A little U-2 history
 

Lockheed Martin · The U-2 Dragon Lady

Some other very interesting embedded videos as well.
ENJOY!

Flying in pressure suits (U-2, RB-57F, SR-71) can result in serious physiological damage (bends) to the body. U-2 cockpits are currently being "reinforced" so a higher cabin pressure can be maintained.

Killer at 70,000 Feet | Military Aviation | Air & Space Magazine

U-2 Tweaks Aim to Avert Pilot Bends

There is at least one deuce pilot on APC (the world famous Huggy). I am sure he has some interesting photos and stories. It is both remarkable and yet not surprising that the U-2 is still being flown and that there are no real plans to sundown it.

I'm currently domiciled with a former U-2 pilot... he's got some stories.

Most high altitude reconnaissance pilots have lots of "fairy tales, lies and war stories" to tell. One important FACT to remember is that there were no high altitude reconnaissance overflights over the Soviet Union after May 1, 1960. NO USAF U-2 or SR71 has ever overflown the USSR. The only military pilots (not sheep dipped like the CIA pilots) to do so were three RB57D pilots and two RAF pilots who flew a CIA U-2.

USSR Photo reconnaissance efforts after May 1, 1960 were done using satellites and RB57D / RB57F / U-2 aircraft with high angle offset cameras flying over international or friendly airspace.

Following is a time line showing the 24 CIA U-2 overflights and other significant historical events. The reference pages at the end of each line come from the unclassified (and heavily redacted) History of the CIA U-2 Program. USSR Overflights are in red.

DATE LAUNCH TARGET REF
Jun 20, 1956 Germany Poland / East Germany 3/100
Jul 2, 1956 Germany Czechoslovakia / Hungary / Bulgaria 3/101
July 2, 1956 Germany East Germany / Poland / Hungary / Romania 3/101
Jul 4, 1956 (HS) Germany Poland / Belorussia / Leningrad / Baltic States 3/104
Jul 5, 1956 (CV-LDK) Germany Moscow 3/105
Jul 9, 1956 Germany Eastern Europe / Ukraine 3/106
Jul 9, 1956 Germany Belorussia 3/106
Jul 10, 1956 Germany Crimean Peninsula 3/108
__________________________________________________ ___________________________________
Jul 10, 1956 Soviet Union protested USAF medium bomber over flights.
__________________________________________________ ___________________________________
Nov 20, 1956 Turkey Soviet-Iranian Border / Yerevan (FGP) 3/124
Dec 10, 1956 Turkey Bulgaria 3/124
Dec 10, 1956 Germany Bulgaria 3/124
__________________________________________________ __________________________________
Dec 15, 1956 USSR filed a “sharp protest” over three USAF RB-57D high altitude flights over Vladivostok (Black Knight Program)
__________________________________________________ ___________________________________
Dec 22, 1956 Turkey Border Electronic Intercept) 3/126
Mar 18, 1957 Turkey Border Electronic Intercept (Accidental penetration) 3/126
Apr 25, 1957 Germany Albania 3/140
Jun 8, 1957 Alaska Klyuchi ICBM impact area (WX Abort) 3/134
Jun 19, 1957 Alaska Klyuchi ICBM impact area (camera malfunction) 3/134
Aug 5, 1957 Turkey USSR Space Launch Facility (Kazakhstan) 3/135
Aug 20, 1957 Turkey Semipalatinsk Nuclear Testing Ground 3/138
Aug 21, 1957 Turkey Semipalatinsk NTS (4 hours before test) 3/138
Aug 28, 1957 Turkey USSR Space Launch Facility (Kazakhstan) 3/138
Three additional USSR Over flights as part of operation Soft Touch. Two PRC flights. 3/135

Sep 10, 1957 Turkey Kapustin Yar Missile Test Range (MRBM sites) 3/143
Sep 15, 1957 Alaska Klyuchi ICBM impact area (successful) 3/134
Oct 11, 1957 Germany USSR Naval Operations Barents Sea 3/140
__________________________________________________ ___________________________________
October 1957 Sputnik
Nov 1957 Dog/Camera launched
__________________________________________________ ______________________
Oct 27, 1957 Turkey Black Sea (Accidental penetration) 3/144
Mar 1, 1958 (TK) Japan Malaya Sazanka (Nuclear Weapon Assembly) 3/144
__________________________________________________ ___________________________________
Mar 5, 1958 USSR “vigorous protests” March 1st mission. 3/144
__________________________________________________ __________________________________
Fall 1958 RAF Piloted U-2 Over flight (Sq. Ldr. Robert Robertson )
Sep 2, 1958 USAF EC-130 shot down over Soviet Armenia. (6 KIA, 11 survivors) 3/146
Spring 1959 RAF Piloted U-2 Over flight (Flt. Lt. John McArthur))
Jun 9, 1959 U-2 / RB-57D border ICBM telemetry intercepts 3/162
Jun 18, 1959 U-2 / RB-57D border ICBM telemetry intercepts 3/162
Jul 9, 1959 Japan Tyuratam Missile Test Range 3/163
__________________________________________________ ___________________________________
Oct 7, 1959 PRC fires SA2 Missile and destroys a RB-57D at 63,000 feet.
Capt. Wang Ying Chin (Taiwanese Air Force)
__________________________________________________ __________________________________
Feb 1960 (?) Pakistan Discovered Soviet Backfin Bomber at Kazan 3/167
Apr 9, 1960 (BE) Pakistan Saryshagan (New Radars) 3/168
May 1, 1960 (FGP) Pakistan Tyuratam MTR / Chelyabinsk . . . . . . (Shot down) 3/176
__________________________________________________ ___________________________________
Jul 1, 1960 RB-47 ELINT Mission shot down near Kola Peninsula (International Waters)
__________________________________________________ ___________________________________
Dec 14, 1965 RB-57F (58th Weather Recon Sq.) shot down over Black Sea
(International Waters)

1960s "Movie" about the RB57F with really "funky music." The camera weighed 4,000 lbs not 40,000.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBuWxBApnc0

Modern day WB57F being used in Afghanistan. (Shown landing at Nellis AFB.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1R82c1mQQTk

BTW,... the pilot landing the RB-57 at Nellis is a former U-2 pilot.

Why is that only CIA piloted planes overflew the USSR? Was it inter-agency rivalry and/or politics?

There would have been a sense at the time that a "civilian" pilot would be less provocative and more deniable, and would enjoy slightly more credibility while claiming he was on a "weather mission" or "had navigation problems".

The names of all US military officers are a matter of public record (and the soviets had the entire list), so that would only add fuel to the fire.

It's also possible that the USAF didn't WANT to be doing that...they were always conscious of public perception and may have preferred not to risk a high-profile failure w/ international media circus. Assuming they were even given a choice in the matter.

Military overflights could have been considered an "act of war." Civilian pilots flying weather research airplanes for NACA (now NASA) and "got lost" have deniability.

In fact the CIA U2 pilots were "military" who had been "sheep dipped." Paperwork said they were former military pilots. Interestingly any who chose to remain in the military did not loose any time in grade for promotion or towards retirement during the years they flew for the CIA.

SHEEP-DIPPED - Stripping a soldier of his military uniform and identification so he can pose as a civilian during a covert mission.

A classic example is Hervey Stockman who flew the first CIA overflight on July 4, 1956. He was a WWII fighter pilot and continued with his USAF career into the Vietnam War. His F4 was shot down and he was a POW in the Hanoi Hilton for 6 years. The cover for his CIA U2 years was so good the Soviets never knew the pilot of the first U2 overflight was sitting in the Hanoi Hilton.

R.I.P. Hervey Stockman, First Pilot to Fly a Spy Plane Over Soviet Territory