Francis Gary Powers U-2 -6 decades on

[chopper2004]

Sixty years on from the U-2 shoot down.

https://theaviationist.com/2020/05/01/shot-down-60-years-ago-today-we-visit-gary-powers-u-2-in-moscow-now/?fbclid=IwAR1EscqmWe-JxVsoc3rgRlb9zZhbCXxmf4Exi7x2IVmNHxnNrdmcoZJ8b6c


https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/678x381/e2b1b4d2_7a8c_431b_9388_e43c831aaee1_51fb5e0738dadc073f89a75 7db645f6f7a7bc072.jpeg

[chevvron]

Don't forget one or two RAF pilots flew those mission years before Powers, the difference being he was the first (as far as we know) to get shot down over Soviet territory.

[Less Hair]

Given the risk he took he was not treated with the respect he deserved after finally coming home. Like always having to defend himself how he could dare to survive this.

More details of the flight (book extract):
https://coldwar.org/default.asp?pid=15587&d=y&subid=6191

(Hoping to prevent those links to merge by adding another line in between)

https://dragonladyhistory.com/2020/05/01/u-2-mayday-shootdown-gary-powers/ (https://coldwar.org/default.asp?pid=15587&d=y&subid=6191)

[Hydromet]

Although I was only 13 I can remember exactly where I was at the time - visiting my Grandparents in Cairns, Qld when the news came over the radio.

[Haraka]

I read it first as a small column near the bottom of the lead page on The Daily Telegraph. Almost inconsequential in its tone.
The following day however...........

[ATPMBA]

Do see the movie, "BRIDGE OF SPIES." It's about the shoot-down and negotiations for his safe return.

[Fareastdriver]

Sixty years on from the U-2 shoot down.

Nit picking I know but it is sixty one.

According to The Cold War Museum:
It was May 1, 1960, where the "May Day” holiday was celebrated in the Soviet Union. It was also at a time where Cold War tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union were quite high.

I know because I was at South Cerney at the time.

[NutLoose]

Do see the movie, "BRIDGE OF SPIES." It's about the shoot-down and negotiations for his safe return.


Yes, an excellent Tom Hanks film

[aroa]

Ballsy guys cruising over enemy airspace at that height in the bad old days of the Cold War.
A technical fault could kill you and a shoot down could do the same.
His book is a good read too. I don’t blame him for not trusting the destruct button as not being instantaneous
Had he died he would have been an American hero ; because he survived.. not so much.
And in ‘62? ..the Cuban missile crisis things got really “hot” Fortunately wiser heads prevailed.

Was hitching around the US at the time and watched Kennedy’s speech on tv in a department store.
People fell into each other’s arms weeping , like we’re all going to die shortly, and my thoughts were...hop on the first bus to the nearest marina and “borrow” a yacht to sail back to Oz.!

[Less Hair]

Other ballsy guys took close ups of the missiles on Cuba.


https://www.wpafb.af.mil/News/Photos/igphoto/2000103014/

[Lance Shippey]

A Brave man who served Democracy well. "Bridge of Spies" entertaining, and a tribute to Mark Rylance, and Tom Hanks portrayal of Rudolf Abels {pronounced Arbels) and Lawyer James Donovan.
The swapping of Gary Powers / Fred Pryor for Abels resulted in many Spy Swaps through the Office of Wolfgang Vogel.
Vogel's depiction by Sabastian Koch was good but did not reflect some of the actual events. (rather Spielberg moments) Vogel did not drive a Volvo P1800.
Scottish American Diplomat Francis Meehan had much involvement in the negotiations to swap Powers and Pryor for Abels.
There should have been another American traded at the same time. Marvin Makkinen would have been the third, but had to wait for a later swap.
Lance Shippey

[El Grifo]

Seen bits of Dragon Lady wreckage in the museum of the Revolution in Havana !
El G

[clareprop]

Seen bits of Dragon Lady wreckage in the museum of the Revolution in Havana !

