The U2 is a TU-2, which is a 2 seat training variant. It's flying around the same airfield and maintaining low altitude and speed. Just touch-and-go pilot training.
I did note 2 E-6B's that took off close together and heading West on the same flight path. Could be heading to California to assume primary and secondary alert or something altogether different. No idea yet.
Yeah, Beale is home base for the U2's and the training site for their pilots. I don't think we'll ever see a U2 with its transponder on during forward operations overseas unless in a case of pilot error (forgetting to turn it off) since the U2 is a signals collection intelligence asset.
The U2 is a TU-2, which is a 2 seat training variant. It's flying around the same airfield and maintaining low altitude and speed. Just touch-and-go pilot training.
I did note 2 E-6B's that took off close together and heading West on the same flight path. Could be heading to California to assume primary and secondary alert or something altogether different. No idea yet.
I have seen it over central CA for the last few weeks.
Yeah, Beale is home base for the U2's and the training site for their pilots. I don't think we'll ever see a U2 with its transponder on during forward operations overseas unless in a case of pilot error (forgetting to turn it off) since the U2 is a signals collection intelligence asset.