and thermals died down he ew one
no- ap landing and talked me through
my rst attempt to a full stop. I then
zigzagged back to the ramp, searching for
the elusive taxiway centerline, and shut
down the engine.
I rode in the back of the El Camino,
watching ‘the Goat’ grow smaller, hoping
it wouldn’t be the last time I would see
her. She was the greatest challenge that
I’d ever faced in my ying career until then
and, as it turned out, the rest of the 16,000
ight hours that I would accumulate
during my lifetime.
Back at the squadron ‘PF’ told me to take
a break as he and ‘Snake’ disappeared
behind a door in the operations o ce. My
mind was racing as I wandered aimlessly
around the squadron. Had I made it?
The ight seemed to have gone fairly
well, although it was short. Did I have
what it took to be accepted into this elite
program? Eventually I was summoned.
Knocking on the closed door I was asked
to enter, where I found ‘Snake’ and ‘PF’
sitting at a small conference table upon
which sat three beers. ‘They both stood
up and asked if I was still interested in the
U-2 program, to which I responded with
something like, ‘You bet your ass I am.’
‘Snake’ smiled, ‘Well then, welcome to the
squadron, Rick.’
They informed me that my acceptance
rides were about average, but I was too
happy to care. ‘Snake’ said some pilots ewthree rides and realized that ying 10-12-
hour missions in such a con ned space
in what they considered a deathtrap was
not for them. Others threw in the towel
after their rst or second ride and many
couldn’t get the hang of the landing at all.
The ‘bad cop’ instructional technique from
‘PF’ was designed to evaluate my desire
to be a part of the program while seeing
if I had what it took to think on my own
under pressure and adapt to the demands
required to become a ‘Deuce driver’.
Of course, I still had to make it through
my initial mission quali cation in the
U-2C and U-2R respectively before being
turned loose on top-secret operational
missions. I now found out that only
between 10 and 15 per cent of pilots
applying for an interview ever become
operational U-2 pilots. Also, that I
wouldn’t be considered a U-2 pilot by
most in this close-knit fraternity until
I returned from my rst operational
deployment with a clean record. With
that, we adjourned to the bar where ‘PF’
announced to all that they had a new
pilot in the squadron. The resounding
cheer warmed my heart. Obviously I
had a long road ahead to prove myself
worthy to this squadron and it would be
eight months before I would be strapped
into ‘the Goat’ once again for initial
quali cation training.
I still had many more obstacles to
clear. The rst was being custom- ttedto the two vastly di erent pressure
suits required by air force regulations
for ights above 50,000ft. Hidden
in the suit- t was a ploy to test for
claustrophobia whereby the applicant
was left alone reclined in a windowless
room while the PSD technicians went
on a ‘break’, turning o all the lights.
The pilot was monitored via infra-red
camera for 20 minutes. Many, like
myself, simply went to sleep. Those
who couldn’t handle the darkness were
shown the door.
After a meeting with the hospital
commander and his panel reviewing my
medical history, the astronaut physical
was administered. It lasted an entire day
encompassing dozens of tests, any of
which could be grounds for elimination
and possibly loss of ying status. This
was followed by psychological testing
and an interview by a psychiatrist.
Most important was the acceptance
of the fellow U-2 pilots, all of whom
were given the interviewee’s name in
advance of his invitation and saw how
he interacted during the two-week
acceptance process. Any traits which
didn’t t the kindred spirit of this tight-
knit group were grounds for elimination.
Thankfully, I was accepted.NEXT MONTH
Operations with the ‘Dragon Lady’.The U-2 is
a sprightly
performer
on take-off,
illustrated by this
recent shot of a
U-2S at Beale.
Gert Kromhout‘SKUNK WORKS’ AT 75 // U-2 ‘DRAGON LADY’
92 July 2018 //^ http://www.combataircraft.net
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