U-2 Pilot Reaches 2000 Hours

[Huggyu2]

Wow, thanks folks. I'm sitting here in El Paso, on the way home from the Houston Airshow, and was surprised to see this.
It wasn't my mom in Prescott, and I can't think of who it would be. We do, however, have a number of U-2 pilots that have returned to the U-2 from airline jobs.
We've got about 3 more guys getting ready to hit 2000 hours soon. That will make them #19, 20, and 21 to ever do it. Amazing to have so many guys do it in a short period when it took 51 years to get 18 guys over the 2K hours mark.
Thanks again for the kind words.

 

[Huggyu2]

Wang Wei,
I think I know who you're talking about: the guy DID retire from the USAF, and flew for UAL. He was furloughed (just barely, as he was fairly senior), and was allowed to come back on active duty via a 3-year contract. He just finished the contract, and is back at UAL. He was a previous T-37 and RF-4 pilot.

Also, for those of you who follow these kind of aviation milestones, Kuma (who posted above) was the first pilot from any service to fly over 1000 hours in the T-6 Texan II.

 

[AC560]

Congratulations and thank you for your service.

 

[talondriver]

Huggy,

That's a lot of hours going in a diaper.

Congrats!!!

 

[bobs98tlr]

Huggy.....congrats. Keep up the great work. Ill see Buck hopefully this week. Ill pass on the news and drink a beer dreaming about what it would be like.

 

[ExAF]

Congrats

Congrats Huggy. 2000 hours in anything you can get into from the top is an accomplishment. But 2k in a space suit is special. Thanks for serving.

 

[Huggyu2]

That's a lot of hours going in a diaper.

I should have proudly told the reporter that I'm not (yet) a member of the "Strato-sh:!!er Club"! Joining that august group really makes the space suit technicians kind of cranky. We had a guy that had 3 or 4 oak leaf clusters in that Club: he really needed to cut down on the fiber.

 

[Andy]

Huggy, CONGRATS!
I think that I've got you beat on recon hours (It felt like I logged 1000hrs just orbiting Echo1-Foxtrot on the Saudi border in the 90s), but an RC-135 is a whole different animal than a U-2. Mighty impressive.
I know a few people who have flown the U-2, and she has earned her nickname as the Dragon Lady. Out of those that I've known, some are no longer with us. Hawk Hawkins and Randy Roby immediately come to mind.
My hat's off to you and everyone else who has flown the U-2. It takes a he11uva lot of skill to fly the U-2.
On a lighter note, I'm thinking that the right seat in 737 at United will seem spacious compared to a U-2 cockpit.
Again, congratulations; you've joined an elite club within an elite club.

 

[Scrapdog]

I should have proudly told the reporter that I'm not (yet) a member of the "Strato-sh:!!er Club"! Joining that august group really makes the space suit technicians kind of cranky. We had a guy that had 3 or 4 oak leaf clusters in that Club: he really needed to cut down on the fiber.

Huggy - is Scooby out there with you?

 

[Huggyu2]

Why, yes Scoobey is here. In fact, I flew his interview flights. He just finished up his first TDY to the desert, and is doing well.