U-2 Dragonlady info

[HuggyU2 2,023]

Nice find!  

I will forward this to the Wing  Commander at Beale:  maybe he can make it part of the "Commander's Required Reading" list.  

[HuggyU2 2,023]

In U-2 News:  former U-2 pilot and 1 RS/CC, Mike "Sooch" Masucci, became an astronaut yesterday.  

For those that know Sooch, I'm sure we'd all agree that VG picked the perfect guy for this role, and it couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.  NASA should have picked him for the Shuttle when they had the chance.  

http://www.ladbible.com/news/news-amazing-footage-shows-virgin-galactic-pilots-soar-into-space-20190223

He becomes the 2nd U-2 pilot in to space... and the 1st to go to space after earning the U-2 Solo Patch.  

 

Edited February 23, 2019 by HuggyU2

[Bobsan 101]

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/advances-in-archaeological-practice/article/near-eastern-landscapes-and-declassified-u2-aerial-imagery/A16A04FB4990B74B9FF750DCCF31A141/core-reader#

[Majestik Møøse 635]

“A combination of U2 and other imagery sources has been critical in reconstructing the canal systems in the imperial core of the Neo-Assyrian Empire (ca. 911–612 BC) in northern Iraq (Ur and Reade 2015). The city of Nimrud, located along the Tigris River, served as the empire's capital for generations, and was one of the largest cities on earth for its time. The incised, shifting nature of the Tigris and the height of the town on the terrace above the floodplain meant that Tigris water had limited irrigation use in the absence of water-lifting technology; canals were necessary to supply the city with water for consumption and for irrigation of royal parks and gardens. In this semiarid region, irrigation systems fed orchards and fields in Nimrud's sustaining area. Like desert kites, an aerial perspective has been central to the study of the Neo-Assyrian Empire's irrigation systems because the remains of their large canals are frequently invisible on the ground, and many of them remain difficult or impossible to access due to the ongoing geopolitical situation in the Republic of Iraq.”

 

They got boss-level imagery analysts over there.

[Danger41 1,187]

“#1/10 Archaeological Enablers! Efforts directed Dr Jones expedition to recover priceless hanging garden planter. Send to secret warehouse full of treasure soonest!”

[Hacker 1,352]

Pictures of neat stuff that ISIS probably demolished.

[jice 185]

Turns out there is a user for a 26 century long PED cycle. 

[Spoo 511]

FYSA, still hiring.

[HuggyU2 2,023]

1 hour ago, Spoo said:

FYSA, still hiring.

How do y'all feel about a slightly overweight guy in his 50's, with a receding grey hairline, and bad breath?  

[SFG 168]

6 hours ago, HuggyU2 said:

How do y'all feel about a slightly overweight guy in his 50's, with a receding grey hairline, and bad breath?  

Bad breath is a no go.

[gimmeaplane 19]

15 hours ago, Klepto said:

Bad breath is a no go.

Is that kind of your own damn Dutch Oven problem in the suit & helmet?

[Danger41 1,187]

Glad to see the U-2 is starting up participation in WIC. I think the RQ-4 and them are going to be a part of the intel WPS. Anyone confirm?

[HuggyU2 2,023]

1 hour ago, Danger41 said:

Anyone confirm?

I am under the impression that at least one U-2 pilot will graduate in December. If true I’m sure you will see a lot of retired and old U-2 Drivers in Vegas for the event. 

Edited June 9, 2019 by HuggyU2

[afthunderchief16 22]

20 hours ago, Danger41 said:

Glad to see the U-2 is starting up participation in WIC. I think the RQ-4 and them are going to be a part of the intel WPS. Anyone confirm?

Confirmed. The 19 WPS absorbed them in hopes of creating a “recce WIC”

[Bigred 146]

Looks like there might be an opening up at Beale for anyone looking for a airframe change.

https://taskandpurpose.com/u2-pilot-fired-cocaine-drug-test

[HuggyU2 2,023]

He is a personal friend of mine.
Please leave the bad jokes as the sole property of the author of the article. 

Edited December 7, 2019 by HuggyU2

[HuggyU2 2,023]

It took a long time and a lot of effort by some great people to start a U-2 WIC... but it finally happened.  And the initial cadre was Patched Thursday, and graduated tonight.  