I've seen other bits at the Central Air Force museum in Moscow...next to a copy of the missile used. That was in 1999 so things might have changed since.

[Asturias56]

In the long run the shoot down was a good thing

a) it showed the madder folk in the USA that the Russians had a defence system that worked (some of the time) - talk of preemptive strikes became less fashionable

b) it really boosted the satellite intelligence business - no-one at risk, regular coverage, no bad publicity.

[Less Hair]

c) Kelly Johnson designed the fantastic A-12 and SR-71.

[West Coast]

Other ballsy guys took close ups of the missiles on Cuba.


https://www.wpafb.af.mil/News/Photos/igphoto/2000103014/

Amazing photo, largely due to the shadow of the 101.

[Less Hair]

Flying the U-2 over Cuba.
https://donmooreswartales.com/2016/03/21/milmoyle/

c-span presentation:
https://www.c-span.org/video/?309079-4/aerial-recon-cuban-missile-crisis

[Mr N Nimrod]

Nit picking I know but it is sixty one.

According to The Cold War Museum:

I know because I was at South Cerney at the time.
doesn’t seem like nit picking at all, the original article posted is a year old. Good call!

[C-141Starlifter]

I currently work with his stepdaughter...she definitely lives off his legacy!

[WingNut60]

Another interesting but little known story is the shooting down and capture of the pilot of the B-26 that bombed and sank British ships in Balikpapan harbour in 1958.
Alan Pope - B-26 pilot (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allen_Lawrence_Pope)

[fltlt]

I've seen other bits at the Central Air Force museum in Moscow...next to a copy of the missile used. That was in 1999 so things might have changed since.


2014, still there, pile of wreckage in the middle of the room, flight suit, helmet, etc., in glass display cases around the walls.

[Mr N Nimrod]

2014, still there, pile of wreckage in the middle of the room, flight suit, helmet, etc., in glass display cases around the walls.
and still there in 2018. I can recommend a visit. Great museum and interesting to see the official Cuban on the events since the revolution.

[El Grifo]

A snap of parts of the "Dragon Lady" and her nemesis, in the Museum of the Revolution, Havana.

[fltlt]

and still there in 2018. I can recommend a visit. Great museum and interesting to see the official Cuban on the events since the revolution.

If memory serves, the “officially tagged launcher” of the SA 2 that tagged Powers is/was outside in the display area.
Somewhere amongst many hard drives, I have photos of all that stuff, of course none are indexed/notated/dated, nor are the photos identified by anything but their digitally assigned ID.
One of those will/must get around to doing that one day things, although on the odd occasion I have attempted to locate a particular photo, I have found myself wandering along down memory lane for a pleasant trip.

[FakePilot]

The thing that always struck me as super ironic is he died when his helicopter ran out of fuel doing news coverage.

[Brewster Buffalo]

The thing that always struck me as super ironic is he died when his helicopter ran out of fuel doing news coverage.
It was only in 2020 that his family received several posthumous awards: The Air Force awarded him the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Prisoner of War Medal, and the National Defense Service Medal, while the CIA, then headed by Director George J. Tenet, awarded him the Director’s Medal.

[Less Hair]

Well deserved. Better late than never.

[Lance Shippey]

Hopefully released in British cinemas on Monday 17th. May Film "The Courier" a.k.a. "Ironbark" staring Benedict Cumberbatch as Greville Wynne.
The true story tells of Soviet Spy Oleg Penkovsky passing intelligence to Greville Wynne which contributed the ending the Cuban Missile crisis. Wynne was caught and swapped with Soviet Spy Konon Molody with the assistance of East German Lawyer Prof.Dr.Wolfgang Vogel, It was Vogel who negotiate the swap of Gary Powers and Fred Pryor for Rudolf Abels.

Lance Shippey.

