U-2 Dragon Lady, Explained

I saw a U-2 Dragon Lady once, in flight, descending slowly on the final approach. I felt fortunate; the U-2 is an exceedingly rare plane. 

Only 104 have ever been built, and only thirty-three are still in service, all stationed at Beale Air Force Base in northern California, where I happened to be for my Class 1A Flight Physical. I watched the U-2 for as long as I could, until it fell below the tree line, knowing I may well never see another. 

Indeed, I have not in the nine years since, and with the U-2 set for retirement in 2026, I do not expect to. Occurring behind the tree line, I would like to have watched the landing, which is regarded as one of the most difficult in military aviation.  

Landing the U-2 is difficult for several reasons. One, the U-2 lands upon a bicycle-style landing gear. Two, the U-2’s 105-foot wingspan generates so much lift, and floats so well in ground-effect, that a full stall is required to land, essentially the pilot must separate airflow from the wing and cause the plane to fall out of the sky. Landing the U-2 is so difficult, that U.S. Air Force (USAF) protocol requires a chase car to trail the jet onto the runway, calling out directions as the pilot glides the jet back to Earth.  

A Rare Sighting 

My U-2 sighting was probably about the equivalent of a birder spotting the ultra-rare Andean Condor, or something similarly elusive. The limited production quantity of the U-2, in part, explains the rareness of sighting the jet, as does the very nature of the U-2: a Cold War spy plane. The U-2 was not meant to be observed.  

The U-2 is renowned for its ability to soar at high altitudes. Remarkably, the U-2 can reach altitudes over 70,000 feet, making her one of the highest-flying jets ever made, which is another reason you’re unlikely to spot a U-2. 

More often than not, the U-2 is just too high to see. I was fortunate in that I caught the U-2 coming in for a landing at the base where she happens to be stationed, which is one of the only spots on Earth where you can plan on catching a glimpse of the spy plane. 

Hard to Fly

The U-2 I saw on the final was flying very slowly, at speeds that I imagine were barely above the stall speed. But that’s pretty typical of all flight operations in the U-2. Even at 70,000 feet altitude, the U-2’s glider-like design allows for a razor-thin window within which the airframe may operate; the never-exceed speed and the stall speed are only ten knots apart. Anything outside the parameters of that ten-knot window and the U-2 was likely to suffer airflow separation and lose altitude and/or control.  

The U-2 was similarly difficult to fly at lower altitudes. 

The reason: the U-2 was designed to be flown at high altitudes with minimal air density and thus the need for very light control inputs. But at lower altitudes with higher air density, the light control inputs required physical strength and dexterous skill. 

When the U-2 is finally required, after seventy years of service, she will fade quietly. I’m glad I got to see one before she does.     

Harrison Kass is a defense and national security writer with over 1,000 total pieces on issues involving global affairs. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the US Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.

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