# USAF to use GTOs to Chase U-2s



## Groucho (Sep 11, 2004)

This will, luckily, soon be a thing of the past.










Glad to hear that they are getting rid of those nasty F-Body Camaro dinosaurs. It's unseemly that the best of the best should drive such foul POSes.

http://motortrend.com/features/performance/112_0506_camarou2chaser/



> Fast cars have been part of the U-2 program since the 1960s. The program began with Chevrolet El Caminos and later used Ford Mustangs before switching to the Z-28. With the Z-28 now out of production, new Pontiac GTOs are entering the flight line at the U-2’s home base at Beale AFB, California.


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## Grey-Goat (Jun 7, 2005)

Sweet!! I'm heading to Beale in December - I'll have to see if I can track those down and take a picture!


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## Guest (Oct 19, 2005)

i wanna see this


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## RevnR6 (Aug 20, 2005)

That is cool. :cool


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## venommaxr33 (Sep 14, 2005)

what is the U-2 still being used for?


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## Groucho (Sep 11, 2004)

venommaxr33 said:


> what is the U-2 still being used for?


Recon / ELINT / relay / other spooky stuff.


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## venommaxr33 (Sep 14, 2005)

i thought we had satelites that were doing that already????


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## GTODEALER (Jan 7, 2005)

venommaxr33 said:


> i thought we had satelites that were doing that already????


Apparently we now have satellites and planes that do it.....


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## IB2MESTUP (Aug 4, 2005)

venommaxr33 said:


> i thought we had satelites that were doing that already????


U can't stear a satelite


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## Groucho (Sep 11, 2004)

IB2MESTUP said:


> U can't stear a satelite


butt kin thay speel?


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## IB2MESTUP (Aug 4, 2005)

Groucho said:


> butt kin thay speel?


never been known for my spelling......I'm good as long as I get the point across :lol:


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## Groucho (Sep 11, 2004)

IB2MESTUP said:


> never been known for my spelling......I'm good as long as I get the point across :lol:


 :cheers


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## Grey-Goat (Jun 7, 2005)

Well there still using the camaros out here at Beale. I was watching the U2 take off and land a couple times and its still the old chase cars. I saw two LT1's and one LS1 chase car sitting in the parking lot near the tower.


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## sccaGTO (Mar 6, 2005)

Pardon me for the ignorance, but what are the chase cars used for?


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## Cottonfarmer (Jul 11, 2005)

sccaGTO said:


> Pardon me for the ignorance, but what are the chase cars used for?


Believe it has to do with visibility (or lack of) from the cockpit. The chase car calls out altitudes for landing and wingtip clearance during T/O and landing to the pilot.


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## sccaGTO (Mar 6, 2005)

Cottonfarmer said:


> Believe it has to do with visibility (or lack of) from the cockpit. The chase car calls out altitudes for landing and wingtip clearance during T/O and landing to the pilot.


In that case, they gotta have something fast. :cool


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## LYNMUP (Nov 26, 2005)

Cottonfarmer said:


> Believe it has to do with visibility (or lack of) from the cockpit. The chase car calls out altitudes for landing and wingtip clearance during T/O and landing to the pilot.


Actually you are incorrect! If you look at the above pic you'll see only one set of tires in the middle of the fuselage. The chase cars actually connect wing wheels for landing. The cars have to be fast to catch the aircraft and hook the wheels so the aircraft doesn't fall over and hit the wing.

They do also communicate with the pilot to help with the landing.


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## LYNMUP (Nov 26, 2005)

This is the best pic I could find. Find more info at www.af.mil


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## Cottonfarmer (Jul 11, 2005)

WOWHUH said:


> Actually you are incorrect! If you look at the above pic you'll see only one set of tires in the middle of the fuselage. The chase cars actually connect wing wheels for landing. The cars have to be fast to catch the aircraft and hook the wheels so the aircraft doesn't fall over and hit the wing.
> 
> They do also communicate with the pilot to help with the landing.


Actually I'm not. Check this link: link:http://motortrend.com/features/perf...camarou2chaser/
After the aircraft comes to a stop, that's when the wheels are attached to support the wingtips.


