Posted and updated: 4 Nov 1998
U-2 News, 1996 and Earlier
- NASA's RE-ENGINED ER-2 RETURNS......NASA ER-2 #706 has been re-engined and modified to "S" specifications. It returned to Moffett on 8 November 1996 at 1330 hours, from Palmdale, CA as an ER-2S; NASA #709/#1097 is currently undergoing modification to "S" spec and will be returned in March 1997 -Lockheed Martin Skunk Works Star (12 Nov 1996 & 10 Dec 1996)
- U-2 Program Celebrates Several Milestones....Site 2 celebrated milestones of a continuing record of 6 years without accountable Foreign Object Damage, the succesful completion of the half-way point in the U-2S Production Engine Improvement Program, and the continuation of 27 years of accident free test flying, and the succesfull competion of an intensive Electronic Interference test at Edwards AFB. About 450 partook in pizza lunch, which consisted of 135 pizzas in 30 minutes. The swing shift(80 folks) polished of 25 pizzas. LMSW Star 27 Sept. 1996
- U-2 PRODUCTION MAY BE RESTARTED....Lockheed Martin is looking to re-open its U-2 reconnaissance aircraft production line on the back of potential orders for the US Air Force and the Royal Air Force. The company submitted a "data package" on the U-2 at the request of the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) in May. The U-2 will be considered as a candidate to meet the RAF's Airborne Stand-Off Radar (ASTOR) programme. The RAF's preferred solution for the ASTOR project is based around a business jet capable of carrying crew for onboard data processing. If there is a budgetary pressure on the ASTOR project then an off-the shelf procurement of the U-2 could prove attractive. Senior Lockheed Martin executives suggest a six - aircraft package would cost around $300 million. The company is also discussing the procurement of an additional batch of U-2s with the USAF. The USAF is faced with a limited number of aircraft for training, and there is also pressure on operation aircraft because of deployment and attrition. The U-2 production line was closed in 1989, but the company says that it would be easy to restart -Flight International and Steve Walker (13 Sept 1996)
- ER-2 and STARLink HelpBattle Fires in California....NASA ER-2 #709 (#1097) using the STARLink system (Satellite Telemetry and Retrun Link) is providing real-time imagery to firefighters battling forest fires in California. The system which uses off the shelf technology and the internet, allows firefighters to access realtime imagery in natural color, color infared, and the thermal region. "Using thermal imagery", says Richard Schell, Deputy Chief of Operations for California's Deparment of Forestry, "we can see through the smoke, we can view inaccessible areas, we can see old burns, active fires, boundaries and hot spots and we can view it all in realtime. This gives us a valuable new weapon in our fire-fighting toolbox". You can access the same info the firefighters can by pointing your browser to http://hawkeye.arc.nasa.gov . -NASA Press Releases and Steve Walker (6 Sept 1996)
- U-2 Crashes in Oroville, CA A U-2R #80-1088....Flown by Capt. Randy Roby, crashed in a parking lot of the Oroville Mercury Register, around 2:15pm Wednesday, August 7th. The aircraft was on a FCF after routine maintenance, when the pilot declared an inflight emergency 15 minutes into the flight. According to witness' there was flame coming from the left wing of the U-2. Capt. Roby ejected, but was found dead 2 blocks away still strapped in the ejection seat. Jerri Vering, an Oroville resident was killed as she left the building, as the plane crashed, 2 other people were injured. Capt. Roby had been in the Air Force for 9 years and was am instructor pilot and flight examination instructor. - from Reuter, and Associated Press releases, and Aviation Week & Space Tech. (8 Aug 1996)
- U-2S Cockpit Trainer......The U-2S "Cockpit Procedures Trainer"(CPT) was delivered "On Schedule". This will allow pilots to become familiar with normal and emergency procedures while safley on the ground. The CPT was built in a modular fashion to allow for easy updating in the future, and this will form the "core" for further updates in the future including, possibly a full motion simulator. LMSW Star (24 May 1996)
- NASA ER-2 #706 To Be Reengined....The NASA High Altitude Missions Branch at Ames Research Center reported that it has sent aircraft 706 to the Palmdale, CA. Lockheed Martin Skunk Works plant for re-engining. In an approximately 6 month process aircraft 706 will be refitted for the new S-model engine. -NASA Online
- USAF Is Studying Return of ER-2 from NASA....The Air Force faces a tough decision, with the need for U-2s increasing world wide the Air Force is studying the possibilty of asking NASA to return one of the the U-2s loaned to them, the ER-2 in question N708NA (USAF #80-1069/Lockheed build #068), is based at Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA.
- U-2s Leave Fairford and Redeploy to France....The three U-2s based at RAF Fairford left for their new base at Istres, France, near Marseilles. Aviation Week says that a total of 5 U-2s will be based at Istres in support of the NATO Bosnian Operations. The move will cut two hours off their round trip time and double the amount of time they can spend gathering both electronic and photo intelligence data over Bosnia. The U-2Rs arrived at Istres during the first week of January, they are being housed at an empty Dassault Aviation Hanger. Also based at Istes is the 100th Air Refueling Wing, oddly enough the 100th was formerly a U-2 unit. -Aviation Week and Space Technology (15 Jan. 1996)
- More U-2s Leave for France News.....U-2 and SR fan Steve Walker heard the last two U-2s departing from RAF Fairford on 4 January. "BOGUS 14" was perfroming a mission then recovering to Istres AB, and "Venue 11" was flying straight to Istres AB. -Steve Walker
- Capt. Erik Eliel won an ACC Award of Distinction.....For recovering a U-2 in Korea with an AC generator failure, loss of Inertial Navigation System and Heading System Indicator Indicator while in the weather, he broke through at 400 feet for a safe landing. Blackbird Assoc. (Jan 1996)
- Skunk Works Working on Proposal for British U-2s.....Lockheed Martin Skunk Works is working on a proposal for a British U-2 Airborne Standoff Radar (ASTOR). The proposal invovles new U-2s for a British reconnaissance mission, the completed proposal is expected in March 1996. -Lockheed Martin Skunk Works Star (December 1995)
- A U-2R #10338 piloted by Capt. David Hawkens experienced problems on take-off from RAF Fairford on 29 August 1995. Capt. Hawkins tried to return the U-2 to RAF Fairford, while making an emergency landing the left wingtip hit the ground, the plane then crashed and exploded into a fireball. Capt. Hawkens ejected from the aircraft at this point sustaining fatal injuries, he was taken to a local hospital, where he died later from his injuries. Capt. Hawkens appeared to stay with the aircraft so it would not impact any nearby homes and buildings. -London Telegraph & Stuart McMurtrie
- NASA's ER-2 #709 (#1097) is currently testing a real time telemetry and data transfer system. It first flew on 31 July 1995 during a 105 minute mission sendng back remote sensing imagery from a series of fires near Ft. Hunter Liggett, CA via the TDRS satellite back to NASA at Ames Research Center, CA. The antenna is housed in a faired in housing mounted on back of the ER-2. -Avaition Week & Space Technology (7 Aug. 1995)

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John