Lockheed U-2

Episode 858

The Lockheed U-2 spy plane on its 70th anniversary, Boeing workers strike the St. Louis plant, the NTSB hearing on the DCA mid-air collision, and Injuries due to air turbulence. Also, Micah and Capt. Dana meet up and record the conversation, and news about this year’s Cranky Dorkfest.

Aviation News

U-2 Just Set New Records On The 70th Anniversary Of Its First Flight

Lockheed proposed the U-2 Dragon Lady spy plane in 1953, it was approved in 1954, and its first test flight took place in 1955, seventy years ago. According to ATC radio traffic, the U-2 just set several records, including an “endurance record for category and class for aircraft.” During the Cold War era, the U-2 flew over the Soviet Union, China, Vietnam, and Cuba. Gary Powers was shot down in a CIA U-2 by a surface-to-air missile over the Soviet Union in 1960. Major Rudolf Anderson Jr. was shot down in 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

The Lockheed Martin U-2 Dragon Lady in flight. — U-2 Dragon Lady, courtesy Lockheed Martin.

‘Double Trouble’ Boeing F-47 NGAD Problems the Air Force Never Saw Coming

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) recommended that members accept Boeing’s four-year contract offer for the St. Louis plant. Instead, union membership voted to authorize a strike, potentially disrupting the production of Boeing aircraft.

IAM District 837 Members in St. Louis Reject Latest Boeing Offer, Strike for Fair Contract

Approximately 3,200 highly-skilled IAM Union members at Boeing facilities in St. Louis voted to reject a modified four-year labor agreement with Boeing. This vote follows members’ rejection of Boeing’s earlier proposal on Sunday, July 27.

FAA planning more helicopter route changes after fatal collision

At a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigative heari