PLEASE NOTE: General Admission for the Air Show is free and does not require a ticket. There are a limited number of Premium seats available for purchase while supplies last. Every vehicle parking at the show is also required to obtain a free or paid parking pass in advance of the show.

PLEASE NOTE: General Admission for the Air Show is free and does not require a ticket. There are a limited number of Premium seats available for purchase while supplies last. Every vehicle parking at the show is also required to obtain a free or paid parking pass in advance of the show.

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U.S. Air Force U-2 “Dragon Lady”

The “Dragon Lady” is a high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft that has been operated by USAF or CIA since the 1950s. The U-2s are based at Beale AFB in California, but are routinely sent worldwide to operational detachments. There are currently only 33 in the Air Force’s active force inventory.

The U-2 also carries a signals intelligence payload. All intelligence products except for wet film can be transmitted in near real-time anywhere in the world via air-to-ground or air-to-satellite data links, rapidly providing critical information to combatant commanders. MASINT provides indications of recent activity in areas of interest and reveals efforts to conceal the placement or true nature of man-made objects.

General Characteristics

Primary function: high-altitude reconnaissance
Contractor: Lockheed Martin Aeronautics
Power plant: one General Electric F118-101 engine
Thrust: 17,000 pounds
Wingspan: 105 feet (32 meters)
Length: 63 feet (19.2 meters)
Height: 16 feet (4.8 meters)
Weight: 16,000 pounds
Maximum takeoff weight: 40,000 pounds (18,000 kilograms)
Fuel capacity: 2,950 gallons
Payload: 5,000 pounds
Speed: 410 mph
Range: more than 7,000 miles (6,090 nautical miles)
Ceiling: above 70,000 feet (21,212+ meters)
Crew: one (two in trainer models)
Unit cost: classified
Initial operating capability: 1956