This is a bit of an old story but it’s just so amazing and mind-blowing and I wanted to post it. James May, from Top Gear, took a flight on a U2 spy plane.
The Lockheed U-2 is a wonder of engineering. It’s intended for very high-altitude flights — 70,000 feet (about 21.3km). The design of the plane leaves very narrow margin for error. At its top cruising altitude the plane must fly very close to its maximum speed without exceeding it — that would break the wings, or falling more than 18km/h below it — at which point it would stall and start falling.
And James May gets to take a ride on it — he’s got the best job in the world.
