Ftrooppilot

My replacement. No pressure suits, no long hours in "the bag." No pucker factor. Are they going to replace us with such an ugly machine ?

Phantom Eye takes flight (Video, Photos)

HuggyU2

"The aircraft can also carry a 450 pound payload."
BWAAA!!!! That's funny!

Ftrooppilot, they are a loooong way from replacing us with anything like this. Remember how the U-2 was announced back ~Jan 2006 to be on the way out? Well, now they are saying around the year 2040.
And they are figuring out how to pack even more payload onto the U-2. It already carries 4000+ lbs.

The Boeing aircraft will be a good technology demonstrator. But don't hold your breath on it going into production any time soon.

jungle

Ftrooppilot, you have graced us with some of the best posts ever made here, but I am sure you know this story. It is clear what the future will bring and the great feats of man will be remembered prior to the rise of the drones. Fighter pilots are next.
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

A Construction Crew Version of the Ballad


An Early Version



Another early version of the John Henry ballad collected by Johnson was obtained from Leon R. Harris of Moline, Ill. Mr. Harris, apparently an itinerant construction worker, claimed he first heard this version in 1909 while part of the crew building the Birmingham Power Co.'s plant at Birmingham, Ala.



JOHN HENRY



Lissen to my story;
'Tis a story true;

'Bout a might man, --John Henry was his name,

An' John Henry was a steel-driver too--

Lawd, -- Lawd, --

John Henry was a steel-driver too.

John Henry had a hammah;
Weighed nigh fo'ty poun';

Eb'ry time John made a strike

He seen his steel go 'bout two inches down,--

Lawd, -- Lawd, --

He seen his steel go 'bout two inches down.

John Henry's woman, Lucy,--
Dress she wore was blue;

Eyes like stars an' teeth lak-a marble stone,

An' John Henry named his hammah "Lucy" too,--

Lawd, -- Lawd, --

John Henry named his hammah "Lucy" too.

Lucy came to see him;
Bucket in huh han';

All th' time John Henry ate his snack,

O Lucy she'd drive steel lak-a man,--

Lawd, -- Lawd, --

O Lucy she'd drive steel lak-a man.

John Henry's cap'n Tommy,--
V'ginny gave him birth;

Loved John Henry like his only son,

And Cap' Tommy was the whitest man on earth,--

Lawd, -- Lawd, --

Cap' Tommy was th' whitest man on earth.

One day Cap' Tommy told him
How he'd bet a man;

Bet John Henry'd beat a steam-drill down,

Jes' cause he was th' best in th' lan',--

Lawd, -- Lawd, --

'Cause he was th' best in th' lan.

John Henry tol' Cap' Tommy;
Lightnin' in his eye;

"Cap'n, bet yo' las' red cent on me,

Fo' I'll beat it to th' bottom or I'll die,--

Lawd, -- Lawd, --

I'll beat it to th' bottom or I'll die."

"Co'n pone's in my stomach;
Hammah's in my han';

Haint no steam-drill on dis railroad job

Can beat 'Lucy' an' her steel-drivin' man,

Lawd, -- Lawd, --

Can beat 'Lucy' an' her steel-drivin' man."

"Bells ring on de engines;
Runnin' down th' line;

Dinnahs done when Lucy pulls th' c'od;

But no hammah in this mountain rings like mine,--

Lawd, -- Lawd, --

No hammah in this mountain rings like mine."

Sun shined hot an' burning'
Wer'n't no breeze at-tall;

Sweat ran down like watah down a hill

That day John Henry let his hammah fall,--

Lawd, -- Lawd, --

That day John Henry let his hammah fall.

John Henry kissed his hammah;
White Man turned on steam;

Li'l Bill held John Henry's trusty steel,--

'Twas th' biggest race th' worl' had ever seen,--

Lawd, -- Lawd, --

Th' biggest race th' worl' had ever seen.



White Man tol' John Henry,--
"Niggah, dam yo' soul,

You might beat dis steam an' drill o' mine

When th' rocks in this mountain turn to gol',--

Lawd, -- Lawd, --

When th' rocks in this mountain turn to gol'."

