SAC RECONNAISSANCE ACTIVITIES DURING THE CUBAN CRISIS Reel 9 · Part 1

Description

Summary: Coverage of reconnaissance activities by SAC U-2 aircraft, including pilot preparation; U-2 being loaded, taking off, and landing; and aerial photos being processed and interpreted. Reel 7 shows B-47 dispersal activity at Minneapolis Airport. Reel 1 - 1) Men entering restricted area building at night and being checked by Combat Defense Guard. 2) Pilot boarding U-2, taxiing away from flight line and taking off at night. 3) Base Operations Building at Laughlin AFB. 4) Wing Headquarters Building at Laughlin. 5) Scenes of airmen wheeling boxes into restricted building. 730' Total footage in reel. Reel - 2 - 1) Officer entering Physiological Support Building and then leaving in truck. 2) U-2 being serviced on flight line. 3) Flight surgeon giving pilot preflight physical. 4) Pilot eating steak and eggs before flight. 5) Airman checking helmet and MC-3A partial pressure suit. 6) Pilot getting suited up for flight. 853' Total footage in reel. Reel 3 - 1) Technician checking pressure suit and hooking up oxygen bottle. 2) Pilot boarding truck. 3) Pilot being strapped into U-2 cockpit, engine being started and aircraft taxiing out of parking spot. 4) U-2 taking off at night. 5) Sign: 4080TH STRATEGIC WING. 6) Night scenes of U-2 pilot boarding aircraft, canopy being closed, engine starting and aircraft taxiing and taking off. 775' Total footage in reel. Reel 4 - 1) Photo intelligence personnel examining aerial photos of ships and then plotting their course by shadows. 2) Film being brought into lab and signed for. 3) Scenes of film being processed, spliced and put on printer. 494' Total footage in reel. Reel 5 - 1) U-2 on runway, taking off and climbing into clouds. 2) Airmen wheeling equipment on dolly out of Operations Building. 3) U-2 being loaded with equipment operation is shielded by plywood sheets around aircraft. 4) Equipment being hoisted into Q-bay (equipment bay) of U-2. 5) Airmen in cockpit and checking U-2 equipment. 6) Equipment dolly being pulled away from U-2. 7) Pilot being fitted wish pressure suit, gloves and helmet. 915' Total footage in reel. Reel 6 - 1) Pilot walking to prebreathing apparatus. 2) Pilot with oxygen bottle having pressure suit checked. 3) Pilot being briefed by operations and intelligence officers. 545' Total footage in reel. Reel 7 - 1) Deployment commander at Minneapoiis briefing security force. 2) AV's of B-47's dispersed along flight line. 3) Scenes of guards walking post around B-47's. 303' Total footage in reel. Reel 8 - 1) Scenes of pilot boarding U-2, closing canopy and starting engine. 2) U-2 taxiing to end of runway and taking off. 3) C-123 engine start and aircraft taxiing on flight line. 4) U-2 taxiing toward crew chief and pilot debarking. 5) U-2 being pushed into hangar and equipment being removed from Q-bay. 6) Guard walking post in front of hangar. 937' Total footage in reel. Reel 9 - 1) U-2 taxiing to runway, airmen removing Pogo wheels from wingtip, then aircraft taking off. 2) Shrouded equipment on dolly being pushed into U-2 hangar. 3) Airman drawing tire and wheel from supply locker. 4) Airmen threading tape onto recorder. 5) Scenes of U-2 on flight line being fueled. 6) C-123 starting engines and taxiing from flight line toward runway. 823' Total footage in reel. Reel 10 - 1) Technicians removing equipment from U-2 Q-bay. 2) Film boxes being unloaded from truck at Offutt AFB. 3) Film cans on cart being pushed to photo lab. 4) Captain ringing bell for admittance to photo lab. 204' Total footage in reel. Reel 11 - 1) Scenes of U-2's taking off from McCoy AFB. (Early morning) 2) U-2 pilot in briefing looking at papers. 3) Technician removing recorder unit from U-2 nose section. 4) Technician placing recorder unit in U-2 nose section and closing access panel. 5) Airman drawing tire from supply unit. 718' Total footage in reel. Reel 12 - 1) Scenes of U-2 landing, taxiing to park and pilot debarking. 2) U-2 in hangar, technicians removing equipment from Q-bay. 3) Equipment on truck being loaded into T-39. 4) T-39 taxiing to runway and taking off. 5) U-2 landing and taxiing in to park. 6) Technicians placing exposed film in shipping containers. 928' Total footage in reel. Reel 13 - 1) U-2 landing, taxiing to flight one and canopy being raised. 2) Scenes in hangar of equipment being unloaded from U-2 Q-bay. 3) Technicians checking tape on recorder to insure that other equipment is functional. 907' Total footage in reel. Reel 14 - 1) Technician checking tape on recorder. 2) Technician in dark room removing film from magazine. 378' Total footage in reel. Reel 15 - 1) Technicians in dark room inspecting and splicing film. 2) Technicians running film through primary and secondary processors. 3) Technicians inspecting film after washing. 4) Airman installing 70mm camera on U-2 hatch. 921' Total footage in reel. Reel 16 - 1) Covered camera assembly being moved from dark room to equipment room. 2) Scenes of photo intelligence officers examining film and pointing to sites shown. 3) Airmen bringing film into Wing Intelligence Building. 4) Covered cameras being moved to hangar and up to U-2 for loading. 910' Total footage in reel. Good (Basic: Orig neg)

Collection

Records of U.S. Air Force Commands, Activities, and Organizations

Series

Moving Images Relating to Military Aviation Activities