European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 11, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday february 11, 1992 Gawky u-2 still flying High after nearly four decades by Steve Geissinger the associated press Beale fab Calif. Apr the High Altitude Long Range u-2 spy plane is old slow and awkward but recently declassified documents from the persian Gulf War show the venerable Craft is still effective. Part glider part spaceship the plane became a household word with Francis Gary Powers ill fated spy Mission Over the soviet Union in 1960. But the spotter of soviet missile Sites in Cuba also performs a variety of civilian duties. A someplace in the world no matter when you open your eyes there a probably a u-2 doing a Mission a said col. Richard Young commander of the 9th strategic recon Wing at Beale. In their largest deployment Ever u-2s flew More than 800 missions in the persian Gulf proving themselves alongside faster costlier High tech jets. Declassified military documents said u-2s, some based at Beale 120 Miles Northeast of san Francisco were among the first . Jets sent to the Middle East. They tracked iraqi buildups assessed bomb damage and monitored a huge Oil spill. The unarmed u-2s, which can Fly 14 Miles up and reach a Speed of 430 Mph located scud missiles and on occasion warned . Forces that scuds had been launched. A we might have Given the Patriot Crews a couple seconds extra than they got from the satellite warning a u-2 Pilot Nate Green said in an interview. An air Force report last april detailing the performance of aircraft in the Allied Victory Over Iraq Aid not mention the u-2. Reporters in saudi Arabia saw the planes but were barred by the military from mentioning their presence. Although Best known for spying on global hot spots u-2s have become tools for civilians gathering data on earthquakes fires volcanoes floods and nuclear accidents searching for downed planes finding sailors lost at sea and studying the space shuttle crops and simulated nuclear War. This year Marks the 30th anniversary of two events that brought the plane to Public attention. Powers who was shot Down by the soviets in 1960, was exchanged for a soviet spy in Berlin on feb. 10, 1962. His flight and capture further chilled the cold War. Cuba shot Down a u-2 in 1962, killing its Pilot. None of the planes was downed in the Gulf War. But Many of the u-2s, which made their debut in 1955, have crashed. Their higher climbing Cousin the sr-71, has been retired leaving u-2s the highest fliers in the air Force. Critics say reconnaissance satellites make the u-2 and other spy planes less important. They also note the u-2 is unforgiving to its pilots. U-2s can soar to the Edge of space and linger for 10 hours covering 4,000 Miles on one tank of fuel. The Long floppy wings help it Glide at More than 70,000 feet but make it Tricky to handle in High winds or turbulence. A we work in a narrow band at High Altitude a said u-2 Pilot Tim Feldman. A if we get a Little slow the aircraft will stall. If we get a Little fast we run into a  autopilots designed to maintain Speed sometimes fail. Despite the planets glider characteristics its powerful single engine is not purposely shut Down because u-2 spy piano . Air Force photo q the u-2 is a single seat Songie engine High Altitude reconnaissance Jet with a Range of More than 4,000 Miles. With a wingspan of 104 feet it resembles a glider it cup reach 430 Mph and operate above 70,000 feet higher than any other us. Plane. Q the Lockheed built Jet forerunner of today s stealth planes made its debut in 1955. Fuel capacity is such a priority there is no permanent Wing Landing gear. Wheeled struts fall off on Takeoff and the Pilot must land on two permanent wheels along the fuselage balancing the wings. Q u-2s secretly flew More than 800 missions during the persian Gulf War their largest deployment Ever. Some hunted iraqi scud missiles sounding the alarm of their launch. The jets tracked a huge Oil spill off Kuwait and Are flying missions to determine iraqis compliance with terms of ending the War. La besides spying on global hot spots for nearly four decades they have been used by civilian agencies to study scientific mysteries and natural disasters. A amps it can be hard to restart. At the end of a Mission the Pilot stalls the aircraft a couple of feet above the ground Landing on wheels along the fuselage balancing the wings until the plane stops. U-2 designers sacrificed Landing gear on the wings to make More room for fuel. Pilots Wear pressurized spacesuits and eat astronaut food from tubes. Missions can be so exhausting pilots need a Day to recover. In the Gulf War u-2s were used around the clock flying up to eight missions daily. The Wing at Beale sent 620 fliers. There were some close Calls during the War including a hurtling scud missile that nearly hit one of the u-2s. U-2 pilots said they had More close Calls during operation desert shield before the Start of the War when iraqi fighters sometimes rushed at saudi Arabia As unarmed u-2s flew the Border. The u-2s took evasive Maneu vers. . Fighters scrambled in response but the iraqi jets turned away apparently Only probing defences. Tyson jury begins deliberations Indianapolis up a jury deliberations began monday in the rape trial of former