FW: RIDE THE U2

[William Fenn]

  _____  

From: Norm 
Sent: Tuesday, June 25, 2013 2:39 PM
To: 

Subject: Fw: RIDE THE U2

 

 

 

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Read before clicking on the link below, it will explain and be more
interesting. The U-2 is considered the most difficult plane in the world to
fly. Each pilot has a co-pilot, who chases the plane on the runway in a
sports car. Most of the cars are either Pontiac GTO's or Chevrolet Cameros,
that the Air Force buys - American. The chase cars talk the pilot down as he
lands on a bicycle-style landing gear. In that spacesuit, the pilot in the
plane simply cannot get a good view of the runway. Upon takeoff, the wings
on this plane, which extend 103 feet from tip to tip, literally, flap. To
stabilize the wings on the runway, two pogo sticks on wheels prop up the
ends of the wings. As the plane flies away, the pogo sticks drop off.

The plane climbs at an amazing rate of nearly 10,000 feet a minute. Within
about four minutes, I was at 40,000 feet higher than most commercial
airplanes. We kept going up to 13 miles above Earth's surface. You get an
incredible sensation up there. As you look out the windows, it feels like
you're floating; it feels like you're not moving, but you're actually going
500 mph. The U-2 was built to go higher than any other aircraft. In fact,
today, more than 50 years since it went into production, the U-2 flies
higher than any aircraft in the world, with the exception of the space
shuttle.

It is flying more missions and longer missions than ever before, with nearly
70 missions a month over Iraq and Afghanistan , an operational tempo that is
unequaled in history. The pilots fly for 11 hours at a time, sometimes more
than 11 hours up there, alone. By flying so high, the U-2 has the capability
of doing reconnaissance over a country without actually violating its
airspace. It can look off to the side, peering 300 miles or more inside a
country without actually flying over it. It can "see" in the dark and
through clouds. It can also 'hear', intercepting conversations 14 miles
below. The U-2, an incredible piece of history and also a current piece of
high technology, is at the center of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan .

Enjoy the ride!

Click the link below. Go to the lower Right corner of the screen and click
the icon immediately to the left of the volume control to bring up the full
screen.

 <http://www.wimp.com/breathtakingfootage/> Click Here for a Ride In a U2 -
Have Your Sound On

 <http://www.wimp.com/breathtakingfootage/> 


 

 



 

 

 



 
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-- 
Jim Bullock

416 518-2075

 

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