[Lance Shippey]

Konon Molody the Soviet spy swapped for Greville Wynne in April 1964 was better known as Gordon Lonsdale, and headed the "Portland Spy Ring"
The swap took place at 05.20am in the middle of Heerstrasse border crossing which is 5kms. to RAF Gatow on the Western side.
Wynne was then flown by an RAF Varsity to RAF Northolt.
Wynne eventually settled in Palma Mallorca with his second wife.

[Lance Shippey]

Slight correction to my last reply.
Greville Wynne flight Gatow to Northolt was an RAF VALLETTA rather than a Varsity.
Would like to know if this was the a/c used by the C in C Germany which became 60 Squadron at Wildenrath in 1969. ?

[chopper2004]

Hopefully released in British cinemas on Monday 17th. May Film "The Courier" a.k.a. "Ironbark" staring Benedict Cumberbatch as Greville Wynne.
The true story tells of Soviet Spy Oleg Penkovsky passing intelligence to Greville Wynne which contributed the ending the Cuban Missile crisis. Wynne was caught and swapped with Soviet Spy Konon Molody with the assistance of East German Lawyer Prof.Dr.Wolfgang Vogel, It was Vogel who negotiate the swap of Gary Powers and Fred Pryor for Rudolf Abels.

Lance Shippey.

I have read his biography ‚The Man with Odessa‘,including various adventures such as equivalent of SERE / interrogation course conducted by. Flaming haired giant of an operative in a cellar and passing with flying colors to been told there be a cushioned jump on the docks he escaped from a freighter in the Black Sea only to break his legs or ankle. This was to authenticate his role as a disgruntled member of the ships crew.

cheers

[Lance Shippey]

Fred Pryor sadly passed away on the 2nd. Sept 2019 aged 86. The film "Bridge of Spies" will be aired in U.K. today on "More 4" at 17.00 today (Boxing day). The film shows Fred Pryor being arrested after meeting a girlfriend in East Berlin. and his dissertation being taken by the police. The true story is that he had gone to return a library book, and attend a speech by Walter Ulbricht. He was arrested at his new red Volkswagen Karmann Ghia Sports car after the Police had found a copy of his dissertation in the back. I am not sure what happened to the Karmann Ghia. Mrs Vogel seems to think that it may have been confiscated.
Wolfgang Vogel had a Wartburg 311 coupe at the time, He delivered Pryor to Checkpoint Charlie in a borrowed Mercedes, in which he invited Frank Meehan to sit, as it was very cold , awaiting the release of Gary Powers at the Glienicke bridge.Vogel never owned a Volvo sports car as depicted in the film. Pryor was not happy that he had not been consulted by Spielberg, and that the reality had been changed considerably.
N.B. For those not from the British Empire. Boxing day is the day families would give their servants a boxed gift on Dec.26th. For those not having servants, it was time to reflect on the parents and family you had been born into.

Lance Shippey

[Lance Shippey]

Vogel became somewhat of a "Petrol Head" turning against East German manufactured automobiles for West German cars. Between 1964 and 1968 , VEB the manufacturer of the Trabant were tasked with a possible modern replacement for the Trabant 601. This would have been the Trabant P603 and looked similar to what the Volkswagen would look like, when later released in the West a couple of years later. The 9 prototypes of the Trabant P603 were fitted with different engines, including the regular 2 stroke 601 engine, a wankel rotary engine, and a 4 cylinder engine supplied by Skoda, The production would have cost 7.7 Billion Ost Marks.

The project was cancelled by SED minister for Industry and production / Economic Management and planning, Gunter Mittag. He claimed that there was no need for a replacement for the 601. The DDR needed money rather than a new car. There are serious suggestions that the plans were sold to VW, from which they developed the VW Golf 1. One of the most successful cars ever built in the World. The reason of the plans going to VW was the the SED needed the Western Cash. Gunter Mittag was diabetic , and in 1984 lost the lower part of a leg, In 1989 he lost the other leg. The amputations were one reason that the DDR imported several Range Rovers, as Mittag and Honecker were keen hunters, and the modified Range Rover was easy for Mittag to access. After the fall of the wall, In 1991 he was accused of using government funds for a private home.

