Deployed U-2 pilot achieves rare feat of 100 combat missions

USAF Central ^ | 3/15/10 | Master Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

[mylife]

Lots of pics at the link.

[ConorMacNessa]

Outstanding, My - over a half century of service and still on the job! And still doing the job well!

Lamh Foistenach Abu!

[miliantnutcase]

You can’t always have a satellite over head of your engagement. And to think this plane was supposed to be retired.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Holy cow. The U 2 has been around for a long time.
A friend of the family in Asia was a U 2 pilot back in the early 60s.

[mylife]

It may fly another 20 years in some form or another.

It is funded in its current form until at least 1214

[mylife]

We do our best.

[Liberty1970]

Wow. I had no idea those were still in service. Amazing that something that’s in the history books is still making news this way.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

***A friend of the family in Asia was a U 2 pilot back in the early 60s.***

Backin the 1060s, it was necessary to fly over the USSR to find out what was going on. Then Russians never needed reconisance aircraft as all they had to do was read the NY Times.

[Joe 6-pack]

"It is funded in its current form until at least 2014."

It's designer, Kelly Johnson, was born in 1910...

[driftdiver]

I’ve watched one of those military channel shows on teh U2. Evidently the flight envelope at altitude is razer thin. Something like 7 knots difference between stall and ripping the wings off. Not sure if thats accurate but its done some incredible work.

[bmwcyle]

Hand Salute.......................two

[mylife]

Holy Carp! he was older than dirt!

[Joe 6-pack]

Johnson also led the design team that put together the Lockheed P-38 Lightning in the build up to WWII.

[ConorMacNessa]

Thank goodness for that! With the present admin, its chances for survival afterward appear dim.

Lamh Foistenach Abu!

[mylife]

It rides the skin of the earths atmosphere.
Get to high and there is no atmosphere, then you have no control.

[sionnsar]

It may fly another 20 years in some form or another.
It is funded in its current form until at least 1214

It's funded until almost 800 years ago? That's one fast plane!

[mylife]

oops 2014! LoL

[dennisw]

I thought the U-2 was retired long ago. That airplane was flying back when Eisenhower was President. But then so were B-52s and we still run them

[sionnsar]

LOL too. Watched one of those take off from Moffett Field. I could almost swear it passed 10,000’ before it reached the end of the runway. Whether it did or not, it was aye loud!

[sionnsar]

I thought the U-2 was retired long ago. That airplane was flying back when Eisenhower was President. But then so were B-52s and we still run them

We designed some pretty good craft back then.