Coldwar RAF U-2 Pilots
Did anyone fly the NASA ER-2 / U-2C fleet?
While on this thread, did any graduate of ETPS back then have a dabble in NASA Ames Research Centre U-2C (which IIRC delivered first in 1971) ? ?
or even later on when NASA received the ER-2.
Officially, the only Brit backseater in a TR-1B trainer has been our Top Gear James May
At the Edge of Space
Just a shame Alconbury airfield side was given back to MoD 2 decades back, if Dragon Lady ops still continued, young James could have been saved the air ticked and gone up the road in the TR-1B based there.
Photo Search Results | Airliners.net
Plus the last airshow I went to at Alconbury was 1991 summer, probably after the visit of the NASA ARC ER-2 as depicted in the bottom photo.
Cheers
or even later on when NASA received the ER-2.
Officially, the only Brit backseater in a TR-1B trainer has been our Top Gear James May
At the Edge of Space Just a shame Alconbury airfield side was given back to MoD 2 decades back, if Dragon Lady ops still continued, young James could have been saved the air ticked and gone up the road in the TR-1B
based there.Photo Search Results | Airliners.net
Plus the last airshow I went to at Alconbury was 1991 summer, probably after the visit of the NASA ARC ER-2 as depicted in the bottom photo.
Cheers
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The Secret History of the U-2. Groom Lake/Area 51 Finally Declassified
Pages 153-155 of this document are of particular interest to RAF folk
Pages 153-155 of this document are of particular interest to RAF folk
Last edited by ricardian; 15th Aug 2013 at 20:44.
I haven't read the whole thread and just in from pub so, bit of slack?
A year or so ago I read 'Remembering the Dragon Lady' and was astonished by the accounts of the difficulty of handling what looked, to an average Joe ex mil pilot, like a straight wing jet. As they say on the street - 'Respec!'
Now here's the Q - did the U2 display any tendency to Dutch Roll at high altitude? I've never had the opportunity to meet a U2 pilot so, if you have and have discussed that handling problem, please comment.
Just noted Alconbury mentioned. I spent a short ground tour in ATC at Wyton and the two things I remember were the brandy Alexanders at Alconbury and the hair raising speed at which the F4 flew an approach with a blown flap failure. ISTR a bit faster than a Lightning on a normal approach.
Edited to say: lest anyone think I'm purporting to be FJ - no - truckie through and through.
A year or so ago I read 'Remembering the Dragon Lady' and was astonished by the accounts of the difficulty of handling what looked, to an average Joe ex mil pilot, like a straight wing jet. As they say on the street - 'Respec!'
Now here's the Q - did the U2 display any tendency to Dutch Roll at high altitude? I've never had the opportunity to meet a U2 pilot so, if you have and have discussed that handling problem, please comment.
Just noted Alconbury mentioned. I spent a short ground tour in ATC at Wyton and the two things I remember were the brandy Alexanders at Alconbury and the hair raising speed at which the F4 flew an approach with a blown flap failure. ISTR a bit faster than a Lightning on a normal approach.
Edited to say: lest anyone think I'm purporting to be FJ - no - truckie through and through.
Last edited by Basil; 16th Aug 2013 at 20:25.
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Basil
This updated prompted me to watch the James May U2 flight
as I thought it had a reference to your question but only a brief
mention of speed change of 10 knots could cause disaster at
cruise height.
Not a great fan of James May but I don't know of any other
close up footage of the process to fly in a U2 and in cockpit
video.
I thought it was impressive.
This updated prompted me to watch the James May U2 flight
as I thought it had a reference to your question but only a brief
mention of speed change of 10 knots could cause disaster at
cruise height.
Not a great fan of James May but I don't know of any other
close up footage of the process to fly in a U2 and in cockpit
video.
I thought it was impressive.
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A question if someone could answer it.
In this video at about 1.55, what is occurring with the air.
Is this air conditioning ?
In this video at about 1.55, what is occurring with the air.
Is this air conditioning ?
It's present in most US aircraft I've flown in (various type of seahawks); it is their form of AC, frankly not very efficient if you're not directly under the cool air flow.
