Last updated on: 7 August 1997
U-2 Timeline of Events, 1960's

- Mar 1960
USAF receives U-2D (2 place, not trainer) used for "Smokey Joe" project(watching & analyzing missile exhaust)
- 15 Mar 1960
Capt Roger Cooper landed on a frozen lake in Saskatchewan, Canada after suffering electrical failure
- 9 Apr 1960
Bob Ericson flies mission from Peshawar, Pakistan via Sary Shagan, Semi Palatinsk, Tyura Tam and landed in Zehedan, Iran (AC, TR)
- 1 May 1960
Jim Barnes launches as a decoy for the Powers overflight from Adana, Turkey (AC, TR)
- 1 May 1960
Francis Gary Powers shot down over Sverdlovsk, Russia in U-2 #6693 (Jim Barnes flies decoy mission from Adana (AC))
- 8 Jun 1960
U-2 Detachment at Ezeiza Airport, Argentina moved to Ramey AFB, Puerto Rico
- 15 Jun 1960
4025 SRS deactivated at Laughlin AFB, TX, when RB-57D retired
- 24 Jun 1960
Kelly Johnson presents a proposal for conversion of 6 U-2s for inflight refueling
- 14 Jul 1960
U-2 #6720 crashed near Uvalde, TX; USAF Pilot: Raleigh B. J. Meyers survived
- 19 Aug 1960
Det C at NAS Atsugi, Japan closed (AC)
- Oct 1960
U-2 deployed to East Sale RAAF, Australia for HASP missions
- 24 Oct 1960
President Eisenhower visits U-2s and Laughlin AFB, TX
- 2 Nov 1960
First U-2 publicly displayed on US soil at Patrick AFB, FL, Det Pilots: Halloran, Herman (PH)
- 2 Jan 1962
U-2 #6709 crashed near Picayune, MS; USAF Pilot: Charles B. Stratton survived
- 13 Jan 1962
First Republic of China Air Force U-2 mission over Peoples Republic of China (PRC) (AC)
- Feb 1962
First group of 4080 SRW pilots train on borrowed CIA U-2Cs; R. Anderson, J. Campbell, R. Heyser
- 1 Mar 1962
U-2 #6677 crashes during aerial refueling tests; USAF Pilot: John A. Campbell killed
- Jul 1962
Communist Chinese Radio offers $280,000 in gold to any defecting U-2 pilot with U-2
- 25 Aug 1962
First U-2 flight over North Pole; USAF Pilot: Don Webster flew 3,121 nmi in 8hrs, 40 min
- 28 Aug 1962
CIA U-2 takes first photo of Russian missile build-up in Cuba starting "Cuban missile Crisis"; CIA Pilot: Bob Ericson
- 30 Aug 1962
U-2 on SIGINT mission strays over Sakhalin Island for 9 minutes by mistake
- Sep 1962
Chih Yao Hua killed in crash of U-2C #6684, art.#351 during night touch and go at Taoyuan (AC)
- 9 Sep 1962
Chen Huai Sheng in U-2 6711, art.#378 (ROCAF) is shot down by SA-2 missile, 15 Km south of Nunchang. Sheng survived bailing out but died later in hospital (AC)
- 9 Oct 1962
Lt. Col. Forrest Wilson flying a U-2A, 300 miles out at sea, lost all instruments, autopilot and communications couldn't and at Kodiak AFB, Alaska, flys another 200 miles and to Elemendorf and lands there, awarded Kolligan Trophy (PH)
- 14 Oct 1962
Maj. Steve Heyser flys first USAF U-2 overflight of Cuba, left from Edwards AFB, CA and landed at McCoy AFB, FL
- 22 Oct 1962
USAF flys 82 U-2 overflights of Cuba through 6 Dec 1962
- 27 Oct 1962
Maj. Charles Maultsby strays over western edge of Siberia, he eventually lands "dead stick" on Alaskan auxialliary filed (PH)
- 27 Oct 1962
Maj. Rudolf Anderson shot down by SA-2 over Cuba; Anderson was killed when scrapnel punctured pressure suit causing suit to decompress at altitude, posthumously awarded Air Force Cross (PH)
- 6 Nov 1962
Maj. Rudolf Anderson buried in Greenville, SC (no body) (PH)
- 11 Jan 1963
First and only Cuban Overflight mission using In-Flight refueling, USAF Pilot: Pat Halloran (PH)
- Mar 1963
HASP program terminated after signing of Above Ground Test Ban Treaty
- 15 Jun 1963
4080 SRW(Light) redesignated 4080 SRW
- Jul 1963
4080 SRW &4028 SRW completes move from Laughlin AFB, TX to Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ
- 12 Jul 1963
Last U-2 left Laughlin AFB, TX for 4080 SRW new home at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ, USAF Pilot: Pat Halloran (PH)
- 4 Aug 1963
U-2 flown to North Island NAS and is hoisted on USS Kitty Hawk(CV-63) to undergo carrier trails
- 5 Aug 1963
Lockheed Test Pilot: Bob Schumacher takes off and makes several approaches to USS Kitty Hawk(CV-63)
- 20 Nov 1963
U-2 #6683 crashes of coast of SW Florida while returning from Cuban overflight; USAF Pilot: Capt. Joe Hyde is killed (JHJr)
- Feb 1964
HICAT(High Altitude Clear Air Turbulence) equipped U-2 flies for first time
- 11 Feb 1964
USAF Outstanding Unit Award to U-2s
- 14 Feb 1964
4 U-2s deployed to Bein Hoa, Vietnam(OL-20)
- Mar 1964
Liang Teh Pei is killed when his U-2C 6689, art.#356 comes apart while over the Taiwan Straits (AC)
- 2 Mar 1964
