U-2 pilots getting ready for the commemoration of the 1st Reconnaissance Squadron’s Centennial. The Lockheed U-2, nicknamed “Dragon Lady”, is a single-engine, very high-altitude reconnaissance or spy aircraft operated by the United States Air Force and previously flown by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

It provides day and night, very high-altitude (70,000 feet / 21,000 m), all-weather intelligence gathering. The aircraft is also used for electronic sensor research and development, satellite calibration, and satellite data validation.