true, but to be brutally honest these are generally two pilot crews where both people are experienced, this guy is having to do the workload of two people, keep memory items going ect. If you swapped out the first officer in a 747 for a tv personality the work load on the pilot would go up substantially. He could still do both jobs, but it would occupy most of his time/attention.
James May is the only one who really appreciates things like this. He really loves flying. You can hear the excitement in his voice. He has never been in a program that was boring or unwatchable.
There is a story that a U2 pilot called his base in the UK and declared an engine emergency. He confirmed that he was at such a height that he could glide back to base. He was over Southern Germany at the time.
PCOM1 my grandfather flew in one and I never even knew until after he passed away. If only I could have known, I’d love to hear the stories. Can’t believe I didn’t know until after.
I bought James a beer in the Denver international airport while he was on the way to film this show. It was such a treat to meet him in person, same chill guy as you see every time he's filming.
10 years later, this is still one of the best videos I've ever came across. The beauty of the music as the U2 taking off, the flyover at the earth atmosphere to the landing. Just beautiful....
I was thinking the same thing, its gotta be running so lean up that high, unless you are going insane speed like the SR71, but the U2 is just up there crawling around. Awesome engineering to build an engine that can tolerate that difference in air consumption between sea level and way the hell up there.
"Yet you believe the same propulsion works in space with the shuttle........#rockets don't and can't work in space." I am flabbergasted that someone as stupid as yourself is allowed unsupervised access to the internet. Rocket engines are fueled with, among other things, Liquid Oxygen. That's the only "air" they need.
It's all about Mach, you stay at damn near exactly the speed needed to take in enough air to stay at damn near exactly the speed needed to do it. The envelope for a U2 at its service ceiling is only +/- a couple knots. Yet that pilot can maintain it and carry on a conversation with James while eating... Incredible
Air isnt The problem, it doesn't need much it cruses at 480 mph so its a low power engine, fast enough to get air to keep the engine running, and fast enough to keep sustained lift in low pressure, which is why its wings are huge, hell at sea level it won't stall until its doing 70 mph
I’m a corporate pilot and fly jets. The highest I’ve ever been is 45,000 feet. The sky is darker when you look up. You see the curvature of the planet. I joke with my friends that, I operate a self propelled low Earth orbital vehicle. The U-2 actually does that. What a privilege it must be, to be selected and actually fly this airplane. Outstanding video thanks for sharing.
The fact Concorde did this at 58-60,000ft at Mach2 with people walking around drinking champagne and eating caviar- what an incredible machine Concorde was ✈️
I'm glad James May presented this. He is articulate, calm, curious, intelligent, humorous, understated and perfectly sarcastic in his descriptions and speech. He portrayed this opportunity with the right euphemisms.
I still can’t believe how far U2 has come as a band. From making 80s rock music, 2000’s pop music, and now to creating aircraft technology that goes into space. What a brilliant band.
It's called 'the overview effect' astronauts experience a profound shift in their thinking and attitude (towards better) when they see Earth from space
@Pugna I'd have to disagree. While the natural order of things does have risks and dangers, nature (when left to itself) is rather peaceful. There is a certain order in nature that you'd have to be incredibly far removed from not to see it. Yes, there are moments of strife, such as when a prey animal is trying to avoid becoming dinner for a hungry predator or when an entire forest full of animals is trying to escape a forest fire, but the peaceful moments far outweigh the conflict. Anyone who has ever spent time in a rainforest, or in the African plains, or even their local woods, cannot help but notice how peaceful and calm things are. Nature, as a whole, is peaceful. It may have moments of agitation, but these moments are necessary and brief before peace returns. Anyone who spends any amount of time in immersed in nature would see this.
As an aviation enthusiast, I found the "500 foot takeoff roll" (pilot's words) incredible considering the weight of the fuel that must have been aboard that beautiful bird!
@@lennymecca968 Quote: _" I heard it as well and I would be beyond shocked if this bird got off the pavement in less than 500ft."_ I think I heard him say they were only thirteen miles high. My question is at what elevation do you lose lift?
I used to work next to Moffett Field. NASA had a U2 there. The rollout was very short. Then it just rotated and climbed, slowly, out of sight. As an Air Force brat, I found it remarkable.
I come back to this clip every few months, makes me appreciate the beauty of the world we live in. And of course James's happiness always puts a smile of my face.
That pilot dude just seems so smart and cool and chill... I wonder if time spent away from all the BS at those altitudes helps keep perspective of what is really important in life.
