The Lockheed U-2, also known as the "Dragon Lady," is one of the most challenging aircraft to land due to its unique design and high-altitude capabilities. With its long, glider-like wings and limited ...

The U-2’s ability to reach 70,000 feet—an altitude that most modern fighter jets cannot match—came about after a series of remarkable design innovations.

For most people today, the "Dragon Lady" more than likely conjures up images of Daenerys Targaryen from the hit HBO fantasy series, "Game of Thrones." But long before that show ever aired, and even ...

The U-2 Dragon Lady, one of the most famous warplanes in history, isn't just hard to fly; it's brutal to land as well. Designed to soar at 70,000 feet and gather intelligence from miles above, the ...

Forbes writer Jim Clash en route to 70,000 feet in a U-2 spy plane, Beale AFB, August 21, 2024. It’s extremely rare for a civilian - even a journalist - to score an edge-of-space ride in the backseat ...

A few years ago, I visited Beale AFB near Sacramento, California, for a series of Forbes stories about operations there (links below). The military base is home to the venerable U-2 and a fleet of ...

The Navy made significant modifications to the U-2 to enhance the high-flying aircraft’s ability to land aboard a carrier. This article is the first in a two-part series on “Operation Whale Tail,” the ...

Two U-2 pilots, including a Wisconsin native, share rare insights on the legendary spy plane’s enduring legacy and relevance in today’s battlespace. EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2025 drew a record-breaking ...

Flying from Beale AFB, a Lockheed U-2 aircraft, using the specially chosen callsign DRAGON 70, was heard communicating with ATC about a plan to set an endurance and altitude record for the ‘category ...

Not many 70-year-olds can set endurance or distance records. But the U-2 spy plane did both on July 31. It took off from Beale Air Force Base in California and flew a zig-zag lap around the ...

The Air Force has a mythical sky beast known as the Lockheed Martin U-2 Dragon Lady — a jet with such efficiency and performance that it's still being used since it was commissioned during the Cold ...