SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Lt. Col. Ralph, 99th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron U2 pilot, attained 2,000 flying hours in an undisclosed location Sep. 10, 2016; a career milestone only 34 other U2 pilots have ever accomplished.
According to Maj. Jack, 99th ERS director of operations, there are an estimated 1,000 U2 pilots currently serving and only 4 of them have achieved more than 2,000 flying hours, with Ralph now being the fifth.
“The U2 slogan is SOLUM VOLAMUS, which means ‘we fly alone,’" Jack said. “All U-2 pilots understand what this means, but logging 2,000 hours of alone and unafraid time is just a whole different level.”
Ralph has been flying the U2 for 11 out of the 15 years he’s served in the Air Force and has flown more than 438 sorties in the aircraft, he said.
“I was lucky to get hired into the U2 program early into my Air Force career,” Ralph said. “This is my tenth deployment here and I typically fly every fourth or fifth day.”
U2 pilots often spend 10-plus hours cruising at altitudes above 70,000 feet and must wear full pressure suits similar to those worn by astronauts.
Ralph said that he felt grateful for reaching 2,000 flying hours in the U2; however he was glad to get out of the pressure suit after landing.
“I would like to thank all the Airmen who do an extraordinary job in launching, maintaining, and recovering the U-2 daily,” he said. “They make it look easy.”