buglerbilly
29-05-10, 03:00 AM
Ares
A Defense Technology Blog
New Pics: Global Hawk Landing, U-2 Approach
Posted by Amy Butler at 5/28/2010 11:31 AM CDT
Beale Air Force Base, just north of Sacramento, Calif., has long been the home of high-altitude reconnaissance for the Air Force. The venerable U-2 Dragon Lady is based there, and the facility was home to the SR-71 while it was in service.
But, these days, you are seeing more and more Global Hawks at the base. Beale has taken over acceptance testing of Global Hawk Block 20/30 EISS imagery sensors to help loosen up a major bottleneck in testing at Edwards AFB, Calif.
During my visit this week, I had the unique opportunity to see a Global Hawk A model (a Block 10) land. This could possibly be classified as rare, or at least occasional. Because the aircraft lack a deicing capability, they often run into problems flying in bad weather, or clouds. Below are some pics taken from the U-2 mobile chase car.
source: Amy Butler, AVIATION WEEK
The Global Hawk program copied a tried-and-true U-2 process for landing from the U-2. The truck in the pic is the "Hawkeye." In it is a Global Hawk pilot who is required to radio into the actual pilot operating the UAV as it lands from the nearby launch-and-recovery unit. The pilot in the truck is responsible for being eyes on the ground. The mobile Hawkeye also shadows the aircraft upon takeoff and taxi.
The launch-and-recovery pilot has a flir-type camera on the nose of the Global Hawk to view the runway ahead (the display is in the launch-and-recovery unit "cockpit"), but the second pair of eyes is there to make sure nothing gets in the way of the gangly aircraft as it taxis and prepares for a mission.
After approach and touchdown, the Global Hawk simply parks at the end of the runway until the pilot provides the taxi command (which includes pre-programmed procedures). This only took a few minutes, and after it exited a runway, a tow appeared to lead the aircraft back to its hangar.
While a Global Hawk landing is quite a site, it still doesn't come close to a U-2 landing operation. I've seen several, and they are just spectacular. This picture below is simply of an approach, the pilot didn't touch down in this particular mission. He executed a quick approach before climbing for a high-flight (meaning he will reach high operational altitudes in excess of 60,000 ft.).
source: Amy Butler, AVIATION WEEK
During an actual landing a second U-2 pilot drives the mobile. And, he is a bit more than just an observer. His job is to radio up to the pilot of the aircraft and call the altitudes as the aircraft descends to the runway. This is key so that the pilot can adjust speed as necessary and land the aircraft on its bicycle style gear safely. Built to climb high and fast, Air Force pilots point to the U-2 as the hardest of its fleet to land.
But, being on mobile duty also allows the pilots to drive a Camaro or GTO in excess of 100 mi. per hour on the runway, so it isn't a bad day off from flying. The way it works is the mobile is at the approach end of the runway, and as the U-2 descends directly over the car, the driver is already flooring it to catch up. The aircraft lands within feet of the car, and the proximity is needed to allow the mobile to call in precise altitudes -- down to a foot -- to get the aircraft on the ground.
Also, the confines of the U-2 suit and cockpit design prevent the pilot from having good visibility of the runway and surroundings, so input from the mobile is essential. This is especially true when the aircraft return to Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates after long missions over Iraq or Afghanistan -- sometimes reaching 12 hours. Pilots suffering from fatigue require the input to safely get the aircraft and its costly sensors on the ground.
Depending on the fuel distribution, the aircraft typically tips to one side, resting on a wing. Lt. Col. Alberto Cruz, a U-2 pilot, director of the 9th Reconnaissance Wing's Commander's Action Group and the mobile driver, says that on rare occasions when fuel load is even, the aircraft will actually come to a rest centered, without tipping over. In some cases, when fuel load is badly distributed, crews will actually have to stand on the empty wing to counter balance the fuel while the aircraft is brought back to its maintenance station.