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## Guest (Dec 12, 2005)

WOWHUH said:


> Actually you are incorrect! If you look at the above pic you'll see only one set of tires in the middle of the fuselage. The chase cars actually connect wing wheels for landing. The cars have to be fast to catch the aircraft and hook the wheels so the aircraft doesn't fall over and hit the wing.
> 
> They do also communicate with the pilot to help with the landing.


Not true, your not going to have two cars pulling up to a plane and installing wheels from the time it lands to the time it stops, just not going to happen

If you look on the tips of the wings you will see they have a bit of something sticking down, this is designed to scrap the ground on landing, When it takes off it has a lot of fuel in the wings, when it lands it's wings are for the most part emtpy, and don't weigh a lot.

The chase cars are there for a few reasons, On take off, they talk to the pilot and direct them due to the low visibility, and extremely long wings. they also check the runway for debris. They then pick up the 'landing' gear that are dropped off the wings on take off. 

On landing they call out the height off the runway to the pilot, since they have to land horizontally instead of nose up like other planes.

There are other things they do, but that is the majority.


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## Guest (Dec 12, 2005)

Cottonfarmer said:


> Actually I'm not. Check this link: link:http://motortrend.com/features/perf...camarou2chaser/


the link isn't complete, could you post the entire link please, i'd like to see that.


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## Cottonfarmer (Jul 11, 2005)

Rob in CT said:


> Not true, your not going to have two cars pulling up to a plane and installing wheels from the time it lands to the time it stops, just not going to happen
> 
> If you look on the tips of the wings you will see they have a bit of something sticking down, this is designed to scrap the ground on landing, When it takes off it has a lot of fuel in the wings, when it lands it's wings are for the most part emtpy, and don't weigh a lot.
> 
> ...



I don't disagree with anything you stated nor do I disagree with anything I said in my first post. 
Cheers!


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## Guest (Dec 12, 2005)

well, this has been educational. :cheers


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## Cottonfarmer (Jul 11, 2005)

Rob in CT said:


> the link isn't complete, could you post the entire link please, i'd like to see that.


Hmm, I clicked it and it worked. Don't know.


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## Guest (Dec 12, 2005)

Ya, i was just backing what you said up. Mostly responding to WOWHUH 

But i did want to see the link, it doesn't work when you click on it.

Thanks

:cheers


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## Guest (Dec 12, 2005)

big_mike said:


> well, this has been educational. :cheers


We're a lot alike, bored and lots of useless knowledge !!!!

arty:


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## Cottonfarmer (Jul 11, 2005)

Rob in CT said:


> Ya, i was just backing what you said up. Mostly responding to WOWHUH
> 
> But i did want to see the link, it doesn't work when you click on it.
> 
> ...


I'll see if I can copy it and send it via email or PM.


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## Guest (Dec 12, 2005)

Cottonfarmer said:


> I'll see if I can copy it and send it via email or PM.


Click on the link of the globe when your posting, then enter text to name the link, then enter the link itself,

if a link is longer than say 35 characters it won't copy correctly


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## Cottonfarmer (Jul 11, 2005)

Nope, guess Motor Trend has taken that page off. It's not working for me either now.

Sorry

Wait a minute, try this link:

GTO Chase Cars


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## LYNMUP (Nov 26, 2005)

Cottonfarmer said:


> Actually I'm not. Check this link: link:http://motortrend.com/features/perf...camarou2chaser/
> After the aircraft comes to a stop, that's when the wheels are attached to support the wingtips.


Well! It seems that I may be off! When I was in Korea in 1999, I had a buddy that worked the U2's. That's when they had the Stangs. I remember him telling me they would have to chase the aircraft, instal the wheels so it could land. I had later heard they installed wing tip skid plates so it could land. After reading up since my last post, there is a bit more to the chase cars than that. It seems that's where the term "wing man" came from. Of all of the searching I done, couldn't find anything about the wing wheels. When I get to work, I'll search on our computer so I can access the military sites.

So to finalyze...OOPS, MY BAD!


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## Guest (Dec 12, 2005)

I didn't know they used Mustangs, but don't forget these planes have been flying since the early 60's, so there is a lot of history there.

PS, sounds like your friend was pulling your leg.


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## LYNMUP (Nov 26, 2005)

My stupidity for saying something that I had no personal experience with. I really never do that, just to prevent me from looking or sounding like a dumb ass...HEY! like just now!


