After doing some research after the recent Tom Hanks film re Gary Powers, I found an amazing amount of declassified information on the U2 program, including all the actual flight paths. Google is your friend.
From: Aus-soaring [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Mike Borgelt Sent: Friday, 11 March 2016 9:55 AM To: Discussion of issues relating to Soaring in Australia. Subject: Re: [Aus-soaring] perlan/U-2 John MacArthur's flight was IIRC 3 flights before the Powers shootdown. He launched out of Norway and recovered in Turkey after 9 hours with about 5 minutes fuel left. I asked him how he got the job. He'd been flying Hawker Hunters in the RAF and was asked if he'd like to fly an interesting aircraft. Next he was in the US learning to fly the U-2. The Americans were nervous about flying their people over the USSR, the Brits wanted to know what was going on over there too so agreed to provide personnel for some flights. They had done this late 1940s/early 50s when they borrowed some B-45 Tornado bombers and flew over the USSR including Moscow. Now think about flying a single engine, sort of experimental aircraft deep over the territory of a hostile power in 1959 and those people are doing thier best to shoot you down. The U-2 pilots used to watch the Migs climbing up and stalling out. As I said. If you haven't already done so I'd also recommend Brian Schul's books "Sled driver" and "the Untouchables" about flying the SR-71. The latter has a section where he and his backseater flew the pre, strike day and post strike reconnaissance on the 1986 Libyan raid. Starts off ingressing at IIRC Mach3.2 at 79000 feet, climbing slowly and slightly behind the fuel consumption line. So he pushed it up a little when a radar found them. Then some more as it began acquisition (they figured the Libyans were pissed off and waiting for them). Ends with seeing the water ahead and glancing at the Machmeter which was reading numbers "large,scary and new to our experience". It also made up to the fuel line. Still an amazing aircraft. Mike At 10:34 PM 3/10/2016, you wrote: Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_005C_01D17B25.754249E0" Content-Language: en-au Hi Mike, Big Brass ones ? Is this guy now a pawnbroker? OK, OK, just joking; PLEASE tell us more. Gary From: Aus-soaring [ mailto:[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> ] On Behalf Of Mike Borgelt Sent: Thursday, 10 March 2016 6:13 PM To: Dave Donald; Discussion of issues relating to Soaring in Australia. Subject: Re: [Aus-soaring] perlan Yes, he's still around too. Living in Toowoomba. He told us all about his flight over the USSR. Big, brass ones. Mike At 04:12 PM 3/10/2016, you wrote: Wow. My interest was piqued when I saw 'RAF U2'. Got on line and saw an article in the independent.co.uk which names Mr MacArthur. What a fascinating bloke he would be talk to! Sent from Yahoo7 Mail on Android <https://overview.mail.yahoo.com/mobile/?.src=Android> On Thu, 10 Mar, 2016 at 4:00 pm, Mike Cleaver < [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > wrote: The figures quoted in the article are the officially admitted FAI records they hold. Unofficially higher flights were " classified " information, but the F4 Phantom did a zoom climb to 104,000 ft at least once. Wombat Sent from Wombat's iPad On 10 Mar 2016, at 12:48, Mike Borgelt < [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > wrote: Apart from the bit about recreational glider pilots avoiding mountain wave, the late model U-2 easily goes straight to 74,000 feet. There was an article in AW&ST about it years ago where they flew an editor from the magazine in a two seater. The A-12 (early single seat version)/SR71 was apparently tested to 91,000 feet or so. Kelly Johnson told them not to push their luck any higher. Got that from Pat Halloran who used to fly U-2 and SR71. I sure hope the Perlan guys have their meteorology right. John MacArthur, former RAF U-2 pilot who lives in Toowoomba told be it was always smooth as a baby's bottom at 70,000 feet. He did say they avoided thunderstorms and known turbulence. Mike At 11:33 AM 3/10/2016, you wrote: Even the aviation press doesn't always get things right. https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/perlan-2-glider-starts-cabin-pres surisation-tests-422970/ Mike Borgelt Instruments - design & manufacture of quality soaring instrumentation since 1978 www.borgeltinstruments.com <http://www.borgeltinstruments.com/> tel: 07 4635 5784 overseas: int+61-7-4635 5784 mob: 042835 5784 : int+61-42835 5784 P O Box 4607, Toowoomba East, QLD 4350, Australia _______________________________________________ Aus-soaring mailing list [email protected] http://lists.base64.com.au/listinfo/aus-soaring Borgelt Instruments - design & manufacture of quality soaring instrumentation since 1978 www.borgeltinstruments.com <http://www.borgeltinstruments.com/> tel: 07 4635 5784 overseas: int+61-7-4635 5784 mob: 042835 5784 : int+61-42835 5784 P O Box 4607, Toowoomba East, QLD 4350, Australia _______________________________________________ Aus-soaring mailing list [email protected] http://lists.base64.com.au/listinfo/aus-soaring _______________________________________________ Aus-soaring mailing list [email protected] http://lists.base64.com.au/listinfo/aus-soaring _______________________________________________ Aus-soaring mailing list [email protected] http://lists.base64.com.au/listinfo/aus-soaring Borgelt Instruments - design & manufacture of quality soaring instrumentation since 1978 www.borgeltinstruments.com <http://www.borgeltinstruments.com/> tel: 07 4635 5784 overseas: int+61-7-4635 5784 mob: 042835 5784 : int+61-42835 5784 P O Box 4607, Toowoomba East, QLD 4350, Australia _______________________________________________ Aus-soaring mailing list [email protected] http://lists.base64.com.au/listinfo/aus-soaring Borgelt Instruments - design & manufacture of quality soaring instrumentation since 1978 www.borgeltinstruments.com <http://www.borgeltinstruments.com/> tel: 07 4635 5784 overseas: int+61-7-4635 5784 mob: 042835 5784 : int+61-42835 5784 P O Box 4607, Toowoomba East, QLD 4350, Australia
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