Must be quite a ride!
A Defense Technology Blog
New Pics: Global Hawk Landing, U-2 Approach
Posted by Amy Butler at 5/28/2010 11:31 AM CDT
Beale Air Force Base, just north of Sacramento, Calif., has long been the home of high-altitude reconnaissance for the Air Force. The venerable U-2 Dragon Lady is based there, and the facility was home to the SR-71 while it was in service.
But, these days, you are seeing more and more Global Hawks at the base. Beale has taken over acceptance testing of Global Hawk Block 20/30 EISS imagery sensors to help loosen up a major bottleneck in testing at Edwards AFB, Calif.
During my visit this week, I had the unique opportunity to see a Global Hawk A model (a Block 10) land. This could possibly be classified as rare, or at least occasional. Because the aircraft lack a deicing capability, they often run into problems flying in bad weather, or clouds. Below are some pics taken from the U-2 mobile chase car.
source: Amy Butler, AVIATION WEEK
The Global Hawk program copied a tried-and-true U-2 process for landing from the U-2. The truck in the pic is the "Hawkeye." In it is a Global Hawk pilot who is required to radio into the actual pilot operating the UAV as it lands from the nearby launch-and-recovery unit. The pilot in the truck is responsible for being eyes on the ground. The mobile Hawkeye also shadows the aircraft upon takeoff and taxi.
The launch-and-recovery pilot has a flir-type camera on the nose of the Global Hawk to view the runway ahead (the display is in the launch-and-recovery unit "cockpit"), but the second pair of eyes is there to make sure nothing gets in the way of the gangly aircraft as it taxis and prepares for a mission.
After approach and touchdown, the Global Hawk simply parks at the end of the runway until the pilot provides the taxi command (which includes pre-programmed procedures). This only took a few minutes, and after it exited a runway, a tow appeared to lead the aircraft back to its hangar.
While a Global Hawk landing is quite a site, it still doesn't come close to a U-2 landing operation. I've seen several, and they are just spectacular. This picture below is simply of an approach, the pilot didn't touch down in this particular mission. He executed a quick approach before climbing for a high-flight (meaning he will reach high operational altitudes in excess of 60,000 ft.).
source: Amy Butler, AVIATION WEEK
During an actual landing a second U-2 pilot drives the mobile. And, he is a bit more than just an observer. His job is to radio up to the pilot of the aircraft and call the altitudes as the aircraft descends to the runway. This is key so that the pilot can adjust speed as necessary and land the aircraft on its bicycle style gear safely. Built to climb high and fast, Air Force pilots point to the U-2 as the hardest of its fleet to land.
But, being on mobile duty also allows the pilots to drive a Camaro or GTO in excess of 100 mi. per hour on the runway, so it isn't a bad day off from flying. The way it works is the mobile is at the approach end of the runway, and as the U-2 descends directly over the car, the driver is already flooring it to catch up. The aircraft lands within feet of the car, and the proximity is needed to allow the mobile to call in precise altitudes -- down to a foot -- to get the aircraft on the ground.
Also, the confines of the U-2 suit and cockpit design prevent the pilot from having good visibility of the runway and surroundings, so input from the mobile is essential. This is especially true when the aircraft return to Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates after long missions over Iraq or Afghanistan -- sometimes reaching 12 hours. Pilots suffering from fatigue require the input to safely get the aircraft and its costly sensors on the ground.
Depending on the fuel distribution, the aircraft typically tips to one side, resting on a wing. Lt. Col. Alberto Cruz, a U-2 pilot, director of the 9th Reconnaissance Wing's Commander's Action Group and the mobile driver, says that on rare occasions when fuel load is even, the aircraft will actually come to a rest centered, without tipping over. In some cases, when fuel load is badly distributed, crews will actually have to stand on the empty wing to counter balance the fuel while the aircraft is brought back to its maintenance station.
Must be quite a ride!