A very HUGE congrats to Jester, Posit and Gump.  Leading the way for the Brotherhood, they are great reps for the U-2 weapons system.  

I was able to attend Thursday's festivities, and the O'Club was mobbed with U-2 folks... Intel, Mission Planners, 9RW Chief, and all of the Drivers.  It really was an epic evening.  Thanks to all involved for allowing the Old Guys to show up and be a part of it.  

Hail Dragons.  

Edited December 15, 2019 by HuggyU2

[12xu2a3x3 63]

18 hours ago, HuggyU2 said:

It took a long time and a lot of effort by some great people to start a U-2 WIC... but it finally happened.  And the initial cadre was Patched Thursday, and graduated tonight.  

A very HUGE congrats to Jester, Posit and Gump.  Leading the way for the Brotherhood, they are great reps for the U-2 weapons system.  

I was able to attend Thursday's festivities, and the O'Club was mobbed with U-2 folks... Intel, Mission Planners, 9RW Chief, and all of the Drivers.  It really was an epic evening.  Thanks to all involved for allowing the Old Guys to show up and be a part of it.  

Hail Dragons.  

absolutely and long overdue 

[YoungnDumb 121]

Forgive the ignorance, what does WIC for the U-2 look like?  It is ground heavy with lots of intel briefings/study or does it involve a lot of flying?

[dream big 552]

1 hour ago, YoungnDumb said:

Forgive the ignorance, what does WIC for the U-2 look like?  It is ground heavy with lots of intel briefings/study or does it involve a lot of flying?

WIC for every community is academic and briefing heavy, obviously plenty of flights but the flying is only there to validate the complex mission planning.  The desired end state for any WIC is being able to integrate not just across MWSs but domains, a requirement critical for the next fight.  

Edited December 16, 2019 by dream big

[LoveDumpster 7]

Did the U-2 community ever send anyone off to TPS? With the challenging flying nature of the U-2 and the unique mission it'd seem like it'd be a great fit.  

[SFG 168]

8 hours ago, LoveDumpster said:

it'd seem like it'd be a great fit.

Not sure about U-2s, would seem to be a tight timeline, I’m just here to say that if it made sense to do it then it wouldn’t make sense that the AF would do it.

For example, why such a short TIS requirement for TPS? If it’s about payback can they not get their jollies by simply setting the ADSC to match their payback requirement? More likely than not it’s about making Colonels and Generals. Because we should limit our pool of talent based on that... just another example of made up stuff and bureaucracy driving what we do day in and day out when we should only care about what makes us a more lethal force, as they say, and wins wars. Doesn’t matter to me how old my TPS pilots are, and yeah, a U-2 pilot would probably be a great fit.

Edited December 24, 2019 by K_O

[HuggyU2 2,023]

Yes, quite a few U-2 pilots have gone to TPS since at least the 1980's.  

In more recent years, one goal has been to get a TPS graduate that could eventually move up to run U-2 Flight Test at Palmdale.

At least three U-2 pilots that are TPS grads are currently flying for NASA. Another (Mike Masucci) was one of the three people to fly in to space in Feb on the Virgin Galactic rocket.   https://spacenews.com/virgin-galactic-expects-rapid-conclusion-of-spaceshiptwo-test-flights-after-downtime/   Mike also taught for 3 years at TPS and was heavily involved in designing the U-2 glass cockpit.  He retired from the AF as the squadron commander of the U-2 FTU.  

For those the remember Mark Graziano, he was a TPS student when he was killed in a T-38 mishap at Edwards.  Can't believe that's been 10 years.  

I don't believe we have had anyone there for about 2-3 years.  

Edited December 24, 2019 by HuggyU2

[Spoo 511]

We'll be updating our currency soon, one Driver picked up on this year's TPS board.

[MechGov 100]

For example, why such a short TIS requirement for TPS? If it’s about payback can they not get their jollies by simply setting the ADSC to match their payback requirement? More likely than not it’s about making Colonels and Generals. Because we should limit our pool of talent based on that... just another example of made up stuff and bureaucracy

After getting turned down at the AFMC screening for having too much TIS as a captain (not prior E), I wondered that myself.