Who was the pilot of the U-2 spy plane that was shot down?
Francis Gary Powers
Francis Gary Powers (August 17, 1929 – August 1, 1977) was an American pilot whose Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Lockheed U-2 spy plane was shot down while flying a reconnaissance mission in Soviet Union airspace, causing the 1960 U-2 incident….
| Francis Gary Powers | |
|---|---|
| Relatives | Two children |
Where was the U-2 spy plane shot down?
Sverdlovsk Oblast
Near the city of Sverdlovsk Oblast in the Ural Mountains, Powers’ plane was shot down by a Soviet surface-to-air missile. Powers ejected and parachuted safely to the ground, where he was captured by the KGB, and held for interrogation.
Do they still use the U-2 spy plane?
The USAF has no plans to retire the U-2, which first flew in 1955, despite previous attempts to replace the aircraft with the Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned air vehicle. The service still operates 33 examples of the Cold War-era spy plane.
Did Gary Powers defect?
He followed orders to the tea. Yet, the press in the 60s, when he was in prison, wrote that he defected. That he landed the plane intact. That he spilled his guts and told the Soviets everything he knew,” said Powers Junior.
Why was the U-2 shot down?
An American U-2 spy plane is shot down while conducting espionage over the Soviet Union. The incident derailed an important summit meeting between President Dwight D. Eisenhower and Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev that was scheduled for later that month.
Who was Francis Gary Powers and what did he do?
Gary Powers was an American pilot whose Central Intelligence Agency U-2 spy plane was shot down while flying a reconnaissance mission in Soviet Union airspace in 1960, causing an international incident.
How did the Soviets shoot down the U-2?
The single-seat aircraft, flown by pilot Francis Gary Powers, was hit by an S-75 Dvina (SA-2 Guideline) surface-to-air missile and crashed near Sverdlovsk (present-day Yekaterinburg). Powers parachuted safely and was captured.
How long can the U-2 fly?
U-2 pilots are also flying for longer stretches. During the cold war, flights rarely lasted longer than eight hours; now ground operations require U-2s to stay in the air for up to 12 hours.