WRAeS Talk: 'Dragon Lady' - A brief history of the Lockheed U-2 Spyplane
- 28th Jan 2026
- 5.30pm
- Entry donation £5 per person. Card payment at the door.
- Evening talk in The Clubhouse at Brooklands Museum
- Doors open 5.30pm / Talk starts 6.45pm
- Campbell Gate Entrance
When the U-2 first took off in 1955, no-one involved in the top-secret project dreamed that this unique reconnaissance aircraft would still be flying 70 years later.
The long story of the Dragon Lady is amazing, but complex. From the early days overflying the Soviet Union under CIA sponsorship, to the Cuba Missile Crisis, and on to the Vietnam War. The epic missions over Communist China, flown by nationalist pilots from Taiwan. How the U-2 was improved, enlarged and put back into production – twice. How it led the real-time recce revolution with data links and high-tech sensors. And then how it played a key role in Desert Storm, over Bosnia and Kosovo, and then over Afghanistan and Iraq.
The U-2 continues to fly daily missions from three overseas locations. It has been scheduled for retirement by the US Air Force three times since 2005, but wiser counsels have prevailed.
Speaker Chris Pocock has been described by the CIA historian as the foremost authority on the history of the U-2. He has written four books on the subject, including 50 Years of the U-2, a comprehensive history, and Dragon Lady Today, an update on recent operations. He was the first foreign civilian to fly in the aircraft.
For more information please contact: wraesmemsec@outlook.com
Chris Pocock is a British full-time writer, specialising in aerospace. He started working life in the airfreight business at Heathrow, and helped to start the outsize cargo business with Heavylift Cargo Airlines. He then became a full-time writer, editing two air cargo magazines and a military aviation newsletter. He was the defence editor of Aviation International News for 30 years until retiring in mid-2018. He is still a commentator on aerospace/defense issues.
His interest in the U-2 started in the early 1970s with a visit to Davis-Monthan AFB, which was then the home of the US Air Force U-2 wing. In 1989, his first book on the Dragon Lady was published to favorable reviews, especially from members of the US airborne reconnaissance community.
So he continued to research the history, and follow the current operations, of this remarkable aircraft. He helped to ensure that an original U-2C model and B-camera were preserved and transferred to the Imperial War Museum, Duxford, UK. In 1997, he became the first foreign civilian to fly in the U-2. His largest book, 50 Years of the U-2, was published in 2005 to mark the aircraft's golden anniversary. He updated the U-2 story with Dragon Lady Today published in 2015 and revised in 2024. His latest book is Shadow Flyer - The Life of Bob Ericson, CIA and NASA U-2 pilot.
Meetings are held in the Brooklands Museum Clubhouse.
The Brooklands Club Members bar is open to use from 5:30pm – please use card payment for drinks. Food can also be ordered from the Bar and will be served from 5:45pm.
All are welcome (RAeS membership is not required). There is an entry donation of £5.00 (please use card payment) at the door. This donation is not expected from those under the age of 21 or holders of a current Student Union card.
Certificates of Attendance for C.Eng or CPD purposes are available on request.
Entry is via Campbell Gate only, Brooklands Road, KT13 0QN from 5.30pm.