I imagine U2 pilots have a LOT of time to contemplate things on those flights, and given the gravitas of what they experience while up there… yeah, I imagine that job puts a lot of life into crystal clear perspective.
Observing James May's exuberance is remarkably contagious. Merely witnessing his excitement brings me joy, and this extraordinary, once-in-a-lifetime experience is truly awe-inspiring. I am grateful that he included us in his journey!
My grandfather flew in one of NASA’s U-2 planes several decades ago. I can only imagine an experience like that. I can’t believe he never told me. I’d loved to have heard the stories.
It was not declassified, so he couldn't tell you. You did not have a need to know. My uncle was finally able to tell me what he used to do once his projects were finally declassified decades later. Awe inspiring what is actually out there tech-wise.
Oh look----"The earth is flat" said nobody ever from the cockpit of this plane. A friend of mine has a wife who believes the earth is flat. Send her up in this plane.
What's truly gobsmacking is that 2000 ft below the passengers on concorde would be drinking champagne in a dinner jacket, not a space suit. I know it's not the normal 60k ft service ceiling but concorde was tested to 68k ft successfully. Very under rated engineering masterpiece.
Watching this makes you realize how exceptional this plane and the pilots and all the crew - as well as our planet Earth - actually are !! Thanks to everybody for making this available.
The concept that we routinely get bored flying across a continent at near the speed of sound above the clouds and are watching movies to pass the time would simply baffle people a century ago.
Well he’s also concentrating very intensely on the flight systems and instruments. And as a representative of the armed forces I’m sure he wanted to project a cool, calm, professional demeanor. Also, recon pilots also are not “maverick” types - the kind of flying they do necessitates an intense focus on procedures and following the flight plan perfectly.
Spihk heartbust!? Spihk heartbust can you tell Sarah From The Holy Bible to tell The Terminator to analyze and discuss Positive effects and results for Zumo's brother's bathroom doorway dad's brother's look alike's brother as result for Zumo's brother's bathroom doorway dad's brother's look alike's brother explaining on Ghnavel that Bag is Wet at the bottom!!!!!!!!!!¡!!!!
The amazing things that May, Hammond and Clarkson get to do. No words can describe how much i envy the 3 of them. What incredible careers they have all had! Absolute legends! 👏👏👏
It’s crazy to think .. the Effective Oxygen Percentage at 80,000 ft is somewhere around 1-2%. Incredible that an aircraft can function on that amount. Pure amazing.
@@jacobstallcup8648 Yt commenters love smoking illegal substances. Nasa's Helios has the altitude record for highest sustained flight at around 95k feet, and a Mig 25 for highest ever altitude at 123k feet. Passenger planes fly at 35k to 40k feet. So yeah were you high wjen you made this comment sir
James May: Drives a moon rover... Rides a U2 spyplane... Speed tests a Bugatti Supersport... Has enough street cred for LaFerrari... This man is a KING.
I think I would have shed quite a few tears of joy if I were in May's position. I get choked up just seeing the beauty that is Earth in a video. I think if I were in his position then, I probably would have bawled liked a baby.
I don't know if I'm alone here, but when I watch this video, I feel such a sense of yearning. My whole life I've always looked up and wondered what it would be like to literally be "on top of the world" while knowing there's not much chance of ever making it happen for me. To me, the ultimate privilege would be to visit the ISS, with a very close second being this trip James May is taking in this video. While I'm more likely to win the lottery several drawings in a row than I am to be able to see the view James May had during his flight, I doubt I will ever stop yearning.
You're not alone...I'm always outside looking up in wonder and now I'm addicted to watching the ISS pass over...even if it's a fast travelling white light...cheers from Australia 👍🍻
@@lachlanmorrison2412 Yeah. I know what you mean. Seeing that pinprick of light and knowing it's a football field sized space ship is kind of awe inspiring. I've been tracking the ISS (and other satellites" for years and I don't think I've missed a lunar transit (my favorite) yet. Watching a sparkling dot traverse the night's sky is awe inspiring to say the least. There's just something incredibly special knowing I'm looking at a huge ship holding between 3 and 10 humans from the planet I'm standing on.
