On Thursday, July 27, 2017 at 7:17:03 AM UTC-4, Jeff Findley wrote:
In article ,
says...
You fart a lot when you go from 14.7 PSI to 5 PSI. They don't tell
you this.


I when to a talk by a U2 pilot once. As a data point, they did open the mask up at 70,000 feet as necessary. The aircraft was put on autopilot allowing sleeping time. Drinking and eating and nose scratching/puking were allowed.


Obviously you misunderstood what was said, as usual, Dougie. There is
no 'mask' on a U-2 suit. It's a hard helmet. They eat paste that is
squirted in through a lock in the helmet. The original aircraft were
pressurized to around 30,000 feet altitude equivalent, which means if
you aren't in a sealed suit you die.


U-2 started out as unpressurized
http://www.lockheedmartin.com/us/new...U260Years.html

But later, cockpit pressure was increased to the equivalent of about 14k
feet, which is pretty thin.
http://aviationweek.com/blog/what-do...ane-pilots-eat

Still, the above article does confirm that flight at altitude is done
with a sealed helmet and that pilots must remain alert, so I don't see
how "sleeping" would ever be allowed. That plane is a bitch to fly.
It's very unforgiving at altitude.


The pilot that did the talk flew out of Scotland in the mid 1990's.

I guess I misunderstood what opening a helmets face plate means. Your reference indicates a 14,000 foot cockpit pressure.

He did say clearly that an auto pilot was used. It made mapping mission type ground tracks. I remember the comment that altitude control was by monitoring engine temperature.

He also said that if you cannot land exactly balanced on the front dual wheels you need to look elsewhere for another assignment.