23-03-2022

[big john]

Black 01 working 252.875 climbing fl190 requesting direct ROPAL

[JB87]

Dragon 86 calling ops, non secure.

[Rob666]

Is this one arriving.

[JB87]

Yes, 50mins out

[njjarvis]

Just seen over Cirencester on the way in

[Reubenacott]

Bye bye 80-1081

[zero_gravity]

As this is a "domestic" flight I can confirm its tracking towards Valley ,just gone through 45k

[zero_gravity]

And now turned towards the N wales coast for MAC

[luxto]

Welcome to Fairford 80-1076/BB r - a very fresh looking airframe in non- mission configuration.

[big john]

Black 01 checking in on 270.050 fl600

[f14stumpy]

Is this a first visit to Fairford for 076?
I for one have not seen it.

[mushbuster]

Stumpy, no, it has been at Fairford a number of times already, last one on my record is May 19. Pretty sure all the existing single seat U-2s and at least one of the two seaters (as a single seater) have been through Fairford, also a couple that have since been written off

[page_verify]

All the USAF's single seat jets have been through here in the last 12 years, some more often than others. I don't know if people will count the new 099 as a new aircraft if we ever see it though?

[luxto]

Is this a first visit to Fairford for 076?
I for one have not seen it.

This was 076's 16th visit to Fairford.

[EGLL_EGGW-Spotter]

80-1081 hasn't been in since 10th March

So would've been something else departed on DRAGON21

[luxto]

80-1081 hasn't been in since 10th March

So would've been something else departed on DRAGON21

081 arrived on the 7th March - todays departure is the first time it has flown since then.

[tm74sqn]

'081 seems to have arrived as 'Dragon 31' on 7 March and departed as 'Dragon 21' today. Not sure, but I believe that it arrived from 'the east', possibly had a technical problem at some point, but continued to the USA today. Is that correct?

[luxto]

'081 seems to have arrived as 'Dragon 31' on 7 March and departed as 'Dragon 21' today. Not sure, but I believe that it arrived from 'the east', possibly had a technical problem at some point, but continued to the USA today. Is that correct?

As for the technical problem - maybe, otherwise correct.

[luxto]

Stumpy, no, it has been at Fairford a number of times already, last one on my record is May 19. Pretty sure all the existing single seat U-2s and at least one of the two seaters (as a single seater) have been through Fairford, also a couple that have since been written off

I've seen 34 U-2/TR-1's at Fairford - that's the total number which have visited or been on TDY. Unless RIAT works a miracle and gets a double bubble over (80-1064, 065 and 091 haven't been to Fairford) that number will stay the same. The single seater which was converted to a trainer was 80-1078 - 17th RW TR-1A Fairford IAT July'85.

[page_verify]

The two-seaters were operated ten years ago under a USAF owned/LMCO operated contract that didn't allow them to leave CONUS, rather than as USAF owned/USAF operated supported by LMCO in CONUS and OCONUS. I don't know if that's since changed to allow a UK visit.