It’s our yearning and dreaming that will one day make this incredible journey possible for a greater portion of the population. Once motor vehicles were viewed as a luxury item. Same to air travel. Whilst it make me sad to know it won’t be in my life time I feel humbled to know we achieve it for future generations
What I find amazing, is that the U2 first flew only 10 years after the end of WWII. The pace of innovation back then was simply astounding, and it’s still in service nearly 70 years later. A ‘boomer’ aircraft still going strong!
and all in a vintage aircraft. Perhaps the most famous spy plane ever built, the U-2, also known as the Dragon Lady, has been in service since 1956. A prototype flew in 1955, and the last plane in the series was built in 1989
There are many celebrities who have the chance to fly in a fighter plane or other... But with James May it hits differently since he is genuinely an aviation enthusiast. He's not there like he's on a roller coaster, he's actually living the experience.
Goosebumps all the way through and what an amazing bird, even when it lands it looks like it flaps its wings as hits the runway, so privileged to that ... maybe one day
" no, that camera uses fish-eyer" Liar. If there was a fish-eye lens, the wing would be distorted. And it's not. Yet another flattard lie demolished by reality.
m16msn seems like you are the one here fishing for an argument from a flat earth believer. After all, what they chose to believe doesn't affect your life whatsoever, so why instigate an argument???? They have a natural born right as a human being to believe or not believe anything they want. It's not hurting anyone, So Bruce Jenner has the natural born right to decide to be a woman after 65 years of being a man and that's ok, but random people online can't have their own beliefs about the shape of the Earth???
James, I was touched by everything you’ve seen and share that with us. It brought tears to my eyes. You really are a very privileged person. Thank you, the major and the Americans to share their beautiful video with me.👍👍❤️❤️
Amazing the USAF let the BBC do this, kudos to allowing access to a non-us network. What an amazing opportunity for James, something could win every one-up competition minus an actual astronaut/Blackbird pilot.
I had the great fortune of knowing many people involved with both the U2 and SR71, but none of that can compare to the 1st hand experience of what James did..legendary.
And here I thought climbing out of a Cessna at 4000 feet and having an unobstructed view of the ground before I let go for my one skydive jump was ‘gobsmacking’
Wow... I thought Adam's Mythbusters flight was incredible. It still is, but someone likes James May along for the ride just takes it to the next level!
I am pissed off at the Algorithm, why did it take 15 years to recommend this, that was possibly the best thing I have ever seen on RUclips! Amazing. Tried to find out if it is possible to book a ride, sadly not.
![Felix Baumgartner Space Jump World Record 2012 Full HD 1080p [FULL]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/vvbN-cWe0A0/mqdefault.jpg)
![Felix Baumgartner Space Jump World Record 2012 Full HD 1080p [FULL]](/img/tr.png)
James May is by far the most suitable person to undergo this. What an absolute legend.
Good thing Clarkson wouldn’t fit in one. Well, not him and his ego. 😂. And the other chap wouldn’t be able to see out 🤷🏼♂️
Everyone deserves this not one person
Who wouldn’t want to see clarkson go up though
Yeh, thats what I thought aswell.
@@davemart3913 You have a point there. 🤣
That pilot is a man of few words but he is a wise man indeed.
He was just letting James take it all in :)
A proper bloke.
true, but to be brutally honest these are generally two pilot crews where both people are experienced, this guy is having to do the workload of two people, keep memory items going ect. If you swapped out the first officer in a 747 for a tv personality the work load on the pilot would go up substantially. He could still do both jobs, but it would occupy most of his time/attention.
@TheDude the U-2 is a single seater, the plane in the video is just the trainer version.
@@stephanweinberger I thought the U2 was two seats and the A12 was single?
No matter how popular Clarkson becomes James May always gets to do the cool shit
I mean, Clarkson literally flew in an F-15 which for some would definitely be cooler than U-2
@@lalxlF15 is definitely a cooler plane, but the U-2 is more special tbh...
Clarkson is a twit. A funny twit.
May is charming.
Thats prob because clarkson phsycially couldnt fit in the suit🤣
mays the only one with a technical mindset, and i pilots license
James May is the only one who really appreciates things like this. He really loves flying. You can hear the excitement in his voice. He has never been in a program that was boring or unwatchable.
Agreed, I love his Japan series
Aye wheras Clarkson would rather drive his mazda mx5 through Swansea
@@dannywholuvTo each their own
Adam Savage’s U2 flight on Mythbusters was similar to this. He got a bit emotional and understood just how lucky he was to be up there.
Proper bloke James May
There is a story that a U2 pilot called his base in the UK and declared an engine emergency. He confirmed that he was at such a height that he could glide back to base.
He was over Southern Germany at the time.
Even commercial Airliners can glide for an amazing amount of time/distance
Not a problem.
"If everybody could do that once, it can completely change the face of global politics, religion, education.. everything"
So true.
