August 2016 - Beale Air Force
Base, located in California, is home to the U-2. This aircraft was
originally designed to fly high-altitude intelligence, surveillance
and reconnaissance missions during the Cold War to gather
intelligence on opposition forces.
Today, the U-2S flies in support of a
variety of missions from ground combat to disaster relief. A
“mobile” follows behind the aircraft in a chase car to assist the
pilot with altitude and position calls. Mobiles are U-2 pilots who
assist during taxi, takeoff and landing.
While on missions, U-2 pilots often see a
natural occurrence called the terminator line. According to the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), it's a line
that separates day and night. It is also referred to as the "grey
line" and the "twilight zone." It is a fuzzy line due to our
atmosphere bending sunlight. This "ah ha" moment is a beautiful
reminder of how small we are when skimming the edge of space ... and
seeing beyond the horizon as it curves to the other side of the
earth.
U.S. Air Force video by Andrew
Breese, Airman Magazine Video edited by USA
Patriotism!
