Q1 What was it like wearing that suit in such a tiny space?
ChiChi: ” Not too bad. The cockpit is actually quite wide from shoulder level down. And the suit was, for me, like a very comfortable ski jacket and pants (trousers, for you UK types). The fishbowl on the cranium took some getting used to, though, as you really didn't pop open at altitude, so you couldn't scratch your nose. There was a way around that, you could put a drinking tube through the drinking port and reach it up to the vicinity of your nose (or other facial feature) and scratch using the end of the tube. But, it was difficult and you never seemed to get satisfactory results. But, you tried to stay fairly still during the flight and not thrash around too much as too much movement could evolve N2 bubbles in your joints. The cockpit could get quite full, especially on a long sortie...I typically carried around 7 drink bottles on a long flight, which were placed on the shelves behind your elbows. Then, you had checklists, mission boards, a whole lot of things we carried. It could get cluttered if you didn't keep house.”
Q2: What was it like flying at 70k feet?
ChiChi: ”The U-2 has a good autopilot, so it was typically fairly peaceful. You're above all (or most, given there were other U-2s typically airborne around Beale) other traffic, so ATC would let you go anywhere you wanted. It could get interesting, though, if you hit mountain wave turbulence, which actually exists at those altitudes. And, if you hit temperature variations, you could be in for a wild ride. I'd typically disconnect the autopilot and hand fly it to make sure any excursions didn't exceed speed limits.”
Q3: what were your usual mission objectives?
ChiChi: ” Can't get into wartime mission details...however, I can tell you that the U-2 is used, when requested by national authorities, from time to time to support humanitarian missions, as well as disaster relief, even inside the CONUS (Continental U.S.). We've photographed in support of earthquake recovery efforts, tracked wildfires, etc.”
Q4: could you ask them if he was a soloer or just went up in the two-place U-2? Also, could he/she feel how flimsy the fuselage and wings were?
ChiChi: ”If you make it through training, you're qualified to fly the single seater. I have more than 1,500 hrs in the U-2. I was qualified as a mission pilot (MP), instructor pilot (IP) and evaluator pilot (EP) in both the single (U-2) and two seater (U-2ST) jet. I drove and instructed in (and from) the chase car and in the two seater. For single seat instruction, you had to do it from the ground and chase car, which made for some interesting situations.
Q5: “ also ask him what was the riskiest moment in his time flying the U-2 in his opinion”
ChiChi: ”Every time you landed the jet was probably the riskiest part of the mission. I have a couple of combat missions that I would have considered "risky", but can't discuss why or the specific scenarios involved. But, as with all USAF missions, we were trainined and ready, as best we could be, for any and all scenarios, including all mentioned.”
Q6: What was your funniest moment flying the U-2 or U-2 Trainer?
ChiChi: ”Unfortunately, most of the funny moments had to do with problems related to bodily functions. Well, if you're flying really long missions in a confined space and your piss can wasn't emptied by maintenance before you took off, or if you ate the wrong thing the night prior, well, you get the idea.“
Me: Anything else before we wrap up?
ChiChi: ” If anyone wants to become a pilot, I'd encourage them to go for it. It's a long shot, and it takes a lot of hard work, study and dedication, but it's been totally worth it for me. I wouldn't change anything about my career, even now.”