Profiles of spy planes, along with facts and purposes.
At the heart of many spy movies is the spy plane. Whether it is flying low to spy on terrorists or operating covert missions over an unnamed rebel country, the spy plane has long been the object of intrigue. Despite the Hollywood glamour, spy planes are the epitome of technology. Advancements in physics and other sciences have created plans that can fly faster, higher, and safer.
TYPES
As technology evolves, so does the spy plane. The changing market and intelligence needs have created numerous planes for a variety of purposes.
"Nightstalkers" are unmanned planes that can be operated by the FBI's field offices. Each plane has surveillance equipment in order to monitor any listening or tracking devices the intelligence agency planted in cars, houses, etc. prior to flight. Another use of the Nightstalker is to operate photography missions in darkness using infrared equipment. The last official statement from the FBI on Nightstalkers was that about 100 are in operation.
Perhaps the best-known spy plane is the U-2, partly because it was one of the first intelligence gathering aircraft. Used during the Cold War, its first flight was in 1955. One of its missions was to photograph the Soviet missiles in Cuba, the results of which led to the famous Cuban Missile Crisis.
The U-2 is also one of the most difficult planes to fly and land. For example, in order to land U-2s, pilots gage their distance from the runway by using chaser cars - cars that drive at fast speeds on the runway behind the landing plane. Because of difficulties such as landing, only about 100 pilots are qualified to fly U-2s. Of those who even apply to be one of the hundred, only about 40% become U-2 pilots.
Another example of a predominant spy plane is the Global Hawk, an unmanned, high-altitude plane. Its most notable accomplishment was completing the first non-stop, unmanned (robotic) trip across the Pacific Ocean in 2001. Like the Nightstalkers, all of the Global Hawk's operations are controlled from a base on the ground.
Whereas the Global Hawk is known for its distance flights, the SR-71 Blackbird is known for its speed and altitude, 2,193 mph (Mach 3) and 85,000 feet respectively.
Not all spy planes are built for speed. Some models, like the EC-121, are built to be patrol aircrafts, and they operate at slower speeds in order to listen to radio conversations and other sources of intelligence.
By no means are the above descriptions all the spy planes in existence. The planes mentioned above are simply examples of the many models and types of spy planes.
FACTS
Spy planes generally remain in the air for up to 12 hours and can travel great distances. Their altitude depends greatly on their mission and the level of danger involved in the area they are sent to monitor. The amount of radar in the area and ammunition that can be fired from the ground are also factors as to how high the plane will fly.
Some spy planes require a large crew in order to operate a successful mission. For example, China held 24 members of a US spy plane crew in April of 2001. The tactical engineers, mechanics, flight operators, etc. all were unharmed during the emergency landing and 11 days in captivity, but they had to attempt to destroy all sensitive information before they reached the ground.
Spy planes are not large military jets, but smaller, propeller planes that are loaded with military equipment. The plane runs with silent motors and have little to no distinguishing markings. For all intents and purposes, they appear to be normal planes, with the exception of the amount of equipment attached to the underside of the plane.
Another distinguishing factor is the lights that adorn the outside of the plane, a factor that can only be noticed at night. Whereas commercial airplanes fly quickly and with bright, constant lights, spy planes fly slowly and with flickering and dimming lights. In many cases, a spy plane may even look like it is not moving at all, and is only evident because of the strange pattern the lights create. This distinguishing factor, though, is only applicable if the plane is flying at a low altitude.
MISSIONS
As imagined, spy planes are used by many agencies (in particular, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Defense) to monitor other countries in addition to the safety of the United States air space, especially since September 11, 2001. The DOD planes are the most sophisticated of the spy planes; each has cameras, sensors, imaging devices, computers, and other high-tech programs used to both gather intelligence and aid in defense of the aircraft.
Other countries also use spy planes to monitor for their safety, most certainly Russia and China. With the advance of technology, this tactic has become a more affordable option than the former spy equipment of choice, satellites.
As a result of technology, spy planes are becoming more numerous and more diverse in purpose and type. It is impossible to categorize these planes with just a few qualifiers, and it will only become more challenging as the field progresses.
