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>I peripherally see Barber accelerating the 140-mph, chase car along
the runway as he joins in tight formation with our landing aircraft. I hear him on the radio calling out our height (standard practice for all U-2 landings
(snip)
When I was test flying my Kitfox out of Lincoln Harder just SE of the Beal airspace, I had borrowed the hangar of a fellow Kitfox builder and we were watching as my test pilot was preparing for the first flight. As he taxied toward the runway, Bert a U-2 pilot by profession shouted, "I've driven chase car lots of times, lets go." At that, we jumped into my Explorer - me standing with upper body and video camera out through the sun roof and Bert driving the "chase car", we followed the airplane down the runway as it proceeded to it's first take off. We did the same as it came in to land, resulting in some great video footage.
Bert flew the last operational mission of the SR-71, moving to the U-2 until his retirement.
Lowell (Lancair IV helper)
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