heavyweight Champion Mike Tyson with prosecutors calling the Boxer a a professional  special prosecutor Greg Garrison was the last to give his summary to the nine Man three women jury before Marion county Superior court judge Patricia Gifford gave final instructions. Tyson 25, is on trial for rape and criminal deviate conduct for allegedly sexually attacking a miss Black America contestant Early july 19 in his hotel suite. If convicted Tyson could be sentenced to 60 years in prison. Garrison noted the worldwide attention the Case had received and cautioned jurors to decide the Case on its merits not on Tyson a reputation. A if you want to convict him because you believe beyond a reasonable doubt this Young girl was deceived by a professional deceiver and raped a if that a what you believe that must be your judgment a Garrison said. For the first time since her testimony Tyson a accuser an 18-year-old College freshman in Rhode Island was in the courtroom sitting behind the prosecutors table in the first Row of spectators with her Mother. Before court began Garrison whispered to the accuser a the fight is Over for you now. Loosen up. We kicked his  the remark Drew a slight smile from the accuser. Garrison questioned the defense a strategy which attempted to destroy the credibility of Tyson a accuser. A a done to you see they kept twisting the reality of what he a done to defend him a Garrison said referring to the defense characterization of the accuser As a Gold Digger. Defense attorney Vincent j. Fuller said sunday that the accusers Story a does no to hold  he portrayed her As a sophisticated woman capable of manipulating Tyson a High school dropout. Fuller also said that Tyson a come on to pageant contestants were obvious and that the accuser had plenty of Opportunity to refuse sex by turning Down a Date. The stars and stripes b Page 7 .gift to Church identified As rare flemish painting from wire reports Minneapolis a a religious painting donated by a lumber Baron to a Church to decorate its sunday school rooms has been identified As a rare work by 16th-Century flemish artist Pieter pour bus. The painting Abraham and the Angels has not been appraised but Minneapolis Institute of arts curator George Keyes estimated its value at Between $200,000 and $300,000. A there Are very few flemish 16th-Century paintings of this Quality in the United states said Lynne Ambrosini the institutes assistant curator of paintings. A pour bus paintings Are rare outside the Netherlands or Germany and this is something that any museum in the . Would be thrilled to  . Walker an internationally known Art collector gave the picture to the Hennepin Avenue United methodist Church about 10 years before he died in 1928. The painting which depicts biblical patriarch Abraham with three Angels at a kind of picnic table in a flemish Village was identified by Keyes an expert on dutch and flemish  lawsuit settled Stuart Fla. A another of the five people who contracted the aids virus from Florida dentist David acer has settled his lawsuit against the insurance company that referred him to acer. The agreement Richard Driskill of Indiantown reached with Cigna dental health of Florida prevents him from revealing the amount of the settlement said attorney Robert Montgomery. A a it a substantial and the Driskill Are very pleased to have this behind them a Montgomery said. A the is very very sick. He a been  scientists at the Atlanta based cd performed Dan tests that genetically linked acers Strain of human immunodeficiency virus with those of the five patients. Its the Only documented Case of provider to patient transmission of the virus. One of the five Kimberly Bergalis died in december after launching a National Campaign for mandatory aids testing of health care professionals. Bergalis and another patient also settled their lawsuits against Cigna before they went to trial. Two lawsuits Are pending against acers  piling up Shelbyville Tenn. A get a Load of this there a a huge pile of world class horse dung Here Ripe for the asking. A a we be got a Mountain of it a said Raymond Bush groundskeeper for the Tennessee walking horse Celebration. The 10-Day horse show every september in this Middle Tennessee town of 14,000 attracts 2,000 horses. Healthy horses. Active horses. Well fed horses. You get the idea therein lies the problem. A a we be got oodles of it a Bush said of his stockpile built up Over five or six years while Bush and his staff were Busy with other things. A a it a not bothering anybody but it just done to look Good a Bush said. He said it would be perfect for Flower Beds. A a we be got it All mixed together and its Good a Bush  hits o Hare facility Chicago a a three alarm Blaze damaged a food preparation facility building at of Hare International Airport causing part of the buildings roof to collapse and forcing the closure of one runway. No one was injured in the fire that broke out at 7 45 . Sunday at the International service building fire chief Stanley Span said. The fire destroyed 25 percent of the building where food is prepared for 14 air carriers operating out of o Hare Airport spokeswoman Lisa Howard said. Airline employees had to be rerouted to another parking lot and one runway was briefly closed to allow better Access to firefighters Howard said