aviation

Big changes in the U-2  eet started

occurring in 1981 with the introduction of

the TR-1A (TR – Tactical Reconnaissance).

This specialised Dragon Lady was designed

for European NATO requirements, with

specialised sensors to pinpoint battle eld

stationary and moving targets in real-time

with the Advanced Synthetic Aperture

Radar (ASARS II) and thus was not wired

to perform the numerous other missions of

the more capable U-2R. By 1989, 25 TR-1As

and three two-seat TR-1Bs had been built

and deployed, requiring a separate training

squadron at Beale to deploy pilots to RAF

Alconbury. There was also an in ux of U-2R

pilots to meet the demands of growing OLs

and dets. The new two-seat TR-1Bs (later

becoming TU-2Ss) had become our primary

trainer and the ornery U-2CTs put out to

pasture after decades of service.

The year went extremely fast and was

highlighted by lots of  ying in both the U-

and T-38 companion trainer. I also took

command of Det 5 at Patrick AFB, Florida,

for a month that left Bubba running the show

back at Beale.

TAKING COMMAND

In May 1990, I was called into the wing

commander’s office and offered the command

of the 99th SRS. It was the proudest moment

of my military career and I gratefully accepted.

I fully understood my responsibility to lead by

example and care for the 35 pilots, six staff

officer mission planners and seven non-

commissioned support officers as well as their

families and did not accept that charge lightly.

While many new duties fell under my

purview, the most important was assuring

that every Dragon Lady pilot that I sent to

one of our detachments for a 70-day tour

was con dent of his abilities, trained to the

highest standards and understood the unique

dangers associated with each location.

Piloting very long duration missions in a

pressure suit, in the most valuable single-

seat national asset in existence, required

excellent physical and mental health, intense

concentration and instant decision-making

abilities not common to all pilots. Maintaining

high morale, despite hazardous deployments

approaching 285 days a year, was a cinch for

the ‘drivers’ who lived to  y, but could become

problematical for the wives and girlfriends left

behind. Communications before the advent

of Skype and smartphones were limited to

‘snail-mail’, leaving me as a single point of

contact, should problems arise on the home

front. When this happened, they were often

settled by arranging a secure encrypted

telephone chat for the couples in my office

over the ‘Bat-Phone’.

I was also the preferred contact

of the detachment commanders

when a problem occurred that

I could take directly to the wing

commander, bypassing bureaucratic

red tape from higher headquarters

while garnering important support

from the ‘Wing-King’. Whether it was

equipment or personnel problems, I had the

boss’ ear a minimum of  ve days a week at

daily stand-up meetings and weekends as

needed. It often seemed that these informal

lines of communication got results quicker

than through the chain of command.

DETACHMENTS

By the time I took my post in the 99th,

the Berlin Wall was crumbling, along

with the realisation that the mega-billions

spent on TR-1 production, hardened

hangars, operational facilities and family

housing at Alconbury were no longer

needed to defend the eastern front.

Due to this turn of events, the TR-1s

were cycled back to the US through the

Skunk Works to metamorphose into

U-2R models. Extra hangar space was

constructed at Beale to accommodate

the in ux of airframes.

Prior to work starting in 1994 on a new

variant, rumours were rife of an upgraded

version which would become the U-2S.

This was welcome news to all the dets, as

they were notorious for amassing hours

on airframes with nine-plus hour missions

commonplace. Their locations each met a

strategic need, with some much harder on

the airframes and engines than others, so

the news of a revamped U-2 was met with

great anticipation.

20 Aviation News incorporating Jets November 2018

The Iraq/Iran border as seen from altitude over the right super pod and wing tip. Jeff Olesen

A Senior Span-equipped U-2R returns to King Fahd AB in Taif, Saudi Arabia, following a

12-plus hour mission during Operation Desert Shield. Note the extensive antenna array on

the underside of the fuselage. Author’s Archives