Only six female pilots have occupied the controls of the U-2 Dragon Lady in its more than fifty years of flight. Three of those six are currently serving in the US Air Force, and two of them are flying combat missions with the only U-2 squadron operating over Iraq—the 99th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron, currently operating in Southwest Asia.
Maj. Merryl Tengesdal and Capt. Heather Fox are both U-2 pilots with the 99th ERS, which is home-stationed at Beale AFB, California. They continue to add to the history of women in aerospace and to the history of the U-2, while fighting the global war on terror at 70,000 feet in the air.
From these altitudes, Tengesdal and Fox, along with their wingmen of the 99th ERS, provide other warfighters with intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance of the battlespace. "After we've completed a mission, it is rewarding to know that we've helped the forces on the ground and kept them safe," says Fox. "Even after fifty years, the U-2 has a significant impact on the mission."
According to Lt. Col. Thomas Engle, the 99th ERS commander, the U-2 is an aircraft that requires exceptional airmanship to fly. It is one of the most difficult aircraft in the world to land. Pilots are carefully screened before being accepted for training, which includes a three-sortie interview profile to determine the applicant's aptitude for flying the "Deuce," as the U-2 is called. Less than half of the candidates invited to interview eventually get qualified to fly combat reconnaissance missions in the U-2. These missions often last more than nine hours and require pilots to wear full pressure suits while flying at extreme altitudes. The missions are physically draining.
"Major Tengesdal and Captain Fox are both experienced U-2 instructor pilots," says Engle. "They bring a high level of maturity and skill to the 99th ERS. I place a high degree of trust in these officers. While executing the mission, they face tough decisions every day to keep our pilots and aircraft safe."
Fewer than 850 airmen have piloted the U-2 since its introduction. For Fox, the small number of women on that list is just statistics. "To be perfectly honest, I really don't think gender is that big of a deal," she says. "The aircraft flies the same for women as it does for men. I'm just glad to be associated with an aircraft that performs such a great mission."
According to Tengesdal, every contribution in the military is important to winning the global war on terror. "As a pilot, all that matters is the mission," she says. "No matter if we're male or female, we get it done out here. I'm happy to be a contributing member of this team. It's an honor to be a part of the U-2 heritage."
SrA Ross Tweten is a member of the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, the parent unit of the 99th ERS, and is currently deployed in Southwest Asia.
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