PHOTOS: 8 U-2 Planes Featured in Rare Elephant Walk at Beale Jan. 8, 2024 | By Unshin Lee Harpley The famed U-2 Dragon Lady took center stage during a recent “elephant walk” at Beale Air Force Base, Calif. As the spy plane approaches retirement in the next few years, eight airframes lined the runway Jan. 4—around 30 percent of the entire fleet.