For about a week and then they’d go back to greed and selfishness
You lost me at global.
@@gerRule Thats why humans must be destroyed
I dont see how putting people on the edge of space would change anything. I wouldnt go up there
James May....true words..the OverView Effect !
I can't even begin to describe the degree of my jealousy. What a wonderful experience.
PCOM1
I couldn't agree more
Wow
I do believe it would be slightly intimidating
Oh, so you've been up in one too?
"and That Was iN 2009 Bro^ //-_-\\
PCOM1 I don't know if jealousy is the word that I'm looking for. I haven't found the word yet to quite describe it
PCOM1 my grandfather flew in one and I never even knew until after he passed away. If only I could have known, I’d love to hear the stories. Can’t believe I didn’t know until after.
James May: "This is a fantastic privilege being able to see this."
This understatement has yet to be surpassed
Anyone with access to YT is able to see that though.
@@xyz3524 Well it's a bit different to watch a video of something and to actually experience it in the moment.
It all began in 1946 when a German V2 was equipped with a camera and sent straight up from White Sands.
I literally read this comment as he said it in the video 😭
@@xyz3524 There's no way seeing this on your phone compares in the slightest.
I bought James a beer in the Denver international airport while he was on the way to film this show. It was such a treat to meet him in person, same chill guy as you see every time he's filming.
Imagine the conversation you’d’ve had if you’d met him AFTER filming this…
Its weird to think that the plane James is taking a joy ride in was once so secret that the US government denied it even existed.
Cause we got better stuff and it makes good recruiting material now
travis scott: I'm the highest in the room
James may: hold my peaches
travis scott is a piece of shit of a human being, shouldn't even mention his name.
@@DoesThisWork888 ill let myself from 3 years ago know that cheers for the update Yury
@@michael1906 And don't let me catch you making the same mistake again
@@DoesThisWork888 thank you for setting our boy straight.
James May: "Would you like some gin?"
10 years later, this is still one of the best videos I've ever came across. The beauty of the music as the U2 taking off, the flyover at the earth atmosphere to the landing. Just beautiful....
But I still havent found what Im looking for...
@@ragnarkisten try looking where the streets have no name...
I wish I could find a high quality version of the full documentary out there.
@@wibblewobble1934 cant help with the james may one, but adam savage from mythbusters also rode in a u2 a while ago and the footage is amazing quality
One that flat earth morons try to ignore or are terrible at trying to debunk it.
It's amazing that the engine of that U-2 can operate at such an altitude, with almost no air!
I was thinking the same thing, its gotta be running so lean up that high, unless you are going insane speed like the SR71, but the U2 is just up there crawling around. Awesome engineering to build an engine that can tolerate that difference in air consumption between sea level and way the hell up there.
That's what it was designed for.
"Yet you believe the same propulsion works in space with the shuttle........#rockets don't and can't work in space."
I am flabbergasted that someone as stupid as yourself is allowed unsupervised access to the internet.
Rocket engines are fueled with, among other things, Liquid Oxygen. That's the only "air" they need.
It's all about Mach, you stay at damn near exactly the speed needed to take in enough air to stay at damn near exactly the speed needed to do it. The envelope for a U2 at its service ceiling is only +/- a couple knots. Yet that pilot can maintain it and carry on a conversation with James while eating... Incredible
Air isnt The problem, it doesn't need much it cruses at 480 mph so its a low power engine, fast enough to get air to keep the engine running, and fast enough to keep sustained lift in low pressure, which is why its wings are huge, hell at sea level it won't stall until its doing 70 mph
Being a U2 pilot must have been one of the coolest jobs ever.
Some U-2 pilots are better than others, but there is no such thing as a bad U-2 pilot.
@@kirkmooneyham I've heard Bono is pretty shit at flying.
Unless your name is GARY
Only thing cooler would be a SR71 pilot
Still is! The u-2 is still operational today
I’m a corporate pilot and fly jets. The highest I’ve ever been is 45,000 feet. The sky is darker when you look up. You see the curvature of the planet. I joke with my friends that, I operate a self propelled low Earth orbital vehicle. The U-2 actually does that. What a privilege it must be, to be selected and actually fly this airplane. Outstanding video thanks for sharing.
Do you know what 'low earth orbit' actually means?
@@sailorman8668 I do. That’s why I said it was a joke.
A Sailor and a pilot.. trying to mansplain.. the joke writes itself.😅
P.S.: Marine engineer here😂
Definitely not orbital in any of the cases.
