The Central Intelligence Agency and Overhead Reconnaissance; The U-2 and OXCART Programs, 1954-1974

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Seeret NOFORN
Chapter 2
74
recruits in mid-1955. Geary arranged for an Air Force officer of
I
Jto stay with the group during a preliminary training
program at Lu e Air Force~e plan to use foreign pilots soon
ran into trouble when onlyl__________,pilots passed the
school and reported to Area 5 1. They made only a few flights in the
U-2, and by the autumn of 1955 they were out of the program.
51
'
Even before the elimination of the I
lit was clear that there
would not be enough trained foreigrn pilots available in time for de­
ployment. Bissell therefore had to start the search for U-2 pilots all
over again. Lt. Gen. Emmett (Rosy) O' Donnell, the Air Force's
Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel, authorized the use of Air Force
pi lots and provided considerable assistance in the search for pilots
who met the high standards established by the Agency and the Air
Force. The search included only SAC fighter pilots who held reserve
commissions. The use of regular Air Force pilots was not considered
because of the complexities involved in having them resign from the
Air Force, a procedure that was necessary in order to hire them as ci­
vilians for the AQUATONE project.
SAC pilots interested in the U-2 project had to be willing to re- ·
sign from the Air Force and assume civilian status-a process known
as sheep-dipping-in order to conduct the overflights. Although Air
Force pilots were attracted by the challenge of flying U-2s over hos­
tile territory, they were reluctant to leave the service and give up their
seniority. To overcome pilots' reluctance, the Agency offered hand­
some salaries, and the Air Force promised each pilot that, upon satis­
factory conclusion of his employment with the Agency. he could
return to his unit. In the meantime, he would be considered for pro­
motion along with his contemporari,es who had continued their Air
Force careers.~'
The selection process for Agenc:y U-2 pilots was very rigorous.
Because of the strain involved in flying at extreme altitudes for long
periods of time, painstaking efforts were made to exclude all pilots
who might be nervous or unstable in any way. The physical and psy­
. chological screening of potential U--2 pilots was conducted by the
Lovelace Foundation for Medical Education and Research in
Albuquerque, New Mexico, under a contract signed with the CIA on
'' OSA History, chap. 10. pp. 1-10 (TS Codeword): Geary interview (S).
'' OS..\ History. chap. 10. pp. 5-6 (TS Codeword); Geary interview (S); Francis Gary
Powers with Curt Gentry. Openuion Overflight (New York: Holt. Rinehart. and Wilson.
1970). pp. 25-27.