John Henry tol' th' white man;
Tol' him kind-a sad:

"Cap'n George I want-a be yo' fr'en;

If I beat yo' to th' bottom, don't git mad,--

Lawd, -- Lawd, --

If I beat yo' to th' bottom don't git mad."

Cap' Tommy sees John Henry's
Steel a-bitin' in;

Cap'n slaps John Henry on th' back,

Says, "I'll give yo' fifty dollars if yo' win,--

Lawd, -- Lawd, --

I'll give yo' fifty dollars if yo' win."

White Man saw John Henry's
Steel a-goin' down;

White Man says,--"That man's a mighty man,

But he'll weaken when th' hardes' rock is foun',--

Lawd, -- Lawd, --

He'll weaken when th' hardes' rock is foun'."

John Henry, O John Henry,--
John Henry's hammah too;

When a woman's 'pendin' on a man

Haint no tellin' what a might man can do,--

Lawd, -- Lawd, --

No tellin' what a mighty man can do.

John Henry, O, John Henry!
Blood am runnin' red!

Falls right down with his hammah to th' groun',

Says, "I've beat him to th' bottom but I'm dead,--

Lawd, -- Lawd, --

I've beat him to th' bottom but I'm dead."



John Henry kissed his hammah;
Kissed it with a groan;

Sighed a sigh an' closed his weary eyes,

Now po' Lucy has no man to call huh own,--

Lawd, -- Lawd, --

Po' Lucy has no man to call huh own.

Cap' Tommy came a-runnin'
To John Henry's side;

Says, "Lawd, Lawd,--O Lawdy, Lawdy, Lawd,--

He's beat it to th' bottom but he's died,--

Lawd, -- Lawd, --

He's beat it to th' bottom but he's died."

Lucy ran to see him;
Dress she wore was blue;

Started down th' track an' she nevvah did turn back,

Sayin', "John Henry, I'll be true--true to you,--

Lawd, -- Lawd, --

John Henry, I'll be true--true to you."

John Henry, O, John Henry!
Sing it if yo' can,--

High an' low an' ev'ry where yo' go,--

He died with his hammah in his han',--

Lawd, -- Lawd, --

He died with his hammah in his han'.

Buddie, where'd yo' come from
To this railroad job?

If yo' wantta be a good steel-drivin' man,

Put yo' trus' in yo' hammah an' yo' God,--

Lawd, -- Lawd, --

Put yo' trus' in yo' hammah an' yo God.

Ftrooppilot

"Back in the days the RB57F carried this type of camera. It was the size and weight of a VW. You could do 6-7 hours of continuous (horizon to horizon) "wet film" photography. High angle offset (beyond the 3 mile limit) could capture details dozens of miles inland.




Today they send most of the photographs digital via satellite but (in my mind) there will never be anything better then wet film.

UnderOveur

Are there technical reasons for that? Not interested in any specifics, just curious. Yes or no would satisfy my curiosity here, and thank you.

UnderOveur

I appreciate the education. I found this on youtube thanks to your post...it has some memorable scenes/shots in it you may find interesting, most esp. in the beginning.




Speaking to your point...yesterday it was John Henry (and welders on auto assembly lines). Today it is pilots in the cockpit. Tomorrow it will be doctors and surgeons. Technology may not kill us (ie. Terminator), but it is putting everyone out of work and a means for earning a living.

Ftrooppilot

Digital photo via satellite is "instant intelligence" and if the recon airplane is shot down the intel is not lost.

Ftrooppilot

Extending the U-2 lifespan and returning WB(RB)57F(s) to service is sending us a message.

UnderOveur

Yessir. I understand that point. I was curious to know why there would be nothing better than wet film in your mind.

Your second post above re: extending the U-2's lifespan gives a hint, I think.

Ftrooppilot

Because I'm older than dirt.

Or

I reminisce of the days when the intel folks were anxious for us to land and were glad that we made it back.