What’s UP? That was a decent movie, IMO
It hit an Afghan wedding.
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If aliens exist does that increase or decrease the likelihood of this universe being a simulation?
He was always trying to tell us!
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Depends on if they look like any aliens portrayed in our popular culture.
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So, definitely aliens then.
Let me tell you: it wasn’t just a coincidence.
What a shot
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Yep, looks right.
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Holy shit that photo is amazing. I thought we retired the U2 40 years ago?
Skydiver I’m sure can speak with more authority on this, but I think the U-2 can do things no other plane can do, so it’s still in service. Similar I think in some ways to the B-52.
I was looking again at this pic and I had a thought that I bet that pilot was just tickled pink to be chosen to fly that mission. It looks like a fun one!
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So basically, the only aircraft with the capability to carry two different types of reconnaissance sensor suites (meaning, choose two of the following: radar, signals intelligence, electronic intelligence, and visual intelligence/video) at the altitudes required to be effective is the U-2. The Global Hawk can go high and far, but can only carry one suite. The RC-135 variants can carry multiple, but can’t go high enough.
The airframe flying now was a rebuild and update of the original 1950’s platform (a second manufacturing run was done in the 1980s). A glass cockpit upgrade was done in 2020.
The Francis Gary Powers incident is the most famous, but did you know that there was actually one death due to enemy fire during the Cuban Missile Crisis? U-2 Pilot Maj. Rudolf Anderson was shot down on Oct 27th, 1962.
Also, you may see max altitude numbers posted online, but they are not correct. The actual max altitude and other flight specs of the plane are still classified.
One of the coolest things I ever got to do in the AF was ride in a U-2 landing chase car (at the time it was a Trans Am).
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What does land a chase car mean
(obviously not my video)
The U-2 only has 2 landing gear, and you really need to touch both at the same time. It’s probably the most challenging plane to land, well, ever.
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Also of note, the little detachable wheels they put on at the end of that video stay there until the plane lifts off. As it does the takeoff roll, they detach and just roll to a stop on the ground while the plane flies away
Beats the hell out running follow spot for Glenn fucking Campbell at the Auburn PAC back in high school.