Lockheed Test Pilot: Bob Schumacher flies carrier trials in U-2G on USS Ranger(CV-61), afterward 5 CIA pilots under went carrier training
- May 1964
Team from Det. G (4th Weather Sqn. Prov., Edwards North Base) deploys to Charbatia, India. After flying a mission over Tibet U-2F 6675, art.#342 rolls off the end of runway after brakes fail. CIA Pilot: Bob Ericson survives (AC)
- May 1964
A U-2G was loaded aboard USS Ranger for Project Seeker (particle sampling of French Nuclear Tests at Mururoa Atoll in South Pacific)
- 7 Jul 1964
U-2G #362 is shot down over Southern China, ROCAF Pilot: Lt. Col. "Terry" Lee Nan Ping is killed (AC)
- 7 Jul 1964
Lt. Col. "Johnny" Wang Shi Chuen flies his first U-2 mission over the mainland of China (AC)
- Aug 1964
A team from Det H (Taoyuan AB, Taiwan) deploys to Takhli RTAB, Thailand with a U-2C and U-2F (AC)
- 14 Aug 1964
U-2 #6955 crashes near Boise, ID; Taiwanese AF Pilot: Sheng Shih Hi survived
- Sept 1964
U-2C 6685, art.#352, first a/c with updated cockpit, including canopy thrusters. Deploys to Takhli RTAB from Edwards North Base (AC)
- Sept 1964
ECM pods arrive at Taoyuan AB for 6691/#358 & 6692/#359 (AC)
- 18 Sept 1964
U-2 #6690 crashes at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ during landing killing USAF Pilot: Bob Primrose
- Oct 1964
Major "Jack" Chang Li Yi flies his first U-2mission over PRC (AC)
- 26 Nov 1964
First use of deceptive jammer by U-2 6691, art.#358 over PRC by "Johnny" Wang near Lanchow (AC)
- Dec 1964
U-2F 6692, art.#359 deploys to Charbatia from Taoyuan for mission(s) over Tibet (AC)
- Dec 1964
Major "Pete" Wang Shi Chen flies his first U-2 combat mission. It over N. Korea. (AC)
- 10 Jan 1965
U-2 6691/#358 is shot down southwest of Beijing, PRC . Major "Jack" Chang broke both legs in the ejection. He was released in 1983 with Yei. (AC)
- Feb 1965
Operation Crowflight discontinued
- Mar 1965
Captain "Charlie" Wu Tse Shi (First Native Taiwanese U-2 Pilot) flies his first mission over China, to Kiming and SW China. Mig 21 tries to zoom climb and fired 2 missiles, both missed. (AC)
- Mar 1965
U-2G 6718/#385 is deployed to Taoyuan. First U-2 with full dorsal "canoe" fairing with updated defensive systems. (AC)
- 5 Apr 1965
U-2 sortie over Hanoi and Haiphong shows that SA-2 missile site were being built
- 26 Apr 1965
U-2C #6715 crashes near Boron, CA; killing civilian pilot: Eugene Edens
- 1 Jul 1965
4025 SRS reactivated at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ, as 4025 RS
- Jul 1965
ROCAF flew 6 U-2 combat missions, 5 over mainland China and 1 over N. Korea (AC)
- Jul 1965
Lt. Col. "Johnny" Wang flies his 10th U-2 overflight of China, and ends his tour as an operational U-2 Pilot. (AC)
- Jul 1965
Lt. Col. "Terry" Liu and Major "Mickey" Yu and Lt. "Spike" Chung fly their first U-2 Combat mission (AC)
- 22 Oct 1965
U-2C 6685/#352 crashes off the NW coast of Taiwan. "Pete" Wang is killed (AC)
- 18 Jan 1966
U-2R study presented to USAF Program Office
- 9 Feb 1966
Proposal for construction of 25 U-2Rs
- 5 Mar 1966
U-2A #6681 delivered to NASA(now on display at Ames Research Center, Moffett NAS, CA
- 29 Mar 1966
U-2A #6682 delivered to NASA(now on display at Robbins AFB, GA
- Jun 1966
HICAT equipped U-2 deployed to Christchurch, NZ, then to Laverton, Australia
- 15 Jun 1966
4080 SRW redesignated 100 SRW
- 15 Jun 1966
4025 SRS redesignated 350 SRS
- 15 Jun 1966
4028 SRS redesignated 349 SRS
- 28 Jul 1966
U-2 #6719 crashed near Oruro, Bolivia; killing USAF Pilot: Robert David Hickman
- 19 Sep 1966
USAF approves construction of seven U-2Rs
- 8 Oct 1966
Kelly Johnson is briefed that there are only 18 original U-2s left in service
- 8 Oct 1966
U-2 #6690 crashed near Bein Hoa AB, Vietnam; USAF Pilot: Maj. Leo Stewart survived
- 29 Nov 1966
U-2R mock-up review takes place
- 18 Jan 1967
USAF approves construction of 3 U-2Rs
- Mar 1967
HICAT equipped U-2 deployed to Europe
- Jun 1967
USAF receives U-2 #66692 in TRIM(Target Radiation Intensity Measurement) configuration
- 1 Jul 1967
U-2 #6708 crashed near Pineville, LA; USAF Pilot: Sam Swart survived
- 28 Aug 1967
First flight of U-2R N-803X(68-10329); Lockheed Test Pilot: Bill Park
- 1 Feb 1968
2nd U-2R arrives at North Base, Edwards AFB, CA
- 31 May 1968
U-2 #6954 crashed near Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ; USAF Pilot: Victor L. Milan ejects safely
- Dec 1968
Last of original U-2Rs was delivered from Skunk Works
- 21 Nov 1969
Carrier Trails for U-2R #N-812X gets underway on USS America (CVA- 66) with Lockheed Test Pilot: Bill Park

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