Lance Shippey

[Lance Shippey]

"The Courier" Benedict Cumberbatch as Greville Wynne.

I have viewed the DVD, which was released in the U.K. in November last year. Although the performance of Cumberbatch was outstanding, I found the film a little disappointing and boring It failed to address the swap brokered by the Russians and Wolfgang Vogel, and the breakdown of his marriage. Wynne would remarry a Dutch lady, and move to the El Terreno suburb of Palma, Majorca. where in owned a flower importing business, and frequent the many bars in El Terreno.

As a young child, My parents had agreed to buy an English Tearoom in El Terreno from a PAN AM captain and a stewardess partner. This was in the early 1960's I would be interested to know who the PAN AM captain was. ??

Lance Shippey

[Less Hair]

It's a frequently repeated claim that East Germany invented another radical micro car concept and they did but the Volkswagen Golf was designed by Italians: https://www.italdesign.it/project/golf/
Günter Mittag, a former railway worker, was in fact the most senior economics "expert" but not with minister rank but as SED Politbüro member (even higher). He is said to have even imported his entire personal drinking water from the West for hard currency. Honecker and Mittag had custom made stretched hunting Range Rovers like these:
http://www.ait-trading.com/astro/misc/landrover/honeckerjagdwagen.html

[Lance Shippey]

Dear Less Hair,
Thanks for this, and the Link to to Italdesign project. Interesting.. The Trabant P603 was designed by Chefkonstructeur Werner Lang 1964 - 1968 in Zwickau. It was described by MDR zeitreise "Forerunner of Golf, is reminiscent of the first golf six years before the Golf was launched. (Turin motor show 1969. Also interestingly in another recent article 30 jahre Mauerfalls asks "Hat die DDR den VW Golf erfunden ? another article states. "It can be doubted that the Golf drawn by Italy's star designer Georgio Giugiaro is a pirated copy". My view now, thanks to your attachment is that Georgio Giugiaro is responsible for the final Golf 1. but I am not sure if the alleged sold plans of the Trabant P603 played a part in the final design.

Lance.

[Less Hair]

It's not like east Germany had any secret super advanced technology to engineer or even invent cars that nobody else had. It was quite the contrary. Much of their talent pool, namely BMW (EMW) and Audi (Horch) engineers moved to the West. I call the East German invented Golf an urban myth maybe created by some East German inferiority complex or similar. They had talented engineers but they could not make much use of them. Consumer cars were politically considered non-priority and even East German made trucks were limited to smaller sized engines. The biggest permitted being the W50/ L60.

Here is one of the final "excellent" cars made by east Germany, the Horch designed P3 military Jeep.
https://p3-freunde.de/gelaendewagen-p3/
However the Soviet Union claimed to be the exclusive supplier of serious military Jeeps. DDR had to abandon this market.

[Lance Shippey]

Less Hair.

Thanks for the attachment / Interesting.
Re. the Range Rovers : You may be interested in the story behind the DDR version of the Sandman (Sandmannchen) shown on DDR T.V. after Unification which was different to the Sandman shown on West German T.V. (ARD).

The Sandman was the original idea of Dr. Ilse Obrig and developed by Berliner rundfunk in the Soviet zone in the 1950's. She defected to the West. The Sandman was based on Ole Lukoje, a character of H.C. Anderson, who granted dreams to come true in the child had been good.. The programme was called Unser Sandmannchen (Our Sandman) in the East, and Das Sandmannchen in the West. In the East German version, the Sandman travelled to the USSR to see his brothers and sisters. He then travelled to Angola and drove around in a Western Land Rover. This was used to mitigate any jealousy against Honecker's fleet of them at his numerous hunting lodges.

Lance Shippey.

