The “Joan Lunden goes inside” series on A&E a few years ago highlighted her taking a flight in an Air Force TR-2. The chase car for this plane s it screams down the runway on approach (its a VERY unusual plane) was, I believe, an IROC-Z Camaro with Air Force Blue paint, aircraft radio package and antenna installed, and USAF stencilling on the doors ( I think).
Does anyone have any information on this chase car? Fascinating little conversion if I can find some refereces.
Do a search for Beale Air Force Base. That is were the U-2’s are based. A buddy of mine was based there for several years and had a chance to ride in the chase car once. He said it was pretty awesome!
Thanks Bigfoot, Ill give that direction a shot. I did sevral Google searches, founda couple of good online articles but two really poor photos that show me very little.
In 1968-1969, there was an OL-20 based at Bien Hoa, AB, South Viet Nam. It’s chase car was an SS-396 Chevelle El Camino that was painted just like anyother AF vehicle, plus it had a light-bar on the roof. It was assigned to the base Air Force Security Sq. and carried on their TA&E. The aircraft was designated an OL-20 so that if anyone asked why there was a U-2 assigned to the base, the powers-that-were could say, " You’re seeing things. There are NO U-2’s in country." It was only flown when the cloud cover was solid and looowww. ( about 900ft. or less ) so it could disappear quickly. It would start engines inside it’s hangar, taxi out directly to the center taxiway; to the runway, and get " gone ". Anybody caught snooping around THAT hangar, without a solid gold reason, got a quick trip to LBJ. That’s Long Bien Jail, for you newbies. One place nobody wanted to go. Go to LBJ and your “time-in-country” clock stopped until you got out again.
Anyway, if you model an El Camino chase car, don’t forget to put the orange outrigger landing gear in the bed and have a minimum of 2 figures with it. They would be the driver and at least one guy to install the outriggers. Everytime I saw a recovery, there were TWO guys to handle the gear. Have fun!!!