Not sure you can compare the Pressurisation/ECS from a high altitude partial-pressure cockpit with the vents fitted to a helicopter! Most FJ I have flown can create snow in the cockpit.
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Doing some research this morning trying to locate info on Chunky Webster and I found both this thread as well as this document the NASA Airborne Science Program Report of 2007. I worked with Sqn Ldr Webster (ret.) while he was at Moffett flying for the NASA Earth Resources Aircraft Program. I was on a team that developed a multi-TACAN geodetic nav system for that program. The photo montage on page 112 of the above document shows all three pilots we worked with. The one of Chunky is a classic, showing his typical manner after smoking at least one cigarette. Note the old-school movie cameras. I don't know what that particular occasion was.
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'Chunky' Webster
Go to page 102 for the picture of 'Chunky' Webster.
Webster was an RAF graduate of the Empire Test Pilots School in the UK. He flew many types of aircraft including the Flying Bedstead.
He was so successful on a 2 year exchange program with the CIA U-2 aircraft based at Edwards North Base in the 1960s that he was asked to stay on.
He joined the elite CIA group and latterly the NASA U-2 program: he became an American citizen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8W2SI4c93shttp://
Webster was an RAF graduate of the Empire Test Pilots School in the UK. He flew many types of aircraft including the Flying Bedstead.
He was so successful on a 2 year exchange program with the CIA U-2 aircraft based at Edwards North Base in the 1960s that he was asked to stay on.
He joined the elite CIA group and latterly the NASA U-2 program: he became an American citizen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8W2SI4c93shttp://
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Newly released history of the cia's u-2 program
For those interested in British Participation in the U-2 program (and the history of the CIA U-2 program in general), here's an 1187 page insight which was recently declassified.
http://www.governmentattic.org/19doc...incep-1969.pdf
It took 18 years and a determined freedom of information practitioner to get this first half of the 16 volume history of the CIA's Office of Special Activities released.
Brit participation is on pages 905 - 989 of the pdf document. 29 "Headquarters directed missions" were accomplished by RAF pilots of project OLDSTER.
2 USSR Overflights
5 peripheral Elint
17 Middle East photo
5 weather flights (for "cover" purposes)
After the 1960 Powers shootdown the project name was changed to JACKSON.
http://www.governmentattic.org/19doc...incep-1969.pdf
It took 18 years and a determined freedom of information practitioner to get this first half of the 16 volume history of the CIA's Office of Special Activities released.
Brit participation is on pages 905 - 989 of the pdf document. 29 "Headquarters directed missions" were accomplished by RAF pilots of project OLDSTER.
2 USSR Overflights
5 peripheral Elint
17 Middle East photo
5 weather flights (for "cover" purposes)
After the 1960 Powers shootdown the project name was changed to JACKSON.
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Telegraph today - paywall unfortunately
More
And finally
Wing Commander Rex Sanders, navigator on operation Ju-Jitsu – obituary
And finally
Chopper 2004:
James May is not the only Brit civilian to have flown in the U2B, Chris Pocock the aviation author and U2 historian has also flown in one. He has written the definitive book on the Dragon Lady.
James May is not the only Brit civilian to have flown in the U2B, Chris Pocock the aviation author and U2 historian has also flown in one. He has written the definitive book on the Dragon Lady.
The thing was notoriously difficult to land - for conventionally trained pilots. Our USAF exchange on VC10s was going to Beale for the assessment, part of which was landing the two-seater. I suggested he got down to Bicester and did some gliding as like the US, most gliders are long winged tail-draggers which land close to the stall. They were a bit perplexed at this spam who wanted to fly circuits on a glorious soaring day, but he got the hang of landing gliders. After that, the landing in the U2 was easy and he reckons it's what got him selected.
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http://www.governmentattic.org/19doc...incep-1969.pdf is giving a 404 not found message
A suggestion emphatically rejected since "there was no comparison".
I didn't pursue the issue for obvious reasons, however I find your friend's experience intriguing in retrospect.