U2s at Fairford
Discussion
I'm currently working at RAF Fairford (construction project so not military related) and see the U2 take off early morning and not return until late afternoon and wonder where they've been all day. I appreciate its a spy plane so by definition its not in the public domain, but does anyone have any idea where do they go for so long as you can cover quite a lot of sky in that amount of time.
The times I've caught it on Flightradar/ADSBExchange it has flown east over the Baltic Sea, then turns it's transponder off over a Danish island called Gotland (actually off the Swedish cost). I'm not sure if they still do the brazen flyovers of hostile territory or just loiter in international airspace listening.
They did use one to check out the big Chinese balloon over the US the other week.
They did use one to check out the big Chinese balloon over the US the other week.
This is the current Fairfield aircraft according to the spotters:
https://dragonladytoday.com/2022/05/14/329-my-favo...
https://dragonladytoday.com/2022/05/14/329-my-favo...
I used to spend a lot of time near to Fairford and would often go down there to photograph arrivals and departures.
Was there awaiting arrival of B52's and the U2 landed.
Really chuffed to get the pilot in his space man gear.
The people standing around the aircraft are the support team based at Fairford, it's apparently a tradition that they all come out to greet returning pilots.
U2 Pilot disembarking after a mission by Jim Pritchard, on Flickr
Was there awaiting arrival of B52's and the U2 landed.
Really chuffed to get the pilot in his space man gear.
The people standing around the aircraft are the support team based at Fairford, it's apparently a tradition that they all come out to greet returning pilots.
U2 Pilot disembarking after a mission by Jim Pritchard, on Flickr ecsrobin said:
Eric Mc said:
Similar - but not the same 
So what’s the difference between communications and communications relay? (Comms relay I’ve probably figured out) The U-2S is not normally configured, if ever, as a comms relay aircraft in the traditional sense of the meaning - reception and forwarding of comms from somewhere else to somewhere else.
Obviously, there is a strong trade in data collection and exploitation at this time.
Richie Slow said:
Yertis said:
Master Bean said:
Ooh a Monaro.
Pretty sure that'll be a Pontiac GTO.
Still cool of course.
Nice article here on the chase cars throughout the years.
https://theclassicmachines.com/2022/03/18/chasing-...
Trevatanus said:
I used to spend a lot of time near to Fairford and would often go down there to photograph arrivals and departures.
Was there awaiting arrival of B52's and the U2 landed.
Really chuffed to get the pilot in his space man gear.
The people standing around the aircraft are the support team based at Fairford, it's apparently a tradition that they all come out to greet returning pilots.
U2 Pilot disembarking after a mission by Jim Pritchard, on Flickr
Why the large number of people other than because they can?Was there awaiting arrival of B52's and the U2 landed.
Really chuffed to get the pilot in his space man gear.
The people standing around the aircraft are the support team based at Fairford, it's apparently a tradition that they all come out to greet returning pilots.
U2 Pilot disembarking after a mission by Jim Pritchard, on Flickr Gassing Station | Boats, Planes & Trains | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff