James May rides in a U2

[Don Plumley]

Breathtaking:



James May has a program about going to Space on the BBC. Amazing.

[slodave]

I saw that a few days ago. Cool stuff. He's funny!

[dewolf]

lucky,....lucky.. bastard!!! I am always amazed at the thin veil of life support that is our atmosphere

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Why does that particular U2 have an extra cockpit? Trainer?

[javadog]

Yes.

JR

[pavulon]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

Why does that particular U2 have an extra cockpit? Trainer?

Correct. Seemed odd to me that the pilot was wearing eye-glasses.

[widgeon13]

Wonder how long it takes to climb to that altitude? Pretty amazing.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Very cool. I'm sure it was of particular interest to May, as he is a private pilot.

[bell]

truly awesome, thanks for sharing

[Stanley]

The entire program is really entertaining too (the torrent is on mininova). The production value is very similar to Top Gear.

[Geronimo '74]

Thanks for sharing!

Like the pilot said, godsmacked is the right term.
May, you lucky sob!

[Geronimo '74]

Originally Posted by Stanley

The entire program is really entertaining too (the torrent is on mininova). The production value is very similar to Top Gear.

What's the name of the show??

[Stanley]

James may on the moon, he did another show called 20th century that is pretty good too, I think he is an excelent tv presenter

[KNS]

The BBC knows how to put on a good program! On Top Gear, for instance, the photography, editing, and music are simply incredible. This show is more proof of that. James May (and Jeremy and Richard) have pretty cool jobs.

[Aerkuld]

All three of the UK Top Gear presenters are amazingly good presenters IMO. They seem really personable, down to earth types, easy to identify with, intelligent, and most importantly entertaining. I can't think of a single presenter on any show over here that even comes close.

[javadog]

Originally Posted by widgeon13

Wonder how long it takes to climb to that altitude? Pretty amazing.

Somewhere around 35-40 minutes, most likely.

JR

[Embraer]

...makes my flying look completely inconsequential. Growing up, all I wanted to be was a military pilot. i'll never forget the day that the flight surgeon at Wright-Patterson told me I couldn't fly for the military, which left me "stuck" in the airlines.....

[Christien]

May seems to get the shaft on top gear frequently - he's the butt of jokes (albeit good-natured), etc. but he's done 2 things so far that absolutely make up for all of that - drive the Veyron at 300mph and this. Screw the Ferraris, Lambos, and all those other supercars. Seeing the actual curvature of the earth is on a completely different level.

If I ever make enough money to buy a space flight, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

[Tervuren]

Originally Posted by Aerkuld

All three of the UK Top Gear presenters are amazingly good presenters IMO. They seem really personable, down to earth types, easy to identify with, intelligent, and most importantly entertaining. I can't think of a single presenter on any show over here that even comes close.

Actually, Clarkson acts pretty dumb a lot - but he's entertaining.

[Seahawk]

I've flown 40+ different types of airplanes and helicopters. The U-2 is one I regretfully missed...that and the SR-71.

...and to think when these two near space vehicles were designed and put into service makes then even more remarkable.

Top Gear fills a great niche...we TIVO every show and watch it as a family, laughing all the way.