[meleagertoo]

I'm just too young (!) to recall the incident but do clearly recall my father's explanation a few years later when Powers was exchanged and repatriated and I must have asked questions about the furore at the time.
Just to add a little 'colour' of those events as I was told them at the time at an age where I had no preconceptions of such matters this is what I was told by a very thoughtful, intelligent and worldly-wise father...
The explanation, which could only have been everyone's 'common knowlege' at the time derived from the newspapers and BBC radio was that the USAF had believed the aircraft invulnerable and so hadn't bothered to train Powers in anti-interrogation techniques on the basis that he wasn't ever going to be caught. I also seem to recall that it was thought 'inappropriate' that he had allowed himself to be caught alive as he had been issued with the means to prevent that but chose not to use it. I did think those explanations didn't quite fit together but that is what I was told at the time. I am certain too that there was a feeling that he ahd betrayed his country by blabbing secrets under interrogation through this and also had 'allowed' himself and his aircraft to fall into their hands rather less damaged than was in his power to prevent. Thus my recieved view of the incident was very much that Powers was thyought guilty of unprofessional behaviour that resulted in the enemy gaining a great deal of secret info unnecessarily - ie he screwed the pooch. Even at that tender age I recall thinking that failing to train anti-interrogation but providing the pilot with self-destruction options was a bit odd.

I'm pretty sure then that this was the tone of how events were reported at the time.

[NRU74]

I only did one sortie over Russia on 543 in 1964 when we spent nearly two hours over the Kola Peninsula. The 'source' said that a nuclear sub - can't remember the name- was being readied and its departure date was given. We night stopped at Kinloss, and set off early the next morning and got the Valiant up to about FL530, and we were sending the results using morse to, I think, a USN P2 operating out of Bodø.
What surprised me was, even as a 20 year old, that there was absolutely no briefing whatsoever about what to do if intercepted, what if we were forced to land, escape and evasion, how to deal with interrogation etc etc. One of the crew's job was to get up on the Plotter's table every so often to look through the periscope to see if we were contrailing and if we were, to descend or try and climb!

[Lance Shippey]

NRU74
Firstly may I salute you, You have my complete respect, after the Bay of Pigs in April 1961, the West were justifiably concerned with the behaviour of the Soviet Union. Submarine movements became on great interest to the West, especially the U.K. On 8th. or 9th. Feb. 1974 Trawler F.V. Gaul sank in he Barents Sea north of Norway. All 36 persons on board were lost. The wreck was found in 1975 It was thought that espionage was involved, and possibly the involvement of a Soviet Submarine. A documentary made by Anglia T.V. and Norwegian journalist Alf R Jacobsen won an award for the film "Mysteries of the Gaul" There were two inquiries completed in Britain which do not substantiate espionage, but relatives of the crew were not satisfied and claimed that the "Truth was still to be told". In 1976 RSD Pioneer Soviet medium range ballistic missiles (Also known as the S.S.20 were being stationed in the Soviet Union. This resulted in NATO stationing Pershing 11 missiles
Europe. I remember a visit I made to Murmansk (Kola Peninsular) in 1983. January was not the best time to visit, as the snow was packed 6ft high on either side of the road. Three days was long enough. Thanks again for your contribution to ridding some of the World of it's evil.

Lance Shippey

I

[Lance Shippey]

Gay Powers "Myths and Truths"
The Silver Dollar scratch suicide pin, (Bridge of Spies) No one was told to commit suicide. At the beginning of the program, the CIA dispensed a cyanide pill to U2 Pilots These ere to be used ONLY if the pilot was severely injured and FAVOURED Euthanasia himself.
During his time in the Vladimir jail he had a cellmate named Zygurds Kruminsh. Powers was treated well by the Soviet Guards and occupied his time by cross stitching rugs.

The US wanted a three way swap for Abels. Powers, Pryor, and Marvin Makinnen. Makinnen was a Willy Brandt exchange student and the Free University of Berlin and caught spying in the Soviet Union. He was arrested in Kiev. He was swapped with Polish American Rev. Walter Ciszek for two Soviet agents Ivan Egorov and his wife Alexandra, who were U.N. functionaries. I am not sure where the swap took place (Germany or the USSR).

I translated notes from one of the 36 Survivors of Battleship Scharnhorst (Battle of the North Cape) 26th December 1943) Wilhelm Krusse spoke about Interrogation by the British when being brought to Latimer House (Near Amersham) before his removal as POW to the USA in 1944. He wrote. "Endless interrogation, Unbelievably bad, sometimes Horrible. He was interrogated longer than other survivors / POW's because he had served on Battleship Tirpitz before Battleship Scharnhorst final battle, and the British wanted to know as much about the Tirpitz as possible so they could finally sink it..

Lance Shippey

[chevvron]

I translated notes from one of the 36 Survivors of Battleship Scharnhorst (Battle of the North Cape) 26th December 1943) Wilhelm Krusse spoke about Interrogation by the British when being brought to Latimer House (Near Amersham) before his removal as POW to the USA in 1944. He wrote. "Endless interrogation, Unbelievably bad, sometimes Horrible. He was interrogated longer than other survivors / POW's because he had served on Battleship Tirpitz before Battleship Scharnhorst final battle, and the British wanted to know as much about the Tirpitz as possible so they could finally sink it..

Lance Shippey
Actually the interrogation method used at Latimer (which is in fact nearer to Chesham, my home town, than it is to Amersham) was very different involving the use of plush surroundings and plenty of alchohol and decent food being provided to the prisoners thus encouraging them to casually discuss things between each other when they thought they wouldn't be heard. .
Of course everything was listened to by the interrogators, the house was fully 'wired' (including the 'cells' in the basement where they were locked up) and in fact still is to this day.

[Lance Shippey]

Chevron,
Thanks for pointing out that Latimer House is nearer to Chesham than Amersham. I know a great deal about Latimer House, Churchill spent some of his weekends there, and John Winant the U.S. Ambassador had a farmhouse on the Latimer Estate. It was at Latimer House that my father met Winston Churchill, who asked my father what the 36 survivors of Scharnhorst been given to eat, whilst on their journey to Scapa Flow. My father replied "The same as us Sir". A order had been given that they be given rations for survivors, rather than POW's whilst on board HMS Duke of York. My father was a Royal Marine on the Duke of York during the battle of the North Cape, and responsible with 5 other Royal Marines of delivering the men to Latimer House from Scapa to Latimer on the Jellicoe Express. I do know all the interrogation methods used at Latimer. The Alcohol was used for the Officers at Latimer, not the survivors of Scharnhorst. I have personally translated some of the interrogation reports that C.S.D.I.D. Naval Intelligence had not translated from German into English. One of the translators at Latimer House was a German Jewish gentleman called Fritz Lustig. His son was a continuity announcer on BBC Radio 4. I supplied much information about the survivors of Scharnhorst to Naval Historian Derek Nudd, who's grandfather was Lt. Commander B.S.R. Cope, one of the main men at Latimer House. I am acknowledged in Derek's book "Castaways of the Kriegsmarine" quite a few times. I have read many of the interrogation reports from Scharnhorst, and followed some of the families stories. I have also know Dr. Helen Fry, who has also written much about Latimer House, Trent Park, and Wilton. I mentioned Latimer being near Amersham, as their museum has featured Latimer, and the story can be found on their website. I hope this clears up the Amersham / Chesham difference.

Lance Shippey

[fitliker]

Any pictures of the wreckage ?

[Lance Shippey]

Dear Fitliker.
Some of the photos of the wreck appear to have been taken down from the web, since the Scharnhorst wreck from WW1 was found near the Falkland Islands, however there are two small photos of the Scharnhorst WW2 can be found by searching BBC History World War Two The sinking of the Scharnhorst. by Norman Fenton 17th February 2011
You can read about finding the wreck by searching : Nyheter / Fant Scharnhorst Laagendalsposten.no. The Norwegian Navy ship HNoMS Tyr launched a rover vehicle after ship HU Sverdrup 11 had located the wreck arounf 100 nautical miles Northeast of the North Cape.
SMS Scharnhorst sunk Falklands 02nd December 1914
KMS Scharnhorst sunk 100 n. miles northeast of North Cape 26th December 1943.
Hope this helps.

