REAGAN 55 (RAYGUN 55) Callsign
 

Just a query from flying today. We were operating Paris Radar this afternoon on the way to Geneva and we heard either REAGAN 55 or RAYGUN 55 (or something similar) being told to go back to his previous frequency. It sounded military (mask mike with an American accent) and he said he was over the Normandy coast at FL600.

Just wondered which military a/c normally cruises around at that sort of height?

Thanks in advance.

U-2?

Callsign Dragon 55? from Beale?

FL600
 

At the extreme risk of getting flamed (and I hope I do) surely if he was at FL600 he was at altitude not height?

Almost certainly a U2 at that height (altitude) but at FL600 why on earth would Paris radar be concerned with it...?

Or is it more a case of what does a U2 have to say to Paris Radar as it sounds like Paris were trying to punt it off to wherever it had come from according to bracebrace?

He had obviously dialed up the wrong frequency and Paris were being very helpful by telling him to go back to his previous one which for some reason he couldn't do!

Surely, if he was at a flight level he was neither at a height or an altitude, but at a flight level.

Maybe he wanted clearance to descent to FL600 - a polite call just in case there was other traffic up there..

He was outbound Fairford after a changeover...

Here’s your answer

Photos: Lockheed U-2S Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net

As said above it certainly was Dragon 55 outbound RAF Fairford, he was en-route to RAF Akrotiri and as my picture above shows it's a Senior Span configuration U-2 also.

It occurs at least once every swap over, London Military hand the U-2 off to Paris Radar; Paris informs the U-2 they won't work him and tell him to re-contact previous frequency.

London then (as with this time) contacts Paris and sorts out their clearance or if the clearance isn't sorted the U-2 has to re-route around France.

You can find info on the U-2 movements here: RAF Fairford

Mike

Re-route - good old French eh.

Like they've got masses of conflicting traffic above FL600.

Or they have something to hide.... :ok:.

The french have a habit of re-routing or not letting certain American flights fly direct down to the Med Sea.
Take the B52s and B1Bs for example during the two Gulf Wars and Allied force, at the start of the hostilities the bombers had to route down to Lands End and around Portugal and through the Gibraltar straight, up the Med Sea etc (same route as the old Strikes on Libya took).
These flights would then, after 1 week or so suddenly get clearance through other countries in Europe (including France) and they chopped off many hours flight time.

another DRAGON 21 was airborne today... cleared FL660 :)

Some of those U2s must be getting very old..
 

Back in the mid 70s when this ol timer was flying vomiting Oriental tourists under the Golden Gate Bridge in old B206s I shared a soft drink or two with Gary Powers.

Seemed a nice guy but I felt that his time in the hands of the Reds had left him devoid of spirit...could be wrong of course because I never met him before he was shot down. Cheers bm:yuk:

They might be old but comparatively speaking, the airframes probably don't have lots of hours on them.

One of the airframes built in '68 celebrated 20,000hrs on the airframe in 2000.

But they're used quite often in the deployment locations.

I was the pilot of Dragon 720 last night, flying over China. But I wasn't at FL600. The highest I got was FL320.

Because I was flying an Airbus A321 and not a U2.

Thanks Mike_B, that's not that many hours considering they stay aloft for quite a while on some of their flights. At the other extreme, BA's B747s which were built in 1999 now have more than 50 000 flying hours.