The Lockheed U-2, nicknamed the "Dragon Lady, " is perhaps the most famous spy plane ever built. First used in the actual 1950s by the United States Air Force and the CIA, it's a single-engine, reconnaissance plane capable of flying at altitudes above 70, 000 to conduct intelligence gathering. Recently, the U. S. Military pilot announced its plans in order to retire the U-2 fleet by 2026.

To help honor the decades-long legacy of the U-2, a spy aircraft that's spent much of it is life conducting covert operations, professional photographer Blair Bunting recently took a trip in a U-2, all the way to the U-2's flying height, sometimes referred to as the "edge of space" (because the particular U-2 is a spy airplane, the exact heights at which it flies remains classified). Up there, he was able to capture photos of a U-2 traveling close beside, the curvature of the Earth, and a watch strapped to the outside of his spacesuit for the flight, their TAG Heuer Monaco. The actual project began more than a year before Bunting finally took flight in April 2023, though he first approached typically the Pentagon about taking a flight to be able to space almost a decade ago. His training started in force regarding six months before the flight, when he traveled to Beale Air Force Base in Yuba City, California, to be fitted for his or her spacesuit. Because the U-2 flies above the Armstrong line, often the altitude at which liquids will boil at the normal temperature of the human body, a full spacesuit is required for your flight. Flag said having been surprised by how loud it is inside a spacesuit, with each breath echoing through the helmet. Photographing in the suit would also prove difficult, as they're designed to keep the wearer's arms down so they can be ejected from the planes in the event of the decompression.

"I want photographers to continue to move higher, " Bunting said of the motivation for taking the trip. As he got closer to the day from the flight, this individual said he or she considered backing out, but this motivation to push photography - as well as his own creativity - forward kept driving him. In the intervening time between very first agreeing for you to fly within a U-2 and the actual air travel, Bunting had also become a father, which he stated also made him think twice about taking the airline flight.
In addition to physical and mental training, Bunting also tested hundreds of camera and lens combinations for that flight. In the end, he brought three digital camera bodies on the U-2. But at concerning 65, 000 feet the exact LCD screens on his cameras went out, meaning he basically had to shoot blind, additionally doing everything manually. Flag said he'd expected this might happen and had trained for it by standing on a highway overpass, attempting to photograph passing cars with the camera in manual and without using any viewfinder or screen.

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"You go back to 1970s technology really quickly, inch Bunting mentioned. He furthermore brought up his / her dad's Nikon camera from the '70s. Bunting admitted this was mostly some sort of sentimental gesture to show his particular dad what his support has meant over the years, but they did find this funny that the only digicam maintaining all its functions at altitude was likewise the oldest one.

After Bunting put his spacesuit on, the woman in charge of the very suit squad strapped his own TAG Heuer carrera Monaco, powered by an automatic caliber 11, around the match and over her wrist. Since the Monaco had to fit over the large O-ring of Bunting's spacesuit, he had to find a long velcro strap like those used on prior NASA missions. With the help of TAG Heuer's Heritage Director Nicholas Biebuyck, Bunting was able to get a replica NASA velcro strap from a small supplier. The particular strap arrived from Switzerland just one day before the journey.

"I've always loved watches for the art, craftsmanship, as well as history, inches Bunting explained, but he / she explained he's always struggled to read them because he is dyslexic. He's done photoshoots with specialized aircrafts prior to, often using a watch that this occasion. But for this flight journey, he wanted to choose their own watch, and when he learned that the Monaco had never been to space, he knew that had to be it.