect that the issue with the U-2 might be visibility.

[@kompakt4198]

that sounds like so much fucking thrust wow

[@adrianboshoff1582]

Would love to see the speedo on the chase car... 😎

[@pjcsmo]

The speedometer hit 130 mph when I was riding in the Mustang SSP, the car that replaced the El Camino at most U-2 operating locations. Since the pilot had not used this car before he momentarily lost control and spun out when making the turn unto the runway so had to go faster than normally. The quick acceleration is required however to quickly match the aircraft speed as it comes overhead.

[@murat_n]

So how does it land? It is still moving like a bike.

[@yamato4169]

M N you must be dumb... planes land like that. there still moving when they land. then they stop when they get near the end of the runway. Learn your facts dumbo

[@matthewbrooder9414]

@@yamato4169 or you could interpret the question right, they land and when the plane slows, the wing drags on the runway, the tips are reinforced

[@solosailorsv8065]

That's a TR-1 , not its predecessor, U2

[@pjcsmo]

Correct: the production aircraft built through the late 1980s were originally designated TR-1: However, not long after going into service all of the TR-1s were re-designated U-2R (now U-2S). By that time all (or nearly all) of the original smaller U-2 aircraft had been retired, most apparently in museums.

[@pjcsmo]

As I understood it from an Air Force Col who we later hired, the objective of the new much larger TR-1 aircraft was to separate it from the U-2's image as a "spy plane", as Tactical Reconnaissance sounded better. But soon everyone was referring to it as "that new spy plane", so the Air Force decided to re-ID the planes as the U-2R. This was later changed to U-2S with the re-engining program.

[@chinmaymahajan7778]

Take off distance is soo short

[@BELIEVER5503]

Mysterious Bird

[@davidchavez6019]

Tf is a pontiac G8 doing at the strip 😆

[@streamer_services]

Can you not just put cameras on the bottoms of the planes.?

[@nathanweiss3795]

They must have bought those wing wheels from Walmart, because every time the plane takes off, they break off.

[@nurbnord7451]

its supposed to happen lol, they are called pogos

[@rodmackinnon4044]

Time for a corvette. Chase car.

[@goober208]

they used an Elcamino

[@CraigArndt]

Need more power in that Audi.

[@route66garage59]

Nah that Audi’s got it plus if they needed more they’d just get an RS5, RS6, RS8 or the mighty R8 Audi 💪🤘

[@kumarjoshi66]

How many of you are from Daily Dose of Internet!

[@sts3121]

Why do they always need the cars?

[@zahangiralam980]

Actually this plane has only one seat and this is only for pilot. To take off and landing a co pilot cooperate with pilot riding on car.

[@BPCADownStateChapter]

The is a very unusual design aircraft and lacks the normal controls pilots use for landing and has only two center wheels like a bicycle, not the tricycle arrangement most airplanes use. So the chase car calls out to the pilot when he is low enough to the runway to cut the engines and drop to the ground.

[@martinmwitila4616]

Its soo wide

[@un_civilized]

Where my foreign spies at?

[@TheReck12]

Why do they need a chase car, just put more sensors lol is it just tradition at this point