The U-2 spy plane was designed to fly at extreme altitude, not to land easily. Balanced on bicycle-style landing gear and offering pilots almost no forward visibility, the aircraft is so difficult to ...

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 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 ...

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 ...

I saw a U-2 Dragon Lady once, in flight, descending slowly on the final approach. I felt fortunate; the U-2 is an exceedingly rare plane. Only 104 have ever been built, and only thirty-three are still ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...