I love my job, first highflight solo in the Dragonlady!

Mar 27, 2017 1:16 AM

mydogismysaviour

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161761

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3662

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71

Sorry for the selfie

Mammoth

No contrails

Good wing shot

Last selfie, I promise

You can see the curvature of the earth

The world is indeed round

You're gonna get pulled over driving with your cell phone man.

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

I used to build those suits at David Clark!

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Thanks!

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Beale

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Amazing! one of my dreams is to see a view like that with my own eyes, how does one become a passenger? help me out?

9 years ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 1

You need to born again and have a 4 gpa straight out of kindergaden and so on

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Hello Beale dweller!

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

So exactly how tight are the limits of "coffin corner" in the U2? From what i understand you are one brave man. Wish i was you, but me

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Makes me wish the Blackbird was still in service :(

9 years ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 1

The only jet where if the engine quits the pilot can go "Weee I'm flying a glider" and not "Ohh shit, this is bad".

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

What program is this?

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Awesome! But what is your job exactly?

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Hey Op, was the world indeed round seeing with your eyes. So much controversy around the flat earth argument & convex camera lens don't help

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Can we see more of the plane? And I give you permission to post all the selfies so long as it's on the suit.

9 years ago | Likes 253 Dislikes 1

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

If you could toss in the plans for the plane, asking for a korean friend.

9 years ago | Likes 16 Dislikes 0

I have Osan flashbacks.

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

In*

9 years ago | Likes 9 Dislikes 2

[deleted]

[deleted]

9 years ago (deleted Mar 31, 2017 4:36 AM) | Likes 0 Dislikes 0

*starts the album* OK... selfie... Ooooooh... Dragon Lady? Yup, Dragon Lady. Good Shit OP

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Watch the movie Bridge of Spies.

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Actually the wing pods mark it as a TR-1 which is a highly modified USAF variant of the U-2.

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

I salute you Sir! RAF Alconbury 1991-1992.

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

How do you fly with those massive balls weighing you down ?

9 years ago | Likes 22 Dislikes 4

Low gravity helps, but the question is how did the jet carry such balls all the way up there!

9 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 1

It's also a small cock pit so that must be hard. Pun intended.

9 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

Totally stealing these for my wallpaper

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

1. Your selfie is totally forgiven. 2. Explain why these super humans still rely on the 1972 Fiat side rear view mirrors? I don't feel safe.

9 years ago | Likes 9 Dislikes 0

I'm willing to bet you can see your house from there. And my house.

9 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

Its like standing on top of a twelve mile ladder to look over a fence

9 years ago | Likes 6 Dislikes 1

are there mexicans over it?

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

I still can't believe we still use those planes.. they were outdated during the cold war.

9 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 1

66 years old, still kickin. Outlived the Blackbird

9 years ago | Likes 10 Dislikes 1

Well I mean the Blackbord did have trouble holding in its fluids.. It would leak until it was up at altitude.

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

... the Air Force (or NASA?) just lets you post U2 training pictures?

9 years ago | Likes 15 Dislikes 0

There's no info at all in those pics, nothing that could be used at all by adversary intelligence. We can't see the front panel for instance

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Considering the USAF has published tons of photos of the cockpit showing everything? Yeah I doubt they care.

9 years ago | Likes 8 Dislikes 0

Hell, they let Adam Savage go up as a passenger... but only after a week of training to know how to be a proper passenger.

9 years ago | Likes 6 Dislikes 0

One of my favorite parts of sled driver are the stories about pilots doing VIP ridealong duty.

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

More round earther propaganda. I thought imgur was a safe, flat place.

9 years ago | Likes 32 Dislikes 1

Well she's not high up enough to see the curvature of the earth just yet. That pic is misleading, I'm 95% sure.

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

I know a flat earther who says it's just the curvature of the lens making it seem round lol

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

But it is. I'm no flat-earther, just real-talk.