Lance.

[Case One]

Don't forget one or two RAF pilots flew those mission years before Powers, the difference being he was the first (as far as we know) to get shot down over Soviet territory.

To set the story straight up to the FGP shootdown (which was the only U-2 loss over the USSR, no “as far as we know” secret squirrel whispering required):

Tony LeVier unintentionally first got airborne on a high speed taxi test on 1st August 1955, in U-2 Article number 341.
On May 1st 1956, the first trained group of CIA pilots, arrived in the UK at RAF Lakenheath as Detachment A, intending to conduct operations. For political reasons, things didn’t go as smoothly as planned. The first operational U-2 mission was eventually flown from Wiesbaden on 20th June, and the first overflight of the USSR by a U-2 was made by Stockman on July 4th.

Powers began training in May 1956 with the second CIA group, before any British pilots. He was deployed with Det B to Adana in late August 1956. Their initial operational flights included providing coverage of the Suez Crisis. On November 20th, Powers performed Det B’s first overflight of the USSR.

The first British pilots assigned to the U-2 were Walker, MacArthur, Dowling, and Bradley in 1958. Walker was killed in training and replaced by Robinson. On completion of training they were assigned to Adana alongside Det B flying the same aeroplanes. Their first operational mission was flown on 31st December 1958, over the Middle East. The first of two overflights of the USSR, Operation High Wire, was flown by Robinson on 6th December 1959. The second, Operation Knife Edge, was flown by MacArthur on 5th February 1960.

There was only one more successful American overflight prior to the loss of Powers on May Day 1960. So sure, don’t forget “our boys”, but no, they weren’t flying years before Powers.

[Lance Shippey]

Case One,
Very interesting ! Do you know from when it was decided that two pilots were required for the U-2 landing. ( one in cockpit ) and (one in a chase car on runway)

Lance Shippey

[Case One]

The “Mobile Control” procedure that you’re referring to was developed by the 4070th Support Wing of Strategic Air Command headed by Colonel Yancey. He was tasked in 1955 with developing the training programme for U-2 instructors and operational CIA and USAF pilots. The first six IPs qualified in late 1955, and the first (CIA) course started training in January 1956.

However, it’s not that simple. Once operational, the CIA dispensed with the system for experienced pilots. In the ‘50s and ‘60s the USAF employed it at SAC bases (Laughlin, Davis-Monthan, Barksdale), but it was not always used when detached.

[KPax]

Didn't it become mandatory again after a U2 possibly from Alconbury crashed after it tried to detach a 'stuck Pogo' by bouncing it off the runway. I spoke with a couple of senior pilots when I was overseas and that was the story they told you couldn't allow a take off until the pilot was in the tower and the chase car..

[chevvron]

A chase car and a couple of personnel used to attend RAE Bedford in the '80s whenever a U2 was operating just in case one of the Alconbury based aircraft needed to go there.
The one time we landed a TR1 at Farnborough there was definitely no one from the detachment in the tower; I was tower controller at the time so I should know!
On this occasion the only communication from the chase car was '2 foot, left rudder, one foot, that's a good one!'
Then the ground handlers who weren't familiar with the type decided they knew how to move the aircraft to its parking place; they blocked the runway for about 20 minutes, the CO Experimental Flying getting more and more irate because it delayed validation flying of aircraft particpating in the actual display!(The TR1 was going in static display only).

[Lance Shippey]

KGB General Yuri Drozdov died at the age of 91 on 21st June 2017. Speaking fluent English and German, as well as his mother tongue Russian. as a young KGB man, he lived in East Berlin with his wife and two children. When James Donovan had meetings with lawyer Wolfgang Vogel (who spoke no English) Drozdov would translate for the two men. He also wrote the letters in English to Rudolf Abels claiming to be Abel's wife. Yuri Drozdov used the pseudonym Juergen Drews, in the film Bridge of Spies, "Cousin Drewes". James Donovan appeared to like him.