@@akilanindia something about being "uncoordinated"
To think that a day would come when Captain Slow would travel faster than any of his colleagues.
He already maxed out Bugatti Veyron
U2's aren't known for their speed
Clarkson flew on Concorde so has been faster
@@carmadmeclarksons flew in an f15 as well
@@ThePrimordialArchon I don't think he went supersonic in that though or did he? I think he just dropped some simulated bombs
The fact Concorde did this at 58-60,000ft at Mach2 with people walking around drinking champagne and eating caviar- what an incredible machine Concorde was ✈️
the concorde didnt fly that high
@@El-xt9oo Concorde's cruising altitude was indeed 60,000ft ... almost twice the height of other airliners
@@LeeThomas11 no, youre wrong
You're wrong @@El-xt9oo
@@happysporran oops yeah I am
I'm glad James May presented this.
He is articulate, calm, curious, intelligent, humorous, understated and perfectly sarcastic in his descriptions and speech.
He portrayed this opportunity with the right euphemisms.
I still can’t believe how far U2 has come as a band. From making 80s rock music, 2000’s pop music, and now to creating aircraft technology that goes into space.
What a brilliant band.
C'mon...you know that can't be true because of Vertigo.
U2 are the worst. I would never mention this piece of machinery in the same sentence with them,even jokingly.
@@chuckselvage3157 ok buddy
@@LetMyPeopleKnowMinistry hahahaha
Hahahahah this comment fucking brillant humor😂😂
He’s the perfect man for this. At times he can be daft and hilarious, but he is also very smart.
If only it were as peaceful on the ground as the view from above
I feel you man.
It's called 'the overview effect' astronauts experience a profound shift in their thinking and attitude (towards better) when they see Earth from space
BCMGunfighters1972 that was an 80’s song...
@Pugna I'd have to disagree. While the natural order of things does have risks and dangers, nature (when left to itself) is rather peaceful. There is a certain order in nature that you'd have to be incredibly far removed from not to see it. Yes, there are moments of strife, such as when a prey animal is trying to avoid becoming dinner for a hungry predator or when an entire forest full of animals is trying to escape a forest fire, but the peaceful moments far outweigh the conflict. Anyone who has ever spent time in a rainforest, or in the African plains, or even their local woods, cannot help but notice how peaceful and calm things are. Nature, as a whole, is peaceful. It may have moments of agitation, but these moments are necessary and brief before peace returns. Anyone who spends any amount of time in immersed in nature would see this.
Preach brother
Why would you not feel emotional, looking down on the earth where it gave you life. A very touching moment for James.
I love that they captured footage of the airliner below them.
As an aviation enthusiast, I found the "500 foot takeoff roll" (pilot's words) incredible considering the weight of the fuel that must have been aboard that beautiful bird!
The U2 has a TWR of just over 1
Think of the lift the wings must create at sea level when it is able to maintain flight as high as it does
There is no way that’s accurate. I heard it as well and I would be beyond shocked if this bird got off the pavement in less than 500ft.
@@lennymecca968 Quote: _" I heard it as well and I would be beyond shocked if this bird got off the pavement in less than 500ft."_
I think I heard him say they were only thirteen miles high. My question is at what elevation do you lose lift?
I used to work next to Moffett Field. NASA had a U2 there. The rollout was very short. Then it just rotated and climbed, slowly, out of sight. As an Air Force brat, I found it remarkable.
It’s amazing that we’ve been flying these aircraft for nearly 70 years.
I come back to this clip every few months, makes me appreciate the beauty of the world we live in. And of course James's happiness always puts a smile of my face.
I come back for the guys in the tower wearing camo 😂
@@CorePathway what should they be wearing... a tuxedo 😋
That pilot dude just seems so smart and cool and chill... I wonder if time spent away from all the BS at those altitudes helps keep perspective of what is really important in life.
It does for real!
What is it though?
I imagine U2 pilots have a LOT of time to contemplate things on those flights, and given the gravitas of what they experience while up there… yeah, I imagine that job puts a lot of life into crystal clear perspective.
Major Cabegas - what an absolute gentleman! A true star of the programme...
I agree - a true master pilot.
Observing James May's exuberance is remarkably contagious. Merely witnessing his excitement brings me joy, and this extraordinary, once-in-a-lifetime experience is truly awe-inspiring. I am grateful that he included us in his journey!
“Do you get bored of looking at that”
“Oh I never do”
Love that
My grandfather flew in one of NASA’s U-2 planes several decades ago. I can only imagine an experience like that. I can’t believe he never told me. I’d loved to have heard the stories.
It was not declassified, so he couldn't tell you. You did not have a need to know. My uncle was finally able to tell me what he used to do once his projects were finally declassified decades later. Awe inspiring what is actually out there tech-wise.
At 9:36, listening to James' voiceover makes me believe that he'd be a great narrator for the Sid Meier's Civilization game series.
Love playing Civ.
Oh look----"The earth is flat" said nobody ever from the cockpit of this plane. A friend of mine has a wife who believes the earth is flat. Send her up in this plane.
What's truly gobsmacking is that 2000 ft below the passengers on concorde would be drinking champagne in a dinner jacket, not a space suit.
I know it's not the normal 60k ft service ceiling but concorde was tested to 68k ft successfully.
Very under rated engineering masterpiece.
True, but 60,000 feet is hardly the service ceiling of the U2.
@@crocodile1313 My point is that the concorde was an amazing piece of engineering in passenger aviation. Way ahead of its time.
@@IDontWantAHandle101way ahead of today's time.
@@IDontWantAHandle101 I agree; wish it was still flying!
Such a shame and a waste
Watching this makes you realize how exceptional this plane and the pilots and all the crew - as well as our planet Earth - actually are !! Thanks to everybody for making this available.
Designed by engineers using slide rulers too. Not computers. Yes, amazing.
It's interesting to see just how normal such an extraordinary thing is for the pilot.
The concept that we routinely get bored flying across a continent at near the speed of sound above the clouds and are watching movies to pass the time would simply baffle people a century ago.
Well he’s also concentrating very intensely on the flight systems and instruments. And as a representative of the armed forces I’m sure he wanted to project a cool, calm, professional demeanor. Also, recon pilots also are not “maverick” types - the kind of flying they do necessitates an intense focus on procedures and following the flight plan perfectly.
@@Justanotherconsumer would baffle people from any point in time before 1980
What a feat of engineering when you think about how long ago this plane was developed
images like those are what make you fall in love with the earth again and again
Spihk heartbust!? Spihk heartbust can you tell Sarah From The Holy Bible to tell The Terminator to analyze and discuss Positive effects and results for Zumo's brother's bathroom doorway dad's brother's look alike's brother as result for Zumo's brother's bathroom doorway dad's brother's look alike's brother explaining on Ghnavel that Bag is Wet at the bottom!!!!!!!!!!¡!!!!
James was definitely the right person to do this. Amazing. 🙏🏴
Instead of some philosophical drivel, I am here to point out captain slow has now gone faster than the whole crew combined
That's quite simply amazing. Seeing the curve of the earth 🌍 and the cosmos. What's mad is that the sr71 went 20 thousand feet higher.
Don't tell the flat earthers.
@@adamcarreras-neal4697 its really a fish eye lens..come on..its flat as a pancake
Wide angle lens. Losers.
@@seanmoore4653I can only assume you are taking the piss. Haha
Every time I watch this James May doc, I come to the verge of tears. I don't think I have to explain why, for all who keep watching.
You can actually hear the joy in his voice ...... great video
The amazing things that May, Hammond and Clarkson get to do. No words can describe how much i envy the 3 of them. What incredible careers they have all had! Absolute legends! 👏👏👏
To all the flat earthers, Well!
Idk looked pretty flat to me
@olybears57 what prescription glasses you got?
James May and Adam Savage are some of the luckiest civilians I know
It’s crazy to think .. the Effective Oxygen Percentage at 80,000 ft is somewhere around 1-2%. Incredible that an aircraft can function on that amount. Pure amazing.
Christian Palado apparently some aircraft can operate at 90k feet
Most modern day ones can fly at 100k feet but like they can barley stay in the air like they are going right above stalling speed
@@jacobstallcup8648 Yt commenters love smoking illegal substances. Nasa's Helios has the altitude record for highest sustained flight at around 95k feet, and a Mig 25 for highest ever altitude at 123k feet. Passenger planes fly at 35k to 40k feet. So yeah were you high wjen you made this comment sir
@@josephc.9520 I was
99% of our atmosphere is contained within the first 50km
one lucky lucky lucky man
alec cap there was 2ppl lol
Looks flat to me
@@Badgerslayer777 Bwahahahahaa
James May: Drives a moon rover... Rides a U2 spyplane... Speed tests a Bugatti Supersport... Has enough street cred for LaFerrari... This man is a KING.
