NASA Terrain Study - Groom Lake

A NASA science flight from Groom Lake to the Colorado Plateau. You fly a calibration line, then three terrain lines over Monument Valley and the San Juan area, one of them a crossing line that records the same ground from a second direction.

Objectives

The objectives come one at a time, in this order. Each one shows its direction on screen. How the gates and strips work is under Missions.

1. Take off: met at liftoff, within 4.5 NM of the start.
2. Clear Groom Lake: fly within 6 NM of the point. Climb clear of the terrain and follow the route east.
3. Climb above 35,000 ft MSL: stay above 35,000 ft MSL for 5 seconds. This objective runs beside the route: keep following the waypoints while you climb.
4. Set up - Plateau calibration: fly within 2 NM of the strip entry point, lined up on 090° true.
5. Plateau calibration: fly inside the strip, 20 × 4 NM on 090° true, above 35,000 ft MSL for 30 continuous seconds.
6. Clear strip - Plateau calibration: fly within 2 NM of the strip exit point before you turn.
7. Set up - Monument Valley mesa strip: fly within 2 NM of the strip entry point, lined up on 180° true.
8. Monument Valley mesa strip: fly inside the strip, 20 × 4 NM on 180° true, above 35,000 ft MSL for 45 continuous seconds.
9. Clear strip - Monument Valley mesa strip: fly within 2 NM of the strip exit point before you turn.
10. Set up - San Juan terrain strip: fly within 2 NM of the strip entry point, lined up on 270° true.
11. San Juan terrain strip: fly inside the strip, 20 × 4 NM on 270° true, above 35,000 ft MSL for 45 continuous seconds.
12. Clear strip - San Juan terrain strip: fly within 2 NM of the strip exit point before you turn.
13. Set up - Crossing verification strip: fly within 2 NM of the strip entry point, lined up on 090° true.
14. Crossing verification strip: fly inside the strip, 20 × 4 NM on 090° true, above 35,000 ft MSL for 45 continuous seconds.
15. Clear strip - Crossing verification strip: fly within 2 NM of the strip exit point before you turn. All lines are recorded. Return to Groom Lake and keep terrain clearance.
16. Return to Base: land within 4.5 NM of the field. The mission ends 15 seconds after touchdown.

Tips

• The four lines sit within about 30 NM of each other. The route has extra waypoints for the turns between them: follow them, because the U-2 turns wide at altitude.
• At 60,000 ft and 410 kt a 15° turn has a radius of about 9 NM: plan each turn early. See Flying the U-2S, High-Altitude Handling.
• Groom Lake is at 5,895 ft: expect a longer takeoff roll and a higher true airspeed on the approach.

Related pages: Missions · Groom Lake · Sensors · Mission Equipment (PME)