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U-2 demo with Dodge Charger chase car at RIAT 2025
Filmed by our friend Dafydd Phillips, the cool video in this post shows the US Air Force (USAF) U-2 spy plane demo with a Dodge Charger chase car at Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) 2025.
‘RAF Fairford is pretty much the European Base of the legendary U-2S Dragon Lady Spy Plane so it was only fitting for the United States Air Force put on a display of how this aircraft gets in and out of the air with the aid of the Dodge Charger chase car being driven by another U-2 pilot. Enjoy the video,’ Phillips says.
Noteworthy since Lockheed’s U-2S spy planes are famously difficult to launch and land because of their extremely poor field of vision, a chase car that can keep up with them is required on the ground. For this reason, the U-2 chase car must feature a top speed of 140 mph.
Interesting to see, as the Dragon Lady comes down to land, rolling slowly to a halt, one wing flops to the ground, then the truck with the pogo wheels comes along and fits them in for the aircraft to taxi on round to its apron position on the airbase.
High-altitude/near space reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft
The U-2S is a single-seat, single-engine, high-altitude/near space reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft providing signals, imagery, and electronic measurements and signature intelligence, or MASINT. Long and narrow wings give the U-2 glider-like characteristics and allow it to quickly lift heavy sensor payloads to unmatched altitudes, keeping them there for extended periods of time. The U-2 is capable of gathering a variety of imagery, including multi-spectral electro-optic, infrared, and synthetic aperture radar products which can be stored or sent to ground exploitation centers. In addition, it also supports high-resolution, broad-area synoptic coverage provided by the optical bar camera producing traditional film products which are developed and analyzed after landing.
The U-2 also carries a signals intelligence payload. All intelligence products except for wet film can be transmitted in near real-time anywhere in the world via air-to-ground or air-to-satellite data links, rapidly providing critical information to combatant commanders. MASINT provides indications of recent activity in areas of interest and reveals efforts to conceal the placement or true nature of man-made objects.
The most difficult aircraft in the world to fly
Routinely flown at altitudes over 70,000 feet, the U-2 pilot must wear a full pressure suit similar to those worn by astronauts. The low-altitude handling characteristics of the aircraft and bicycle-type landing gear require precise control inputs during landing; forward visibility is also limited due to the extended aircraft nose and “taildragger” configuration.
A second U-2 pilot normally “chases” each landing in a high-performance vehicle, assisting the pilot by providing radio inputs for altitude and runway alignment. These characteristics combine to earn the U-2 a widely accepted title as the most difficult aircraft in the world to fly.
Photo credit: Dafydd Phillips
