@ San Francisco, CA
October 2025
One of the performers at the 2025 San Francisco Fleet Week airshow was this classic spyplane from Beale AFB, home of the 9th Reconnaissance Wing which operates all the USAF U-2 assets. The paint on a U-2 is difficult to maintain. Because the U-2’s skin is so thin, the wings actually flex and “oil-can” during flight. This causes the specialized matte black paint to crack and peel over time, requiring constant “touch-up” work.
First flown in 1955, this iconic aircraft has been continually evolving. The U-2R, first flown in 1967, was significantly larger and more capable than the original aircraft. Subsequent engine upgrades resulted in the current U-2S designation. The difficulty experienced by the pilots flying the U-2 led to it being called the “Dragon Lady”, because the aircraft was extremely unforgiving (either dancing with a lady or fighting a dragon). 104 U-2 aircraft were produced from 1955–1989.
