Documents / Official release
This is a Secret History Staff monograph by Gregory W. Pedlow and Donald E. Welzenbach of the Central Intelligence Agency, published in 1992. It gives a history of the CIA's manned overhead reconnaissance program from 1954 to 1974, covering the development and operation of the U-2 and the A-12 OXCART aircraft. It covers overflights of the Soviet Union, the 1960 downing of Francis Gary Powers, and later operations. One section is titled "U-2s, UFOs, and Operation BLUE BOOK."
From the source:Release of 2026-06-12 This CIA History Staff document chronicles the complete history of the U-2 and OXCART (A-12) high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft programs from 1954 to 1974, detailing their development, operations over the Soviet Union and other targets worldwide, the famous downing of Francis Gary Powers in 1960, organizational reforms following that incident, and the eventual transfer of operations from CIA to Air Force control. A more redacted version of this document has been available on CIA's public website.
“RAF”18 pages
69 followed on I August. Le Vier accelerated to 70 knots and began to try the ailerons. ·'It was at this point that I became aware of being air borne.'' LeYier noted afterward. "which left me with utter amaze ment, as I had no intentions whatsoever of flying. I immediately started back toward the ground, but had difficulty determining my height because the lakebed had no markings to judge distance or height. I made contact with the ground in a left bank of approximately l 0 degrees." The U-2 bounced back into the air, but Le Vier was able to bring it back down for a second landing. He then applied the brakes with little effect, and the aircraft rolled for a long distance before . ,, coming to a stop. - Bissell, Cunningham. and Johnson saw the aircraft fall and bounce. Leaping into a jeep, they roared off toward the plane. They signaled to Le Vier to climb out and then used fire extinguishers to put out a fire in the brakes. At a debriefing session that followed. LeYier complained about the poor performance of the brakes and the absence of markings on the runway. Damage to the prototype U-2 was very minor: blown tires, a leaking oleostrut on the undercarriage, and dam aged brakes. This unplanned flight was but a foretaste of the airwor thiness of the U-2. New pilots all had difficulty in getting the U-2's wheels on the ground because at low speeds it would remain in ground effect and glide effortlessly above the runway for great dis tances. Taxi trials continued for one more day and were followed by the first planned flight on 4 August 1955. LeVier was again at the con trols and had been instructed by Kelly Johnson to land the U-2 by making initial contact with the main or forward landing gear and let ting the plane settle back on the rear wheel. LeVier had disagreed with this approach. believing that the U-2 would bounce if he tried to touch down on the forward gear first. After flying the aircraft up to 8,000 feet, Le Vier leveled off and began cycling the landing gear up and down: then he tested the flaps and the plane's stability and control systems. Finally. LeYier made his first landing approach. As the U-2 settled down. the forward landing gear touched the runway and the plane skipped and bounced into the air. Le Vier made a second attempt to land front wheels first. and again the plane bounded into the air. '' Transcripts of th.: test pilors· and obs.:rv.:rs· comments on the initial U-2 tt:st flights have been published in ··secret First Flight of Artide 0OI ... Spyplanes vol. 2. 1988. pp. 64• 7 I. 82-85. Sect et NOFORN Chapter 2 Sesret
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Official release, from the pursue collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is under it. 406 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.