PilotPlus July 2010 | 97

U2 Pilot

THEY fly twelve hour missions in pressurised flight suits. Some callthem pilots but it’s more appropriate to call them astronauts as theyfly, literally, at edge of space. For a U-2 pilot, long loiter times over

areas of interest is vital for intelligence gathering. Every U-2 pilot is wellaware that the mission scenarios they fly are unique (Alone, Unarmed andUnafraid). As such this creates a true sense of pride and collectiveness.Individual squadrons have long celebrated theiruniqueness with badges, silk scarves or even aircraftnose paint but the idea of having a watch specific to asquadron is the newest trend.

As a result, the Bremont brothers, Nick and Giles,were contacted directly by Alberto Cruz, a U-2 pilotbased at Beale Air Force base in California. “An emailcame out of the blue,” explains Nick. “Alberto hadseen the MBII watch we’d created with Martin-Bakerand they wanted us to create one that all the pilots inthe squadron could wear.”

Watches are a talking point amongst aircrew butwith so many wearing the same popular makes,Alberto wanted something special. Nick says, “Theywanted a quality watch that screamed out the loudest.For us it was a huge privilege to make it for them.”

The finished watch, called the ‘Squadron U-2’, isvery special to the U-2 community. “We are a verysmall, tight-knit group and this watch is unlike anyother,” says Alberto. “It represents everything we areabout: quality and excellence. This is something I think

Bremont certainly brings to the watch world.Furthermore our community has strong ties to theUK and the RAF. We have flown U-2s in and out ofRAF bases for many years and hope to continueflying for several more. Therefore being associated

with an aviation focused British company that exemplifies excellence wasan easy choice for us.”

Alberto was very clear about what they wanted from the watch. ABremont with just a logo wasn’t going to cut it. In fact, Nick said theyhad to reign in some of their ideas. Nick sums up the look, “It’s black andsinister. Much like a U-2.”

Alberto says many of the pilots were surprised athow Bremont was able to incorporate so manysmall details, some only known by U-2 pilots, intothe design. “For example, the black case matchesthe colour of the aircraft,” he explains. “There’s thecross-hair design from our viewsight (used fornavigation), the U-2 silhouette below the Bremontlogo, the ejection ring on the second hand and the‘U-’ next to the number two creating ‘U-2’” Thefour red crosses and inscription is one such detailthat only the U-2 pilots will understand.

Alberto’s favourite feature though is the Super-LumiNova ‘U’ next to the number two.

“It glows blue in the dark,” he says.But it’s not just the looks that are important. This

watch will be worn on the outside of the spacesuit(using Bremont’s NATO-style, nylon strap) and mustbe capable of working in a low pressureenvironment at altitude. There is already a digitalclock in the U2 cockpit but this would blank outwith an electrical failure. “Also, if we eject we have

Watching from above

The Bremont Squadron U-2 watch. Can

you spot the unique detailing?

PilotPlus July 2010 | 97

The U-2 pilots of the 9th ReconnaissanceWing now all wear a limitededition watch made by Bremont - tested to survive conditions at 100,000ftBY Dan Tye

Inside the cockpit of a

U2. Imagine yourself

here in a spacesuit on a

12 hour mission...

PP-07-095-[U2]DT:003-001-PIL-SEPT-09 20/05/2010 10:15 Page 97

U2 pilot

nothing to tell time unless we carry a watch,” says Alberto.Nick describes how the watch behaves at high altitude. “The opposite effect happens to

diving,” he says. “So our Supermarine model, when we took under water to 1500 metresthe pressure caused the back case to buckle inwards slightly. At altitude it works the otherway round, so the case bends out, but we tested the Squadron U-2 in an altitude chamberup to 100,000ft and to minus 40 degrees Celsius. The watch came out all frosted up yetwas still working. Other companies can’t even buy that level of testing.”

Bremont knows that most people who buy luxury timepieces may never push it to thatlimit but it’s the ‘knowing’ that it has that ability which is the attraction. “Some otherwatch companies say their models can withstand certain extremes and will replace any thatdoesn’t. They accept that some may break,” says Nick. “But our philosophy is that we don’twant any returns at all.”

The watches’ ability to perform is critical for Alberto and his pilots though. “We operateabove 70,000ft but our cockpit can only pressurised to about 29,000ft. Even though webreathe 100% oxygen our bodiesare essentially at the pressureequivalent of Mt. Everest (actuallyhigher) for 10 hours straight whileconstricted in a space suit. Thephysiological effect on the body,which sometimes involvesdecompression sickness, makes usvery tired at the end of a longmission.”

With the final design passed byAlberto and his men, thesquadron is due to take deliveryof the first 25 watches thismonth. They’ll be handed over ina formal presentation before they start wearing them on operations. With such longmission times I asked Alberto if he ever ends up clockwatching and wishing the time wouldpass faster.

“It depends!” he says. “If we are transiting across oceans to get from point A to point Bthen yes. However, if we are supporting soldiers and marines on the ground then theanswer is no. Time goes by quickly when you are involved in combat operations.”The Squadron U2 watch will be limited to just U2 pilots but a standard ‘Bremont U2’ watch can be

bought by anyone for £3,100. See more at www.bremont.com �

ALBERTO CRUZQ Tell us some of your best

memories from flying U-2s?

A “My top memory was the sortie Iflew directly over Baghdad days

before Operation Iraqi Freedom kickedoff. This flight was in support of theUnited Nations Monitoring, Verificationand Inspection Commission. We had twoprevious flights that safely manoeuvredaround Saddam Hussein’s surface-to-airmissiles. On my mission we elected to flydirectly over Baghdad which was at thetime regarded as one of the most heavilydefended cities in the world. A furtherstipulation by the Iraqi government wasthat no fighter escort would be allowed.This mission was reminiscent of theoriginal days of the U-2: Alone, Unarmedand Unafraid. The second one was my firstcombat mission. This was a memorablemission for good and bad reasons. Thegood reason was the sense of honour andpride I had participating in somethingthat was potentially saving groundtroops’ lives. The bad reason was flyingthrough a thunderstorm on my return toback to base.”

Q Can you describe some of theunique sights of the earth that

you have seen as a U-2 pilot?

A “The first time I saw what astronautscall a ‘terminator’ is one of my best

memories. This is the line around ourplanet where day turns into night or nightturns into day. I was truly unprepared bywhat I saw. I had heard about it duringmy U-2 training but I did not pay muchattention to the discussion becausefrankly it has nothing to do with flyingthe aircraft. The first terminator I saw wasstrange because, unlike astronauts, theline is not as clearly defined at 70,000ft asit is in outer space. Nevertheless, therewas a big, hazy line slowly moving acrossthe sky that eventually flew past meturning day into night. I was once giventhe opportunity to see an even more rareoccurrence in the U-2. That is two see twoterminators by taking off just beforesunrise and landing just after sunset. Asyou have guessed it, that sortie wasscheduled to be 12 hours. Unfortunately asmall maintenance issue delayed mytakeoff by 30 minutes which was enoughtime to miss the first terminator.”

Interview

A U2 pilot’s view down the wingtip during a turn at

70,000ft over the Sierra Nevada.

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