Photographer Christopher Michel got a ride in a two-seat USAF/Lockheed U-2 and took this selfie. The U-2 is/was unique in that it originally was only pressurized to allow a 29,000-foot cockpit when the airplane was at cruising altitude. Over the years, the USAF and NASA saw an increase in pilots experiencing altitude decompression sickness, or ADCS, and U-2/ER-2 cockpits were modified to allow for an ambient altitude of "only" 15,000 feet.
Altitude means different things to different pilots. In crop dusting or banner towing, it's not something we need. When striving for efficiency and economy over a distance, it can be, since the air is…
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