I want this job

[ismaelg]

As impressive as it looks, the Vette seems to only get to 3rd gear. Landing speed is about 75 knots which is roughly about 85MPH.

.. and another one, just a bit faster......

Thanks,

[beefheart22]

I remember watching a documentary on the U-2 about 10 years ago and they were driving a third-gen Z28 as the chase car. The only job cooler than driving the chase car would be flying the jet.

[RatRod]

I don't get it?? Why do they need to chase the planes?

[ismaelg]

Why do they need to chase the planes?

Because it's cool and quite a rush!

Well, actually, it is one of the hardest planes to land in the world, if not the hardest. The wingspan is huge, yet it only has landing gear in the center fuselage. It needs to be perfectly aligned in the center of the runway. Just like a bike, When it stops, it actually falls to either side. There is so much lift it doesn't want to land. You need to force it down.

The chase car is constantly telling the pilot about altitude and centerline and rudder adjustments.

This other video show less than perfect landings and takeoffs of this plane.

BEWARE of the soundtrack Lyrics may be offensive:

Thanks,

[58 Impala]

I work on Patrick AFB, I remember when the U2 was stationed here. They used to chase it with a 5.0 Mustang LX. The Vette has got to be the coolest vehicle in the Air Force's vehicle fleet.

[John E. Bowers Jr.]

Cool vid! Lyrics didn't bother me in the least, I like that tune. I work on the Patuxent River Naval Air Warfare Test Center and see a U-2 on occasion. I have had strong urges to just take my Z/28 onto runway alpha and run it to the limit. It's not worth losing my job over, though.