The 1968 Soviet film "The shield and the sword " depicting a prisoner exchange is said to have inspired Putin to join the KGB. (Putin would serve in the KGB in Dresden, DDR)

Yuri Drozdov was awarded the Gold "Brotherhood in Arms medal" from the DDR.

Lance Shippey

[Lance Shippey]

Benedict Cumberbatch as Greville Wynne is depicted being arrested having boarded an Aeroflot Viscount at MOS in the film "The Courier". The truth is that he was arrested in Budapest. The Viscount used in the film was G-ALWF belonging to the Imperial War Museum at Duxford, with the interior being changed. to reflect Aeroflot. [Headrest covers and signage]. He was thrown into a Aeroflot Bedford van on the ground in MOS. G-ALWF was also used for the BEA scenes of his arrival in MOS. I believe BEA served MOS from LHR with Comets ?

Lance Shippey.

[Lance Shippey]

As I posted the last post, I received info regarding the Viscount route. BEA used a Viscount LHR/MOS via CPH from 1958 to 1960 when the service to MOS was replaced by a Comet.
Wynne was arrested in Nov, 1962.

Lance Shippey

[jjuddy]

I've seen other bits at the Central Air Force museum in Moscow...next to a copy of the missile used. That was in 1999 so things might have changed since.

Ejection seat is in the museum in Yekaterinburg. Was rather forcibly told off for sitting in it for a picture. Or at least I think that was what all the shouting was about...

[NutLoose]

Here you go


https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1599x1066/image_0a9d34ac23995e1052fef6bde82befb668ebdcb4.jpeg

https://flic.kr/p/f2817B

[NutLoose]

Incidentally one is operating out of Fairford at the moment

https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/19996593.images-show-u-2-spy-plane-dragon-lady-landing-raf-fairford/

[MJ89]

Incidentally one is operating out of Fairford at the moment I heard a odd noise earlier and got FR24 up to see 2 b52s go over.

Wonder what the Crews of the XB52 in 1948 would say if you told them then the jet would be flying out of the UK in 2022, along with the 1950s/60s U2 & B52 crews.

Really is surreal, these are the same jets of the Kennedy administration/cuba times, but considering the XB52, and u2 development ...Eisenhower and even Truman Administration.

[reefrat]

From youtube
10,358 views 31 May 2022 An American U-2 spy plane landing at RAF Fairford and then taxiing for take off. This unique aircraft is part of several designed by Lockheed's secretive 'Skunk Works' division for the CIA and US Air Force during the Cold War. Question;; WHAT IS GOING ON HERE WITH GROUND CREW

[RAFEngO74to09]

From youtube
10,358 views 31 May 2022 An American U-2 spy plane landing at RAF Fairford and then taxiing for take off. This unique aircraft is part of several designed by Lockheed's secretive 'Skunk Works' division for the CIA and US Air Force during the Cold War. Question;; WHAT IS GOING ON HERE WITH GROUND CREW

I assume you are referring to the pogos fitted to the wings - after taxying out, removing locking devices so they fall away on take off - after landing refitting prior to taxying back to hangar.

The white Dodge Charger chase car has a U-2 qualified pilot in it who talks the Aircraft Commander down as visibility from the cockpit is poor and the aircraft is very demanding to fly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_KFqiDmESI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4qjr-UgXhs

[reefrat]

I assume you are referring to the pogos fitted to the wings - after taxying out, removing locking devices so they fall away on take off - after landing refitting prior to taxying back to hangar.

The white Dodge Charger chase car has a U-2 qualified pilot in it who talks the Aircraft Commander down as visibility from the cockpit is poor and the aircraft is very demanding to fly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_KFqiDmESI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4qjr-UgXhs
Thanks for that. The wing wheels make a magic appearance in the youtube video