A U-2 Dragon Lady Pilot: From interview to altitude Published April 3, 2009 By By Airman 1st Class Chuck Broadway 9th RW Public Affairs BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, Calif., (ACCNS) -- As the darkness of the sky resonates around the equally pitch-black fuselage of a U-2 Dragon Lady, the sun rises over the curvature of the Earth. For ten hours a pilot has sat, cramped, in an astronaut suit with limited motion and the inability to take part in simple pleasures like scratching an itch or blowing his nose. The pilot recalls how he got here: the application, interview and months of training in order to join the ranks of the 99th Reconnaissance Squadron. To become a U-2 pilot, applicants must submit a package, and if selected, come to Beale to undergo a formal interview before several commanders. If all goes well, they will begin training to become a member of a very select community. Selected trainee pilots become members of the 1st Reconnaissance Squadron where all U-2 and RQ-4 Global Hawk pilots are trained. Training includes qualifications on the T-38 Talon as well as the chase cars used to aide in take-off and landings. "The training is awesome," said Capt. Neal Hinson, a 99th RS U-2 pilot. "You train mostly on your own after the initial solo flight and instructors monitor the pilot's objectives using GPS." After graduating from the 1st RS, U-2 pilots go to work for the 99th RS. A typical mission pilot spends two months flying operational missions at one of the 9th Reconnaissance Wing's deployed detachments before returning for two to three months of continuation training. Most pilots fly the T-38 twice a week and the U-2 two to three times a month. Flying the T-38 provides a less expensive way for pilots to maintain qualifications on instrumentation and aerobatic maneuvering. According to Captain Hinson, nothing compares to suiting up in the space suit and strapping into the cockpit of the timeless U-2. "It's an exhilarating experience," Captain Hinson said. "It definitely makes you feel like a man when you fire the engine and start roaring off into space. It's just brute force and a lot of fun." Amidst all the fun of flying the aircraft, there's still a job to do. The U-2 is tasked to fly high-altitude Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance missions to capture imagery of targets or possible threats. The information the U-2 collects helps decision-makers on the frontlines. "We satisfy requirements so that bombs may or may not have to be dropped," Captain Hinson said. "We find the bad guys and make sure they're dealt with appropriately, but if commanders have the right information it may not warrant weapons deployment. If they don't have the right intelligence, they won't be able to make good decisions." Pilots carry out their missions and take the glory. However behind the scenes is a small group of people who supply needed information to the pilots, and plan out their routes to an enemy target. Accompanying the pilots of the 99th RS are the mission planners, a group of approximately 12 inactive pilots whose experience in flying allow them to create flight paths and other information for the current U-2 pilots. These crew members plan flight patterns before each mission. After flights are completed, they collect charts and flight plans and store them for future missions. Items such as fuel and communication cards as well as other flight materials are placed on cardboard cutouts so pilots can handle the materials while inside the U-2 space suit. "Mission planners are hired to transform distributed ground systems products into something pilots can use to efficiently and safely collect targets," said Lt. Col. Eddie Efsic, 99th RS Mission Planning Flight commander. With the pilot suited up and strapped into the cockpit. He takes one last look at his flight plans as the engine comes to life. The coordination between he and the mission planners is spot on and he knows his job. As the plane takes to the sky, rapidly ascending into the air the pilot settles in for another long, but fulfilling mission monitoring the Earth from 70,000 feet.