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U-2 down in SW-Asia
http://www.warthogterritory.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=9206
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Author:  Dutchy [ 22 Jun 2005, 06:19 ]
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Not very much information. Hopely the pilot survided the crash and is he not crashed in a "not so friendly" country.
I hope this is not gonna be a next Powers situation as it was in the 1960's.
http://edition.cnn.com/2005/US/06/22/sp ... index.html

Salute
Dutchy

Termites do it in the dark!
(47FS Barksdale afb)

Author:  MICHAEL PIJAR [ 22 Jun 2005, 08:01 ]
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Just read where ,sorry to say, that the pilot did not survive the crash. They said he was returning from a mission over Afghanstan.<img src=newicons/smiley_salute.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=newicons/icon_hog.gif border=0 align=middle>

"GLAD TO HAVE BEEN THERE AND HAVE BEEN PROUD TO HAVE SERVERED"

Author:  44hollowpoint [ 22 Jun 2005, 13:33 ]
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Very sad,

Here's more details from the BBC website
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4119344.stm
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US spy plane crashes in SW Asia

The U-2 flies so high that the pilot is forced to wear a spacesuit
A US Air Force U-2 spy plane has crashed in south-west Asia killing the pilot, the US military has said.
The crash occurred at 2330 GMT on Tuesday, when the pilot was returning to base after completing a mission in support of US forces in Afghanistan.

A military spokesman said the location of the crash would not be released because of "host nation sensitivity".

The U-2 is a high-altitude surveillance aircraft first developed in the Cold War and manned by a single pilot.

Regional sensitivities

The cause of the crash is not known and US Central Command said a full investigation would be convened.

The site of the crash has been secured to ensure the safety of local citizens and the integrity of the site for the investigation team, the statement said.

The specific location is not releasable due to host nation sensitivities

US Air Force Capt David W Small

"The specific location is not releasable due to host nation sensitivities," US Air Force Capt David W Small, a Central Command spokesman, said.

Correspondents say south-west Asia is a phrase often used by the US military to refer to the Middle East.

The pilot's unit - the 380th Expeditionary Wing - is based at the Al-Dhafra air base, near Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates.



The name of the pilot will not be released until next of kin are informed.

"The airmen of the 380th Expeditionary Wing mourn the loss of a true American hero in the service of his country," Col Darryl Burke, the wing's commander, said in a statement.

The long, thin plane, with a wing-span of 100 feet (30.5m) is able to cruise at 90,000ft (27,430m) - more than 17 miles (27km) up - so high that the pilot has to wear a spacesuit.

Cold War stalwart

The U-2 was an invaluable US surveillance tool during the Cold War, able to photograph Soviet military facilities and operating in great secrecy out of Adana in Turkey - later renamed the Incirlik airbase.


U-2 pilot Gary Powers was famously shot down in 1960

In 1960 a U-2 was shot down by a volley of Soviet surface-to-air missiles. The pilot, Gary Powers, ejected but was captured and held for two years on spying charges.

It was also a U-2 that took the photographs of Soviet missiles being put into Cuba in October 1962.

Defence experts say the original U-2 aircraft were highly unsafe and 80-90% of them eventually crashed or were shot down.

But later versions, the U-2R and U-2S, though 40% bigger, are much more reliable.

Of the estimated 35 currently in service, five have crashed and another has been badly damaged.

One of the incidents involved a crash near the South Korean capital, Seoul, in 2003.

In that incident, the pilot managed to eject safely and suffered only minor injuries.

However, three people on the ground were wounded when the plane exploded as it hit a residential area in Hwasong City in Kyonggi province, damaging a house and car repair shop.
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"I can just punch holes in paper for sooo long before I want to see something blow up/fall down "
- Boomer 5th May 2005

Author:  boomer [ 22 Jun 2005, 14:02 ]
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Long range recon can be remarkably demanding on a human pilot.

<img src=newicons/smiley_salute.gif border=0 align=middle>

Fighting For Justice With Brains Of Steel !
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Author:  Dutchy [ 22 Jun 2005, 15:07 ]
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<img src=newicons/smiley_salute.gif border=0 align=middle> for the pilot's family.
When I put this topic active, was there no news. And now, when I put mine text is there more..........sad news.

Salute
Dutchy

Termites do it in the dark!
(47FS Barksdale afb)

Author:  TheBigThug [ 22 Jun 2005, 15:23 ]
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<img src=newicons/smiley_salute.gif border=0 align=middle>

TR-1-U2R/S is a Difficult aircraft to fly and has a very Tight Manuever control limits/schedule. It is so difficult thateven with the stability augmentation modifications over the years, It is still a handful for a well skilled pilot on a "perfect weather" day.I am not implying pilot error.I suspect a mechanical failure happaned during the critical approach.



"The greatest pleasure is to vanquish your enemies, to chase them before you, to rob them of their wealth, to see their near and dear bathed in tears, to ride their horses and sleep on the white bellies of their wives and daughters."
-Genghis Khan

Edited by - thebigthug on Jun 22 2005 2:30 PM

Author:  boomer [ 22 Jun 2005, 15:38 ]
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Mach and stall speeds at those altitudes are so close that there isnt much room for error, that's what brought Powers down.

Fighting For Justice With Brains Of Steel !
<img src="http://publish.hometown.aol.com/boomer0400/images/wooplate.jpg" border=0>

Author:  30mike-mike [ 23 Jun 2005, 05:21 ]
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<img src=newicons/smiley_salute.gif border=0 align=middle>When you consider the age of the airframe, you once again have to give kudos to Kelly, Lockheed and all the maintainers over the years. He was about 17 miles from final.

"Duct tape is like the Force. It has a light side, a dark side, and it holds the universe together...." - Carl Zwanzig

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