Dragon Lady: The History of the U-2 Spyplane (SIGNED by author and several pilots)

Pocock, Chris

Published by Airlife Publishing, Shrewsbury, England, 1989

About this Item

SIGNED by the author and INSCRIBED by several pilots in the U-2 program including Lt. Col. Richard S. Heyser(whose photographs led to the Cuban Missle Crisis), Maj. Gen. Patrick J. Halloran, Colonel Des Portes, Colonel Jack Nole, and Captain Tony Bevacqua. 8vo. 214 pp. Photo-illustrations. Bibliography; Index. Black cloth in color printed dustjacket. A fine copy, as new; a nice copy with unique associations. Lt. Col. Richard S. Heyser, (one of the most experienced U-2 pilots) whose photographs revealed Soviet medium-range ballistic missiles in Cuba, precipitating the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962. In the late 1950s into the 1960s, he flew Lockheed U-2s with the 4080th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing. Maj. Gen. Patrick J. Halloran was deputy director for strategic command, control and communications systems, Command, Control and Communications Systems Directorate, Joint Staff, Organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Washington, D.C. During his years with the U-2 program, General Halloran flew missions from nearly a dozen forward operating locations overseas and accumulated more than 1,600 flying hours in the high-flying reconnaissance aircraft. Halloran flew U2 missions over Cuba during the Cuban Crisis and over Vietnam in both the U-2 and the SR-71. Outside of Korean War combat, Pat recalls his most dangerous missions were in the U-2 because of the critical nature of flight in a single engine plane at altitudes 70,000+ feet. Colonel Des Portes, was wing commander for the 4080th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, which consisted of one U-2 squadron with about 25 pilots. During the Cuban missle crisis, Des Portes had to simulatneously manage the missing U-2 spyplane over the Soviet Union for one and one-quarter hours and the shootdown of a U-2 over Cuba. Colonel Jack Nole, commander of the 4028th Strategic Recon Squadron, had the distinction of landing the first U-2 aircraft at Laughlin AFB. He also was the first military pilot to safely bail out of a U-2. He recorded the highest altitude parachute escape to date on that ejection. Captain Tony Bevacqua is thought to be the youngest pilot to check out in the U-2; he was only 24 when he first flew it at The Ranch in 1957.

Seller Inventory # 20106

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Dragon Lady: The History of the U-2 Spyplane (SIGNED by author and several pilots)
• Publisher: Airlife Publishing, Shrewsbury, England
• Publication Date: 1989
• Edition: First Edition.
• Signed: Signed by Author(s)
• Seller catalogs:
  • Americana