Author: Chris Pocock

Chris Pocock is a British full-time writer, specialising in defence aerospace. He was the defence editor of AVIATION INTERNATIONAL NEWS for 30 years until retiring in mid-2018. He lectures and writes about intelligence-gathering during the Cold War, particularly by spy planes.

JIM LONG – AN APPRECIATION

Jim Long, Chairman of the Board of the Laughlin Heritage Foundation (LHF) has died, age 82. The LHF was created in Del Rio, TX in 1983, to record and promote the memory of the US Air Force’s RB-57D and U-2A wing. The 4080th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing was based at Laughlin AFB from 1957 until moving … Continue reading JIM LONG – AN APPRECIATION →

THE U-2 AT DUXFORD – HOW IT GOT THERE

The U-2 at Duxford today The U-2 on display in the American Air Museum, part of the Imperial War Museum at Duxford in the UK, has a remarkable history. That includes how it arrived there. I am proud to say that this was my idea, although much credit is also due to those who approved … Continue reading THE U-2 AT DUXFORD – HOW IT GOT THERE →

THE BRITISH U-2 PILOTS – THEIR PERSONAL STORIES

This is the third time that I have tackled the story of the RAF pilots who flew the U-2 from 1958 to 1960. The first time was here. The second time was here, including a link to the full article, as it appeared in Journal 77 of the RAF Historical Society (RAFHS). The RAFHS subsequently … Continue reading THE BRITISH U-2 PILOTS – THEIR PERSONAL STORIES →

GARY POWERS JR MAKES A EUROPEAN TOUR

The son of the U-2 pilot made famous on 1st May 1960 when he was shot down over the Soviet Union, is on a European lecture tour. Gary Powers Jr is visiting the Czech republic, Denmark, Germany and the UK. I had the pleasure of escorting Gary on the UK portion of his tour last … Continue reading GARY POWERS JR MAKES A EUROPEAN TOUR →

R.I.P TIGER WANG – ORIGINAL ROCAF U-2 PILOT

Wang Tai Yu, known “Tiger”, died in Los Angeles on 8th July, aged 95. He was the last survivor of the six original pilots from the Republic of China Air Force on Taiwan, who trained on the Dragon Lady in 1959 and began flying over mainland China in 1962 in a joint managed by … Continue reading R.I.P TIGER WANG – ORIGINAL ROCAF U-2 PILOT →

BRITISH U-2 FLIGHTS: AT LAST, THE DECLASSIFIED FILES!

It took a very long time, but the UK Ministry of Defence finally released the Royal Air Force files on British participation in the CIA’s U-2 program to overfly the Soviet Union in the late 1950s. And fascinating they are, containing everything from operational cables and reports, to policy deliberations within the Air Ministry and … Continue reading BRITISH U-2 FLIGHTS: AT LAST, THE DECLASSIFIED FILES! →

THE STRANGE STORY OF THE GREEK U-2 PILOTS

This is the last untold episode from the early U-2 days. How the CIA attempted to train some Greek air force pilots to fly the U-2 over the Soviet Union, instead of Americans. Even today, the story is obscured by misinformation and continuing secrecy. The CIA has declassified two histories of the U-2 project, but … Continue reading THE STRANGE STORY OF THE GREEK U-2 PILOTS →

THE MAYDAY SHOOTDOWN – WAS IT A DOOMED MISSION?

I recently posted some new information about the U-2 shootdown on 1st May 1960. Here is some more information, from documents and imagery that was declassified by the CIA after I wrote 50 YEARS OF THE U-2 in 2005. It throws new light on an old question: should Gary Powers have been sent on that … Continue reading THE MAYDAY SHOOTDOWN – WAS IT A DOOMED MISSION? →