Taking flight on a U-2 spy plane

At an altitude of 70,000 feet, the only humans higher than U-2 pilots are in the International Space Station. The curving Earth appears like a ghostly vision below and the blackness of outer space looms overhead.

A U-2 flies over Beale Air Force Base.

A U-2 gets ready to take off at Beale as a chase-car driver inspects the exterior of the plane.

A U-2 makes a practice landing run with a chase car driven by another U-2 pilot trailing close by to help navigate the tricky landing.

A pilot disembarks after a training flight.

Members of the 9th Intelligence Squadron at Beale are in charge of film processing, digitization, duplication, examination and dissemination of the U-2’s high-resolution imagery made on special film.

Members of the squadron at work.

An viewing device enables squadron members to examine the imagery before digitizing and disseminating it.

A pilot in a full-pressure spacesuit greets his airplane’s maintenance crew before boarding the U-2.

An Air Force maintenance crew works on an RQ-4 Global Hawk in a hangar at Beale Air Force Base.

Crew members push a panel on the Global Hawk so that it can be screwed in properly.

The Global Hawk is towed onto the tarmac after maintenance work.