Lockheed U-2 SPY PLANE ('Dragon Lady') Take-Offs, Landings & Extreme ULTRA-HIGH ALTITUDE Footage!

Lockheed U-2 Spy Plane ("Dragon Lady")! Take-Offs, Landings & Extreme Ultra-High Altitude cockpit footage! (70,000 feet!)

We believe that this video contains some of the very best, most varied and remarkable U-2 footage ever filmed -- including super rare cockpit vision from multiple angles.

The U2 is such a unique and highly specified aircraft; with its giant over-sized wings highly susceptible to influence from crosswinds; and at lower altitudes, it can be especially challenging to fly due to much higher air density and no power-assisted steering. The pilot's field of vision is also severely restricted by their helmet, "spacesuit" and cockpit design.

Support vehicles or "chase cars" are therefore needed as a back-up to provide an additional set of eyes and in turn relay distances and offer advice.

The final 10 feet is the most critical of all. U-2 pilots will attempt to hover the plane at 2 feet above the runway, before stalling the plane and dropping it as gently as possible onto the runway (stalling at 6 feet, for instance, could result in significant damage to the plane and or its extremely expensive sensor equipment). And the landing gear itself is idiosyncratic and prone to problems -- the chase car can come in handy there too.

U-2 "Dragon Lady" specifications:

Height 16.7 ft

Wingspan 103 ft

Maximum weight 40,000 lb

Cruise speed 475 mph
Payload 5000 lb

Cruising altitude 70,000 ft

Range 7000 mi

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[Emtbtoday]

Love how the pilot is so at home like his own car, elastic band round the mirror to hold the sat nav is brilliant haha! And home made map visor! You can tell the u2 is well used just look how the paint round the canopy inside is worn away! Love all the detail finding to add to my armour model's and the U2 is next to build on my list she's gonna be huge!

[billwrb]

Supported this great aircraft in the 80’s amazing people

[JeffGR]

U-2 pilot = super cool job I wish I had!

[lanebashford]

Keep em flying and AIM HIGH! Saw some Dragon Ladys at Osan. Thank you all for your service.

[ogplboogiemangonzo]

That was so COOL . Really great stuff . Good Old USA .

[loscantos]

I'm really freaking out with the yaw string!!

[kingghidorah]

it's so hard to believe that a jet engine without afterburner can work wonders on the edge of the world's atmosphere. Dragon Lady is a miracle.

[bridgecross]

4:35 at that extreme altitude, such a quiet smooth ride.

[jdh]

At 9:20 you can see a piece of yarn fastened outside on the nose telling the pilot of an updraft, just like a sailplane.

[charlesdjones]

U2 is still flying missions as of 2018.

[franckbensaid]

Merci beaucoup pour le reportage de l'avion lady

[brendamaldonado]

I want to fly this beauty eventually! If it doesn't happen, well life is life.

[freddythamesblack]

Still one of the most important missions...

[victorhoe]

Back in early 1980's, we lived in Sunnyvale, CA Near Moffit Field. They launched U2 with JATOs to get them off the ground ASAP. That roar at 5am is like no other.

[Alpha]

still wonder hwo you keep the plane leveled with only centerline landing gear it just screems of having one of the wing scraping on the ground

[sheepleofusa]

"U2 Satellite" - Wake up people!

[franckbensaid]

S'il vous plaît dans savoir plus sur cette avions il n'y a pas assez comme reportage s'il vous plaît donner plus de reportages

[orgabrielshalom]

The dragon lady just crushed in callif USA few minutes ago . rest in peace dragon lady ... but a beautiful plane .

[wipout]

5:17 why does that gumby run from the back of the starboard wing, all the way around, to get to the front of the starboard wing?

[TheSirjohn]

I had thought that the U-2 was done with as a spy plane today in 2017.If I'm wrong then someone tell me this soon.