HQ my ass
reverse thrust probably thought no one would respond to you responding on a 4 year old video within an hour. The quality sucks though.
IT'S 8 YEARS OLD, DICKBAG.
It is HQ, on my phone ten feet away.
I'm so late
@@ixion_cyb No, you are early
That plane is a masterpiece of engineering.
Every plane is. This plane isn't any more special.
@@Niever oh please 😂
Designed to fly in the most razor thin flight envelope, pretty fkn amazing
@@wesleymiller4159 Theirs always one, isn't there...
I think I would have shed quite a few tears of joy if I were in May's position. I get choked up just seeing the beauty that is Earth in a video. I think if I were in his position then, I probably would have bawled liked a baby.
I'm a 6ft4 boxer and bbuilder but i cried like a baby when i reached the top of a mountain.
"I think it's safe to say, we are the second highest people in the world."
Snoop Dogg - "Sounds about right."
Hey, is that the curvature I see. When we all know the earth is flat..... very suspicious 🧐
Amazing footage. Thank you for uploading this!
I don't know if I'm alone here, but when I watch this video, I feel such a sense of yearning. My whole life I've always looked up and wondered what it would be like to literally be "on top of the world" while knowing there's not much chance of ever making it happen for me. To me, the ultimate privilege would be to visit the ISS, with a very close second being this trip James May is taking in this video. While I'm more likely to win the lottery several drawings in a row than I am to be able to see the view James May had during his flight, I doubt I will ever stop yearning.
You're not alone...I'm always outside looking up in wonder and now I'm addicted to watching the ISS pass over...even if it's a fast travelling white light...cheers from Australia 👍🍻
@@lachlanmorrison2412 Yeah. I know what you mean. Seeing that pinprick of light and knowing it's a football field sized space ship is kind of awe inspiring. I've been tracking the ISS (and other satellites" for years and I don't think I've missed a lunar transit (my favorite) yet. Watching a sparkling dot traverse the night's sky is awe inspiring to say the least. There's just something incredibly special knowing I'm looking at a huge ship holding between 3 and 10 humans from the planet I'm standing on.
It’s our yearning and dreaming that will one day make this incredible journey possible for a greater portion of the population. Once motor vehicles were viewed as a luxury item. Same to air travel.
Whilst it make me sad to know it won’t be in my life time I feel humbled to know we achieve it for future generations
James May was fully the best person for that trip
The view, the comments, the soundtrack. Amazing stuff. Sometimes I feel I take RUclips for granted.
What I find amazing, is that the U2 first flew only 10 years after the end of WWII. The pace of innovation back then was simply astounding, and it’s still in service nearly 70 years later. A ‘boomer’ aircraft still going strong!
Absolutely beautiful. I must do this before I die.
$17 000 in Russia, they will take you up to 60 000ft in Mig29. You just must be healthy and have the 17k.
Pavel Drumev or virgin galactic will take you to 250,000 ft for 600,000k😂
@@yourgrandmasalzheimerpills1143 wait for blue origin. ~60k$ for 100km
Snoop dog is higher
I'm here to see how people argue about the earth being flat or sphere then I saw this comment... Priceless XD
Unoriginell
Hahahahaha, no buses in space haha
LOL!!!!!!
Snoop Dog, in common with all (c)rappers, is guilty of talking complete bollocks over somebody else's music.
Internet...won.
Man, this will never get old. How much I would love to do this one day.
and all in a vintage aircraft. Perhaps the most famous spy plane ever built, the U-2, also known as the Dragon Lady, has been in service since 1956. A prototype flew in 1955, and the last plane in the series was built in 1989
There are many celebrities who have the chance to fly in a fighter plane or other... But with James May it hits differently since he is genuinely an aviation enthusiast. He's not there like he's on a roller coaster, he's actually living the experience.
Never tire of occasionally revisiting this footage. Great TV truly great.
Goosebumps all the way through and what an amazing bird, even when it lands it looks like it flaps its wings as hits the runway, so privileged to that ... maybe one day
I would be in tears that is just insane. What a view and what a feeling to see and experience the world like that
One of the best segments that either of the TG guys ever recorded and for me personally the best infotainment shows I have seen.
It looks like a view that flat earthers could learn from.
Flat Earth Destroyed!!!
kjp storymaker no, that camera uses fish-eyer
kjp storymaker the earth is round mate....
The camera is not using a Fish-eye lens, its not a gopro you blithering idiot
If it was a fisheye, it would bow the other way. do you know anything?
" no, that camera uses fish-eyer"
Liar.
