The pilots first underwent ground school, which included training in use of the pressure suit. Then flight training began. The first two flights were landing practice in a T-33. The technique used to land the U-2 was directly counter to that used in conventional aircraft.
Once this was completed, the pilots could begin flying the U-2. The initial flights would again be landing training. This was followed by high-altitude flights. Then the pilots would begin flying long-range simulated missions, lasting up to eight hours.[58] These training flights went from Groom Lake to the Allegheny Mountains and back — a flight of some 4,000 miles. [59] In all, some sixteen flights were made. As the training progressed, each pilot was evaluated.[60]
The U-2 flight training was much more extensive than that for other air force planes. The U-2 was a very demanding aircraft. The takeoff roll was only a few hundred feet. The U-2 would then go into a spectacular climb at better than a 45-degree angle. The first few times the pilots thought the U-2 would continue right over on its back. The U-2 would continue up to 60,000 feet before leveling off. Then, as fuel was used, the plane slowly climbed. The peak altitude was about 75,000 feet. This depended on both the fuel and equipment load, and on the air temperature. Between 55,000 and 60,000 feet, the air temperature could vary widely. This could cause the aircraft to climb more rapidly or even force it to descend.
Above 68,000 feet, the difference between the U-2's stall speed and its maximum speed was only 10 knots. This was called the 'coffin corner.' The aircraft could easily exceed these limits due to control inputs or pilot inat- tention. The result would be the plane tearing itself apart within seconds.
The pilot would have to maintain this balancing act for hours on end, plus navigate, operate the camera, and monitor fuel consumption. Therefore the autopilot was critical in controlling the plane.
Coming down from this lofty perch was difficult. The pilot could not simply point the nose down — the aircraft would overspeed and break up.
Rather, the throttle was eased back to idle, then the landing gear and speed brakes were deployed. Even so, the descent was very slow — a striking contrast to the rocketlike climb. As the U-2 descended, the margin between the stall and maximum speed would widen.[61]
As the aircraft approached for the landing, fuel had to be transferred to balance the wings. If one wing became too heavy, the plane could go into an uncontrollable spin. Unlike at high altitudes, where the U-2 had to be flown with a light touch, at lower altitudes, the pilot had to manhandle the plane.
Even the touchdown was critical. The pilot had to hold the long wings level, a difficult task in a crosswind. If the plane was stalled too high, it would hit the runway, bounce into the air, stall, and crash before the engine could come to full power.
The U-2 was a plane that required the pilot's complete attention every second. There was no margin for error. The flights were so exhausting that a pilot would not be allowed to fly again for two days.[62]
But, as Powers later noted, the rewards of a U-2 flight were far greater.
From altitude, above Arizona, the pilot could see from the Monterey Peninsula to midway down Baja California. Above was the blue black of space.
Powers wrote, 'Being so high gave you a unique satisfaction. Not a feeling of superiority or omnipotence, but a special aloneness.' He added, 'There was only one thing wrong with flying higher than any other man had flown. You couldn't brag about it.'[63]
The first group of pilots had the roughest time. The U-2 was barely out of the test phase and was still plagued with engine flameout problems. In one incident, Bissell received a call that a U-2 flying over the Mississippi River had suffered a flameout. The engine had apparently been damaged as it was vibrating and could not be restarted. The pilot radioed he would land at Kirtland Air Force Base at Albuquerque, New Mexico. Bissell called the base commander at Kirtland and told him a U-2 would be landing in about fifteen minutes. He asked the commander to have the base air police at the runway when it landed. They should cover the plane with tarps to hide its configuration. A half hour later, Bissell received a call from Kirtland. The base commander reported that the plane had landed safely and that he was talking with the pilot in his office.[64] In another case, a U-2 flamed out and landed at the Palm Springs Airport. A C-124 transport and recovery crew took off within an hour to pick it up. The incident was reported in the local newspaper but attracted little attention.
The first group also suffered a fatal crash. Wilbur Rose took off on a training flight when one of the pogos failed to fall out. He flew low over the field trying to shake it free. He misjudged, and the plane, heavy with fuel, stalled. Rose died in the crash.[65]
The second group, which included Powers, went through the Ranch between May and August 1956. They suffered no crashes or washouts. Powers recalled that he was nervous before making his first high-altitude flight and forgot to retract the landing gear after takeoff. As he flew above California and Nevada, his first impression of the U-2 was disappointment — the plane was not capable of the altitude that had been promised. When time came to begin the descent, Powers started to lower the landing gear, only to realize it had been down the whole time. His impression improved considerably. He had broken the world altitude record with the gear down.[66]
At the same time, a special group of pilots was undergoing training.
President Eisenhower was worried about the possibility of an American citizen being killed or captured during an overflight. This would generate tremendous political problems. Eisenhower told CIA director Allen Dulles, 'It would seem that you could be able to recruit some Russians or pilots of other nationalities.' Eventually, one Polish and four Greek pilots were recruited. The Greek pilots underwent training at the Ranch, but all washed out. The Polish pilot was never allowed to fly the U-2.[67]
The third group underwent training in late 1956. The group suffered two crashes, one fatal. In December, Bob Ericson was flying at 35,000 feet when his oxygen ran out. As he began to lose consciousness, the aircraft began to overspeed and go out of control. Ericson fought his way out of the cockpit and parachuted to a landing in Arizona. Less fortunate was Frank Grace. He took off on a night training mission, became disoriented, and flew into a telephone pole at the end of the runway. Grace died in the crash.[68]
Training operations followed a pattern. The pilots arrived at Groom Lake on the Monday morning flight. They turned in their IDs, which gave their true names and described them as pilots with Lockheed, then assumed the cover names. Each pilot would make two or three U-2 flights per week.
Then, on Friday afternoon, the pilots left the site to spend the weekend in Los Angeles.
While at the Ranch, the pilots lived in trailers, four in each. Powers called 'Watertown Strip,' which was the pilots' name for the site, 'one of those 'you can't get there from here' places.' The population had grown from about 20, at the time of the first flight, to around 150 air force personnel, Lockheed maintenance crews, and CIA guards. A third hangar had been added, as had more trailers. The Ranch was still a remote desert airstrip.
The growing numbers of U-2s were parked on the hard-packed dirt on the edge of the lake bed; there was no concrete apron. U-2 takeoffs and landings were made from the lake bed. The whole facility was temporary; it was never built to last.[69]
Amusements were limited. There was no PX or Officers' Club. The mess hall, however, was likened to a first-class civilian cafeteria. The food was excellent and second helpings were available. The mess hall also had several pool tables. A sixteen-millimeter projector provided nightly movies. Given the isolation of the site, the pilots were forced to create their own entertainment. Alcohol was freely available and consumed in abundance. Marathon poker games were also organized by the pilots.
The first group of pilots scrounged up gunpowder, woodshavings, and cigar tubes to build small rockets. They made a satisfying 'woosh' when launched, but the fun ended when one nearly hit a C-131 transport in the landing pattern.[70]
From time to time, official visitors would come to Groom Lake. In December 1955, Defense Secretary Charles Wilson was shown around the Skunk Works and the Ranch. Allen Dulles also visited the Ranch and met with the first group of pilots.
The only 'outsiders' allowed into Groom Lake were the C-124 transport crews, and they did not know where they were. The production U-2s were
During 1956 and 1957, the aircraft were completed, then disassembled, covered, and taken to a local airport,
