Behind Closed Doors: U2 - Part 1

Joan dons a space suit required by extreme altitude as she and her pilot, Colonel Mario Buda, reach heights more than 60,000 feet - near the edge of the earth's atmosphere - in a U-2 Reconnaissance Plane used by the government to gather vital information for national security. In one of the most in-depth looks ever at this controversial plane, viewers get an inside look at the inner workings of the U-2, which flies throughout the world gathering information by taking pictures from the edge of space. Joan undergoes an extensive training course to learn pilot procedures, emergency drills and disaster simulations. While Joan is well-prepared for any situation, no-one actually expects two real emergencies that occur which cause the pilot to abort the flight and land the plane immediately. Beale Air Force Base goes into high alert, mobilizing rescue forces as Colonel Buda maneuvers the aircraft down in a tense race against a possible disaster, and Joan gets a first hand look at how grueling the moment to moment pressure is when flying one of those planes.