This is a short piece that I couldn’t resist. The Pentagon has released a remarkable photograph taken from the cockpit of a U2 spy plane that was sent aloft to investigate the Chinese “weather” balloon that drifted across Canada and the US and was ultimately shot down off the coast of South Carolina on February 4. Recovered debris from this balloon is currently being investigated. According to US defence officials the payload has been found.
The U2 has valuable capacities to reconnoitre the balloon, including its ability to fly at the edge of the atmosphere for long periods of time.
I must confess to being in awe of these aircraft ever since the CIA treated a group of conference attendees to a demonstration flight in 1998, conducted in conjunction with a major historical symposium held at the National Defence University and extraordinary release of historical records about the U-2 program (which dates back to the early 1950s!)
For a note about the symposium (by George Tenet, the then Director of the CIA) and links to some articles and the documentary releases, see:
https://www.cia.gov/resources/csi/studies-in-intelligence/studies-in-intelligence-winter-1998-1999/the-u-2-program-the-dcis-perspective/
You can find the U2 photograph here. Apparently, it’s all the talk of the Pentagon!:
https://www.airandspaceforces.com/pentagon-releases-selfie-of-u-2-pilot-with-chinese-spy-balloon/
There is also a neat video based on the photograph put out by the space.com, here:
https://www.space.com/chinese-spy-balloon-u-2-spy-plane-selfie-photo
The photograph first found its way to Chris Pocock, an expert on the U2 spy plane (code-named :”Dragon Lady”). His website is full of information about the history and deployment of these remarkable aircraft (essentially a high altitude glider with jet engines and various sensor packages).
https://dragonladytoday.com/2023/02/21/the-u-2-and-balloons-some-history-and-some-thoughts/
Unless you are in the IMINT business and this is old hat, enjoy the story. If you are wondering whether the RCAF ever owned or flew any U2s (or any other strategic spy planes during the Cold War, or later), I have to disappoint you. The answer is no.