YouTuber flies spy plane built in secret 70,000 feet to the edge of space
One aerospace enthusiast on YouTube has taken the next step by flying a secret US spy plane around 70,000 feet above Earth, seeing the edges of space in an aircraft that is over 70 years old.
You'd be almost always right in assuming that space travel is reserved for astronauts, as from the early Russian cosmonaut expeditions to recent 'stranded' missions, you'd typically need a rocket to reach the endless beyond.
What you might not realize though is that the US developed a secret spy plane over 70 years ago that not only was capable of reaching space, but played a key role in the advancement of the Cold War.
Advert
The Lockheed U-2 Spy Plane, otherwise known as 'Dragon Lady', was first approved in 1954, and took flight just a year later.
Its purpose was to allow the United States government to spy on Russian nuclear development, as they estimated that an altitude of around 70,000 feet would avoid any detection.
Unfortunately this wasn't as successful as they might have hoped, as not only did the Russian government send America a notice indicating that they were aware of the planes, one was actually shot down by a surface-to-air missile, leading to the capture and imprisonment of Francis Gary Powers.
The U-2 has remained in service within the US Air Force and NASA to this day though, and one lucky YouTuber managed to hop in the cockpit and take it for a spin themselves - although the process wasn't as simple as you might expect.
Sam Eckholm had to go through hours of pre-flight training, but the toughest parts were still yet to come. A key aspect of proving that you're ready to fly the Dragon Lady is to adjust to the space suit, as it can provide an uncomfortable shock.
Eckholm had to pass a several-hour claustrophobia test where he was suited up and sat in a corner to see if he could withstand the uncomfortable experience.
"For me, one of the weirdest sensations in the suit was actually the breathing," Eckholm explains. "For one, it's super loud so you're hearing every single breath you take in and every single breath you let out. Also, at the same time it's sort of a conscious effort because there's a little bit of resistance every time you exhale, you have to think about it."
The suit itself is an essential part of the in-flight experience though, as it prevents a loss in pressurization that would boil your blood and lead to a quick and painful death.
Once the training had been passed though Sam was ready to get up into the air, and upon reaching what's known as the 'space equivalent zone' - around 70,000 feet - the views are simply staggering.
"If you look outside you can actually see the curvature of the Earth," Sam exclaims. "So all the flat Earthers out there, I hate to burst your bubble, but take a look at that."
Once you're up in the air you can relax a little bit, enjoying either a spot of liquidized lunch or even jumping into some puzzles to pass the time, but you do also need to be careful of what's known as the 'coffin corner' which can rip the plane's wings apart if you go too fast.
After the relatively short flight was over though Eckholm could barely contain his excitement:
"If I had to sum up that experience I just had, I'm not sure you can really put it into words. Truly magnificent."
It's something that you have to be an expert to achieve, but there's no doubt that it's likely one of the most breathtaking things anyone will have the pleasure of doing.