The International Cessna^® 170 Association

This may be a little off topic-- but reading the latest edition of Flying magazine the few U-2 pilots enjoy talking/flying tail draggers. Some (most) of them live around Beale AFB in CA. The article even said one flew a 170. It would be nice to know if he is in the Association, an even more interesting to have him show up at a flyin and talk for a while. The way the article stated that they enjoy the old birds 140,170 cubs, and even a Stinson. Some of you CA pilots need to stop in an visit and work on getting this guy signed up for a talk somewhere, I am sure he has a few stories we'll never match. Ron

ron74887 wrote:This may be a little off topic-- but reading the latest edition of Flying magazine the few U-2 pilots enjoy talking/flying tail draggers. Some (most) of them live around Beale AFB in CA. The article even said one flew a 170. I........ Some of you CA pilots need to stop in an visit and work on getting this guy signed up for a talk somewhere, I am sure he has a few stories we'll never match. Ron

Ron obviously from your last sentence you've forgotten what kind of pilots we have in this association. Have you even read a single post here at the forum?

We have helicopter pilots, corporate pilots, airline pilots, and some who knew the Wrights brothers and then there are the ones from Texas and LEWIS-EANA, all who can really pile-it.

Why I'm not sure a U2 pilot story would even stand out.

Bruce, you must be taking lessons from Miles . It was even interesting to know that the U-2 came out in 55 and still flying mission today- just like out 170's. And the U-2 being a taildragger that is extremely difficult to land. And yes I've read a few from "Sitting Bull" and Associates that could very well challenge any story from this guy!!!!

In the early 80's, the son-in-law of one of the airport mechanics was in town to help build a RV4 with his FIL. (bluElder...that's a Father-In-Law)

I was watching him apply a little paint and I asked him, "I hear you fly U-2's. What kind of range does one of those things have."

He at least looked me in the eye as he replied in a monotone voice, "That's classified." ... and went back to painting as if there was no one around.

Five years later, I met another U-2 pilot, and I asked him if he could talk about the airplane, he gave me a look that went clear thru me and focused some-where about 10 feet behind my head and said, "No."

That's the only experience I've had with U-2 pilots, so if there's any out there that are cordial and like to talk airplanes and don't have a rudder-post stuck up their empennage, I'd love to meet them.

I had a hangar neighbor for some time when we had the airport (SSS) @ Aledo who had built a Kitfox (the only one I have flown in). He was a U-2 pilot and he never seemed to be hung up on the classified thing. Maybe I just never asked a classified question. Its possible that since they were/are a classified operation that everyone involved in the program was/are sworn to secrecy for life? Of cource there are some who were sworn to secrecy regarding the Norden bombsight that if asked about it today would still say they couldn't discuss it (self importance me thinks). This gentleman was running a 777 sim @ American the last time I knew. If there is really a lot of interest I could see if I could run him down and see what he might be willing to do regarding giving a short bio on his experiences. Some of our 170 members that may be flying triple 7's may already know who I am referring to, but I'll respect his privacy until such time as he might be willing to discuss the U-2 subject--------no I don't feel important by not revealing his name at this time.

gahorn wrote:In the early 80's, the son-in-law of one of the airport mechanics was in town to help build a RV4 with his FIL. (bluElder...that's a Father-In-Law)

I was watching him apply a little paint and I asked him, "I hear you fly U-2's. What kind of range does one of those things have."

He at least looked me in the eye as he replied in a monotone voice, "That's classified." ... and went back to painting as if there was no one around.

Five years later, I met another U-2 pilot, and I asked him if he could talk about the airplane, he gave me a look that went clear thru me and focused some-where about 10 feet behind my head and said, "No."

That's the only experience I've had with U-2 pilots, so if there's any out there that are cordial and like to talk airplanes and don't have a rudder-post stuck up their empennage, I'd love to meet them.

George, you DO have a way of bringing the best out in people. I've known a couple of U-2 pilots here in Tehachapi one of whom gave a great talk to our local pilot's group several years ago. We found out that the U-2 is the ultimate in narrow-gear tail draggers, having only one main gear on the centerline. When he told us that a nominal mission is 12 hours, someone asked the obvious questions as to how they handle the "personal needs" that normally arise in that time span. He said that the aircraft are equipped with relief tubes. He also said that the pilots wear a Depends-like undergarment, but prefer to avoid the need to use them, thus the need for a low-bulk diet and to avoid "killer burritos" a day or two before a mission.

Miles

cessna170bdriver wrote:. He said that the aircraft are equipped with relief tubes. He also said that the pilots wear a Depends-like undergarment, but prefer to avoid the need to use them, thus the need for a low-bulk diet and to avoid "killer burritos" a day or two before a mission.

Miles

Can't say anything more Just want you to know I'm still reading you, Miles and can't get enough.....Brad

our Lear 35 operated out of Robins AFB (Warner-Robins, GA) a few years ago along with a NASA ER-2, which is their version of a U-2. Painted white, not as menacing looking. They would routinely cruise at from 65-70KFT while our Lear would be under them at about 40KFT, they were gathering data to calibrate some newly-launched weather satellites as they passed over the Caribbean area. Sometimes USAF U-2's would stop through the base too.

a little more compicated when you're working with the government boys, they'd start planning their flights 48 hrs in advance while our airplane was on call within a 1 hr notice to launch. and you cannot believe how noisy those things are taking off!!

If you are looking for a substitute for a U-2 pilot to give a talk at the Convention you might try Lane Wallace. According to the March 2009 Flying Magazine she knows all the U-2's secrets.

I remember a flight I had many years ago inbound to SFO (Golden Gate Arrival for 28R) when bay approach gave us traffic off Moffet, a U2 in a high performance climb. The transmission went like: 2 o'clock out of 5000, 230 out of 13000 no factor out of 17000 all this in less than 1 minute. The pilot of the U2 (a NASA bird) was transmitting on uniform and when Bay asked him his indicated airspeed, he replied "thats classified".

Exactly the same thing happened to me as I arrived in a Hawker in the Bay Area in the mid-80's. I was at FL 180 and vectored around the departure path of a U-2 launching. He rolled down the runway a little ways, then rotated and flew almost vertically up past us at 18,000' in the next minute and disappeared overhead.
Since he was climbing almost vertical .... his forward speed was unrecognizable to ATC and ATC simply had to keep us clear of him. U-2 pilots can be self-impressed, but they may have a valid reason.

Seems some of the U-2 pilots and pilots on this site share some of the self-impressed visions.

According to Lane Wallace's articles in Flying regarding U-2 Pilots a lot of them have personal tail draggers, including a couple with 170s.

Yeah, well I'm a taildragger pilot who has a personal U-2. I'd tell you more about it, but ah, it's classified.

U-2......is that the place on Al Gores "intranets"(little George Bush there) where they share vedio's