If there was a fish-eye lens, the wing would be distorted. And it's not.
Yet another flattard lie demolished by reality.
Can't keep my eyes from the circling skies
Tongue tied and twisted just an earth bound misfit I.
aden2013 The sole intention is learning to fly.....
dulamel condition grounded, but determined to try..
aden2013 - we’ll done! 😀
couldn't help but smile when I read that
hahaha..now i have to go and see the official video.....
Excuse my ignorance but are there people out there that still think that our earth is flat..... Or do they just like to start arguments.
It's Coz they're mentally I'll and retarded
yes the earth is FLAT!!! and it'll remain flat because it was created flat from the very beginning 😉😃😄😊
Lincoln Young it’s not flat
m16msn seems like you are the one here fishing for an argument from a flat earth believer. After all, what they chose to believe doesn't affect your life whatsoever, so why instigate an argument???? They have a natural born right as a human being to believe or not believe anything they want. It's not hurting anyone, So Bruce Jenner has the natural born right to decide to be a woman after 65 years of being a man and that's ok, but random people online can't have their own beliefs about the shape of the Earth???
Stephen Crumley certainly not fishing for an argument, have a great weekend 👍👍
If I was going to take a meal to eat at the edge of space it would not be clam chowder
That pilot being so hospitable with very little words is such an underrated communication skill
I love how polite and diplomatic the pilot is
The Major seemed to be a very nice person, absolutely loved this clip, well done James and Major
This documentary never ceases to amazed me. I used to live nearby and on the weekends I would take my children to the air park and museum
James, I was touched by everything you’ve seen and share that with us. It brought tears to my eyes. You really are a very privileged person. Thank you, the major and the Americans to share their beautiful video with me.👍👍❤️❤️
Amazing the USAF let the BBC do this, kudos to allowing access to a non-us network.
What an amazing opportunity for James, something could win every one-up competition minus an actual astronaut/Blackbird pilot.
if we all took a minute to appreciate the beauty of our home then we wouldn’t be fighting with each other. how ignorant have we become as a society
It kinda makes the little shit we complain about on a daily basis seem......I dunno......PETTY?
People like the novelty of new experiences but after a while we would just get bored and be fighting wars up there. It's inevitable.
i hope the Major is now a General :)
I had the great fortune of knowing many people involved with both the U2 and SR71, but none of that can compare to the 1st hand experience of what James did..legendary.
I used to fly all the was up to 60.000 feet. It was breathtaking but I was the most time too busy to enjoy the moment.
Predictably, the comment section is full of flat earthers
Literally made me cry.Such a beautiful planet.
How amazing to get the chance to do that,James has been so lucky on many occasions
I really hope Virgin Galactic keeps on going with their program so we can all see this someday.
It definitely puts things into perspective. A reminder that we all share the same home: planet Earth 🌍.
That was something else! Thanks for sharing that!
james had an OVERVIEW effect ..... wow
What a buzz it would be to fly so high, that bloody James May has all the fun. I guess the flat earthers will claim it's fake as they always do.
@UNHEXED 2 All of the above.......changing second by second.
Why care what flat earthers say , they're just idiots don't humour them
A very, very lucky man to be able to do this. Absolutely fantastic!
And here I thought climbing out of a Cessna at 4000 feet and having an unobstructed view of the ground before I let go for my one skydive jump was ‘gobsmacking’
Wow... I thought Adam's Mythbusters flight was incredible. It still is, but someone likes James May along for the ride just takes it to the next level!
You bring up a lot of unnecessary information
I knew this was a secret mission, as those people were saying ''Shhhhhhhh...'' all the time.
I am pissed off at the Algorithm, why did it take 15 years to recommend this, that was possibly the best thing I have ever seen on RUclips! Amazing. Tried to find out if it is possible to book a ride, sadly not.
"I think the term you're looking for is Godsmacked."
That was an exceptional landing by the U2 pilot!
Yes,much better than in 1961 in USSR.
How on earth did they swing this?!? That’s one of the rarest, most top secret aircraft ever built and they let a top gear presenter go up in it….
Tells you how influential the show really was. Militaries willing to share their billion dollar toys for 30+ minutes of entertainment.
They also let Jeremy fly an F-15
What a beautiful world. What an endgame to destroy it. Beauty meets the Beast.
An absolutely grand film. James May, the Pilot and the music. Wonderful.
You know you've made it in life when you have the opportunity to fly a u2... I think I would have cryied beeing upthere
You and me both 😭