Those Grounded U-2s Are Back:

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org

Maintainers from various specialties joined forces at Beale AFB, Calif., recently to get the high-flying U-2 reconnaissance aircraft back into the air after USAF grounded the fleet on March 13 when airmen noted fuel seeping from the sump tank on one U-2 Dragon Lady. Journalist A1C George Cloutier reports that Beale maintainers in the 9th Reconnaissance Wing worked 12-hour shifts to inspect and repair the entire fleet. They attributed the problem to a wire that was arcing against the fuel tank. “After we found the problem, I realized that this could have been catastrophic if the wire had ignited the fuel inside the tank,” said TSgt. Charles Warren, 9th Maintenance Squadron fuels craftsman.

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org