Quote:
Originally Posted by SPEMack618
They were Air Force pilots on contract to the CIA. They were civvies while in Pakistan and un-adorned pressure suits, but were drawing their pay from the USAF.
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I don't think they were Air Force pilots as this was too accountable. Instead they recruited retired pilots or from the USAF reserve (reserve officers could resign their commission more easily). A number of early U2 pilots were also actually British RAF officers. They were paid by MI6 and posed as Meteorological Office employees but were still commissioned officers in the RAF. They were stationed in Turkey and I believe that most of their missions were over the Middle East, but at least 2 (possibly up to 4) of the 24 U2 overflights of the USSR were conducted by RAF pilots.