It is 70 years since the U-2 first took to the skies. The wheels of this extraordinary jet left the ground on 1st August 1955 from a remote dry lakebed in Nevada, flown by famous Lockheed test pilot Tony LeVier. Actually, that flight was brief and unintentional, since only a fast taxi run had been planned. The ‘real’ first flight took place four days later. But as generations of U-2 pilots have also since found, ‘The Angel’ wanted to soar with very little encouragement. And was reluctant to return to earth.
Today, the compressed timescale of the U-2’s design, development, flight test and deployment seems incredible. The renowned Lockheed Skunk Works chief Kelly Johnson offered a preliminary design to the government in March 1954. His revised design was approved and the go-ahead given in late November 1954. Only eight months later, the prototype was airlifted to the test site. After the first flight, it was less than six months before the first group of operational pilots arrived there for training. Four months later, in May1956, they were flying the still-secret spyplane in Europe. On 20th June the U-2 penetrated the ‘Iron Curtain’ of eastern Europe for the first time. On 4th July 1956 came the first overflight of the Soviet Union.
Between 1955 and 1959, Lockheed built 55 U-2s for the CIA and the USAF. The last of them was retired in 1987, by which time an enlarged and improved version had already been flying for 20 years. Before production of these ended in 1989, a total of 49 had been built. Two-thirds of them are still in service.
The Dragon Lady has been threatened with retirement at least five times. But still it flies vital reconnaissance missions around the globe. The end may now be in sight, but who knows for sure?
The 70th anniversary will be celebrated with two invitation-only events. On 31st July, Skunk Works employees, senior leadership from Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, and their guests will gather at Palmdale in the hangar where U-2s are overhauled. The centerpiece of the ceremony will be 80-1099, a jet that has been expertly restored after languishing in storage for 16 years following a ground accident.
On the 1st August the Dragon Lady Association will mark the auspicious birthday with a BBQ at Beale AFB, the USAF’s home base for the U-2 in the 9th Reconnaissance Wing. The next day, there will be a pool party at the nearby Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.
I have been invited to these events, and will report on them here as soon as I have recovered!
The public has already had the opportunity to join in the celebrations. There was an Open House and Airshow at Beale last month. Earlier this month, both the U-2s that are based at RAF Fairford in the UK participated in the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT), the world’s largest military airshow. Last week, a U-2 was present all week in the static park at Oshkosh, the huge fly-in and gathering of warbirds and sport, experimental, business and general aviation aircraft. Enjoy the photos below!
ADDED 30 JULY: I have just become aware of this magnificent video of the U-2 flying display at RIAT by Daffyd Phillips.
Dragon Lady Today 
The U-2is an awesome aircraft it still does not beat the SR-71 for a number of reasons.
I lived at Beale AFB with the SR-71, then going to Davis-Monthan AFB back in the early 70s where the U-2. was at, it seemed benign at the time .
talent was required for both, more for the U-2 to land, however it will be remembered for a number of other reasons.
I have been around longer than the U-2, it’s just a shame that they think they have to retire it like they did SR-71.
They might just come to hate themselves for retiring it like the SR -71.
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The A-12 and SR-71 were designed to replace the U-2, but the A-12 was retired after a few years in service and the SR-71 was taken out of service in the 1990s due to the low operating cost of the U-2.
The U-2 was able to adapt to the post-Cold War security environment by being fitted with newer sensors, including a satellite data link, and the F118 turbofan. However, the U-2 along with the RQ-4 are not suited for operations in contested airspace, which is why the “RQ-180” was developed for the penetrating ISR role.
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Sounds like its going to be two very entertaining U-2 Dragon Lady events
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Thanks very much for a very interesting article.
Kind regards,
Sandy McLuckie.
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Are the ground crew who handle the U2 at Fairford USAF or “contractors” ?
Both. Quite a few from LM ADP etc, but also USAF troops on TDY
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My Father was a U2 Pilot in 54-55; he was number 46 solo; I am so proud of him; it was such a secret in those times and you are flying high but sitting on a gas can while you do it!
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Almost no one in 1955 or 1956 could imagine that the U-2 would outlive not just the Cold War and USSR but also the SR-71 and Archangel-12 that were designed to replace the U-2.
The average age of the U-2 fleet currently in service is younger than the B-52H and KC-135 fleets, in which case the U-2 has been flying for more than half a century and yet the U-2s operating at the moment were built in the 1980s.
Kind regards,
Vahe
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