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## Cottonfarmer (Jul 11, 2005)

WOWHUH said:


> Well! It seems that I may be off! When I was in Korea in 1999, I had a buddy that worked the U2's. That's when they had the Stangs. I remember him telling me they would have to chase the aircraft, instal the wheels so it could land. I had later heard they installed wing tip skid plates so it could land. After reading up since my last post, there is a bit more to the chase cars than that. It seems that's where the term "wing man" came from. Of all of the searching I done, couldn't find anything about the wing wheels. When I get to work, I'll search on our computer so I can access the military sites.
> 
> So to finalyze...OOPS, MY BAD!



Hey, no harm done my friend. No problem here.


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## LYNMUP (Nov 26, 2005)

See! GTO owners are always cool! Driving the GTO releases endorphins...endorphins makes you happy!


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## Guest (Dec 12, 2005)

Don't sweat it, we are all wrong from time to time, hell, I owned a Dodge...


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## Guest (Dec 12, 2005)

speaking of dodge, I drove the SRT-4 Neon this weekend.

ummm

if that car has any more power, I dont see how it will EVER hook up on those tires. Corners on rails though! And the interior is not as refined as I would like.


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## LYNMUP (Nov 26, 2005)

Rob in CT said:


> Don't sweat it, we are all wrong from time to time, hell, I owned a Dodge...


So did I! 2002 Durango R/T, it was sweet. Tranny sucked however! Got rid of it before warranty ran out. It was a comfortable drive. The wife still misses it until I remind her how much it pissed her off when the air wouldn't work in the summer when she was pregnant.

I drove the SRT 4 before getting the GTO. They wouldn't budge with the price. Glad I didn't get it. Sure $10,000+ cheaper and more economy but the GTO is just so much beter of a ride. Well worth the difference.


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## Guest (Dec 13, 2005)

agreed, anyhow you look at it, it's still a Neon. Look at any high mileage Neon and you will see why you don't really want that.

As for the Durango, they have huge problems with the A/C Evaporator cores on those, big dollar fix.


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## Guest (Dec 13, 2005)

im surprised you guys havent mentioned used vipers, and all their problems.


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## Guest (Dec 13, 2005)

I don't kow anything about vipers, other than they are fast and expensive.


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## Guest (Dec 13, 2005)

they have a cooling problem, they have a traction problem, and for as big as that motor is, relatively speaking they are not that fast. Its an 8.3 liter engine!!! It has 500hp, and it runs a low 12. The GTO with the same power runs mid to high 11's...

And the GTO can do a top speed run without blowing a radiator hose, the viper cant.


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## huskerGTO (May 8, 2005)

That....and they have tranny problems handling all the horses. Just like the old ram's with the v-10, the trannys aren't as stable to handle that power


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## Guest (Dec 13, 2005)

the tremec can handle some abuse, but the input shaft kind of limits those 6k clutch dumps.


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## GTODEALER (Jan 7, 2005)

big_mike said:


> the tremec can handle some abuse, but the input shaft kind of limits those 6k clutch dumps.


 :agree ...... not that I would know or anything.... *looks around*


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## Guest (Dec 13, 2005)

*whistles* yeah, me neither.


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## johnebgoode (Oct 4, 2005)

big_mike said:


> the tremec can handle some abuse, but the input shaft kind of limits those 6k clutch dumps.


One word to rectify that problem..............JERICO !!!!


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## Guest (Dec 13, 2005)

one, less expensive, word to rectify the problem: hardened input shaft made from titanium!


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## LYNMUP (Nov 26, 2005)

Rob in CT said:


> ...As for the Durango, they have huge problems with the A/C Evaporator cores on those, big dollar fix.


 :agree


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## Groucho (Sep 11, 2004)




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## johnebgoode (Oct 4, 2005)

big_mike said:


> one, less expensive, word to rectify the problem: hardened input shaft made from titanium!


Titanium input............ :lol: Cost would be more than a Jerico.


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## LYNMUP (Nov 26, 2005)

What were we talkin about?


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## Guest (Dec 13, 2005)

cars chasin planes.


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## Guest (Dec 14, 2005)

big_mike said:


> cars chasin planes.


hehe

You do have a way of making serious things sound kind of funny!


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