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

At this altitude yeah but high enough you could indeed photograph the curvature and not have it be from the lens

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

yep, get shaq to agree to it :)

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

What's a U-2 pilot doing on Imgur? No in all seriousness that is an absolutely dope career. What did it take to get there?

9 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

I'm a trainee in a Cessna 172... Guess you got higher than me.

9 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

What are the Russians up to these days?

9 years ago | Likes 77 Dislikes 1

Stuff

9 years ago | Likes 7 Dislikes 0

And things

9 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

Running the US government and blackmailing Trump with a pee pee tape.

9 years ago | Likes 7 Dislikes 3

All SSgt's know what this plane is...

9 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

I worked on this beautiful lady for 6 years (viewsight and wet-film camera); multiple locations. One of my favorites! God-speed sir!

9 years ago | Likes 7 Dislikes 0

Sad to say, no more viewsight ????

9 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 1

Yeah I heard that. :( At least no more sitting by the plane for 45 minutes purging it with nitrogen! Still got a friend working on

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Global Chicken, and he loves it even though I consider him a traitor LOL

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say this is an acceptable selfie. How tough is that bicycle main gear?

9 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

Some days its easy, some days it will bite you in the ass. The wings produce enough lift at 20-30kts to balance the wings. X-winds suck

9 years ago | Likes 6 Dislikes 1

Wait, so, there needs to be a chase car guiding you down for landings? Just watched a video. That's bizarre!

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

If only those little red kickstands were there on the way down too. Seriously though, making lift at 20-30 kts? That's insane.

9 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

A rear view mirror, interesting, most planes don't have one.

9 years ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 1

It actually is for contrails, apparently when you are dropping mind control chem trails, make you easy to spot

9 years ago | Likes 22 Dislikes 1

I think chemtrails should come in different cool colors.

9 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

Like this?

9 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

Colgate

9 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

5+ decades of flight, from Kelly Johnson's desk all the way to Imgur! How long have you been in the Dragonlady, if you don't mind me asking?

9 years ago | Likes 14 Dislikes 0

My dad was actually named after him. My grandfather was obsessed with the P38 lightning as a kid.

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

That's so cool! The P38 is a sight to behold. Who's had more influence on modern military aviation than Kelly Johnson & the SkunkWorks crew?

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Actually just finishing up training

9 years ago | Likes 19 Dislikes 1

Wow, congratulations on your first solo! Best wishes finishing your training & all the best for the amazing experiences which lay ahead!!

9 years ago | Likes 9 Dislikes 0

Thanks man, I appreciate it!

9 years ago | Likes 9 Dislikes 1

Ground control to Major Tom

9 years ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 0

Take your protein pills and put your helmet on

9 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

Ground Control to Major Tom (ten, nine, eight, seven, six)

9 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

Commencing countdown engines on. (five, four, three)

9 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

Check ignition and may God's love be with you (two, one, liftoff)

9 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

How far up are you?

9 years ago | Likes 43 Dislikes 0

Hmm, doesn't seem to be OP! Watched this a week ago. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_May_at_the_Edge_of_Space

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 2

He's all the way up.

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

'bout tree fiddy

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

At least 5 high

9 years ago | Likes 9 Dislikes 0

Well your not wrong...

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Above 70,000'

9 years ago | Likes 71 Dislikes 2

How does one go about becoming a U-2 pilot might I ask?

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

In perspective of mountain height, Everest is 29k, stack two Everests on top of each other and you'd still be more than 12k higher! So cool.

9 years ago | Likes 13 Dislikes 0

What speed would you be doing all the way up there?

9 years ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 0

All of it.

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

'bout tree fiddy

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 1

IIRC flying at that altitude they have to fly within a 10kt airspeed window. Too slow, they stall, too fast, airflow separates from the wing

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

because the airflow over the top has gone supersonic. Either way, the plane goes out of control.

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

'How high are you?'

9 years ago | Likes 12 Dislikes 0

No...no, man, it's "High, how are you?"

9 years ago | Likes 6 Dislikes 1

Yes.

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

This person knows the only correct answer.

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

No officer, it's "hi, how are you?"

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0