photo credit: Jeff Jewell
Did everyone see the U-2 spy plane fly above Contra Costa County this morning just before 9 a.m.?
It appeared to have taken off from Buchanan Field Airport in Concord, although it didn’t show up on FlightRadar24, the real-time plane tracking website.
Thanks to Jeff Jewell for the great photo!
I saw it twice, so either there were 2 or it landed and took off again. That thing shot up like a rocket when it took off!
Heard it twice from my home in Martinez – Second time was even louder than the first! Very noticeable that it was not a common aircraft, cat freaked out and ran inside.
My question is why why is a spy plane flying over this area I have a lot of questions
Nothing to see here folks! Lol!
Spy plane’s gotta spy…
Probably going from one place to another, as vehicles tend to do.
You didn’t get the memo? They were looking for terrorist and your worried about what? Now they are on to you, remember you did this to yourself!
Doubt it landed it requires a chase car and probably more runway than concord has. Probably did a low pass over the runway as a practice emergency landing. It is possible if they flew a crew down prior to assist I. The landing but it would also require security and maintenance. Travis is close and would be a better choice to land.
They regularly land and take off from there – practicing I’m sure… the take offs are really loud – shakes the buildings! They (and many others military aircraft) turnoff their IDs so they won’t show up on FR24 .. many do but not all …very cool to watch the takeoff – very steep climb!
I’m surprised to see the photo in the first place but even more astounded that you say they actually land and take off from Concord. Knowing the rigamarole, and the sheer cost, that goes with this operation (retired atc) it’s bizarre to contemplate. And wonder why?
The U2 was dispatched out of Beale AFB up by Marysville & was on a routine training flight. This was a low pass & a “hello” to a visitor. Not the first military A/C to fly by Buchanan Field; there was a T38 “Talon” that flew past a couple weeks ago.
Cool that confirms what I heard this morning it was loud and I know the deep hollow crawl 🤘🤘
DOMO it doesn’t sound like a very effective “spy” plane if it’s so loud it shakes buildings. 😁
It’s a lot quieter from 70,000 feet up.
They don’t take off anywhere near where they are trying to surveille
Yes I heard it hear in Antioch, I thought a plane was coming down.
Was sitting at the stop light by Target when it took off. It was loud.
Seemed like there was also one that took off maybe 10 minutes before?
Why?
I heard it but didn’t see it. But then yesterday there was a transport plane flying low over Martinez maybe buzzing the high school.
I don’t know too much about military aircraft, but I know that the U2 was the same aircraft flown by Francis Gary Powers when he was shot down in Cuba. That was in the early 60s. Is this still in service? This is very cool. I wish I could’ve seen it, but I was working.
Cuba? I thought it was Russia or Korea.
yes – they brought them back into main service after the SR71 … it was expensive to fly for a lot of reasons then fell back on the U2 with optic / camera upgrades over the years … but the SR72 was sooooo fast! heard of a SR72 in the works though – hope so
Sverdlovsk, (West Central Russia) is along way from Cuba.
AMERICAN CITIZEN,
.
I thought he was shot down while flying over the Soviet Union?
Gary Powers was shot down over the Soviet Union. Not Cuba.
Gotta believe that coming from a Russian 🤣😂🤣😂
One of the most fantastic airplanes EVER! I was outside and heard it and saw it, and wondered what it was. I knew it wasn’t anything we usually see or hear around here. I saw one on display at an air show at Travis many years ago, and thought those were the longest, skinniest wings I had ever seen on an airplane. Thanks for identifying it!
I was in Martinez today and had that strange feeling I was being watched…. but turns out it was just an old lady.
I did hear some very loud aircraft tho but could not see it.
Geez that Marina needs to be dredged! The West side was OK but everything on the East side was just mudflats, sail boats laying on there sides and cruisers just perched on top of the mud…sad.
It was a minus tide today.
You people sure make up a lot of stuff without even knowing what you’re talking about. It never landed or took off it did two practice missed approaches. Required to stay current to fly under instrument flight rules.
I agree, NO CHICKEN, practicing missed approaches. For one thing, the Buchanan runways are not nearly long enough for a U-2 to land and take off. That must have been quite a thrill for the air traffic controller in the tower!
low fly by or take off? doesn’t have wing wheels so it requires drop aways. Needs an entire entourage to perform take off and landing.
I think it is kind of cool that they pick our little random airport for this.
They fly out of Beale AFB.
🙋 confirmation right here, it came from Beale AFB flew right over my house and straight for Mount Diablo he must have dropped down low, this guy on here named the other Frank said he flew there to give greetings to someone I guess some friends or something
I don’t think it touched the ground but rather did a couple of low above the runway passes. A U-2 did a similar pass over Buchanan a few years ago. Their main base is Beal AFB about 40 miles north of Sacramento meaning they are regularly in the area.
Landing and taking off a U-2 is not trivial. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7Y6-vpLbVQ
I didn’t see it, but the U-2/TR-1 is one of the greatest airplanes ever produced, and one of my favorites. I’ve read several books on it and one of the best is a free download from NASA: https://www.nasa.gov/aeronautics/unlimited-horizons-design-and-development-of-the-u-2/
Another of my favorites is Shady Lady by Rick Bishop, a former U-2 pilot with 1,500 hours flying the airplane.
Thank you WC Resident. That is exactly what I heard. Made me think maybe I should take cover. Grew up on Air Bases around the country… You get used to the normal jet rumble. But what shook my house this morning was not normal. I got on FlightAware as soon as I could, but the only thing buzzing us during that 9:00 time were a couple really loud and low Pipers Owned by Sterling Aviation…IGNORING the neighborhood FLIGHT NOISE regulations — playing touch and go and tag for about a half hour. Used to be able to drop a note to the General… and he’d talk to the folks at the airport. He could be a codger….but…he did love this town!
WC R: OMG!! what an interesting/amazing video clip. Thanks for sharing it!
Note the nice deep blue sky in the picture. We had it all week until today. And when I went out for my walk none other that a chemtrail spray jet flew over to leave a long trail from it’s sprayers going south to north. There were other cirrus clouds in the sky but so many I thought many were natural than artificial. Note that for the doubters there were airliners climbing to altitude from Bay Area airports going right through that lower chemtrail airspace and no trails left. Understand that contrails occur at higher elevations where airliners often cruise and the result of water coming off the engines that quickly freeze at that altitude then melt which is why they only last about a quarter to half mile.
First plane took off over Pleasant Hill then banked right and headed up towards TAFB. Second plane used about a 1/4 of the runway then went straight up. Banked right over 680 and as it was about highway 4 it did a second climb straight up again. So it did sound as if 2 planes had taken off the 2nd time. It was awesome but scary to see.
I actually saw it and then hoped on fr24 to see where it came from but I only saw an unmarked aircraft totally not from Buchanan. Either it was this plane with its take off data not recorded or another plane.
Strategic Air Command, Beal AFB