Rented Alfa Romeo Stelvio pursues U-2 spy plane

Lockheed U-2

A video has been posted on Twitter – or “X,” as it is called these days – showing an Alfa Romeo Stelvio nipping at the heels of a Lockheed U-2. The U-2 – also known as the Dragon Lady – is an extraordinary aircraft. It looks like a glider, but it is a reconnaissance aircraft that can conduct prolonged operations at 21 km altitude.

Difficult to land

The wing span of a U-2 is greater than the length of the aircraft. Partly because of this, the U-2 is known as one of the most challenging aircraft to fly. Therefore, when taking off and landing on the runway, a U-2 pilot receives help from so-called chase pilots. These pilots communicate with the U-2 pilot by radio during the last 100 meters of his flight, while driving behind the aircraft on the runway. Or racing, actually.

Alfa Romeo Stelvio

At the home base of the U-2, the chase pilots drive a Chevy Camero, but the landing attempt of the U-2 seen in the video takes place at a different airfield. The chase pilots therefore had to look for the fastest rental car they could find there: in this case, an Alfa Romeo Stelvio. In the tweet below, you can see how: