This was not over confidence speaking; Johnson had built the U.S.'s first jet, the F-80, in 141 days in World War II . With the invention of the Utility-2 plane the secret flights into the Communist country information in the form of video and pictures was abundant and enlightening to the United States government. Allen Dulles, Director of Central Intelligence remembered, " I was able to get a look at every blade of grass in the Soviet Union." .
"Kelly's planes" were hand-made in the high security Lockheed plant in Burbank, California for a total of $850,000.00 each . After arguments with jet engine manufacturers on how an airplane would work at 70,000 feet Johnson eliminated weight by losing the tricycle landing gear and using only two wheels and "pogo" sticks on the ends of the wings . The sticks would drop off after takeoff. The first model U-2 was flight tested in August 1955.The film taken from 50,000 feet produced a clear picture of golf balls on the green of a golf course .
The newly formed NASA informed aviation publications the U-2's were used for gathering weather data that would be put to use by the Air Weather Service of the United States Air Force for use in protecting the private and commercial airline traffic. NASA did leave out the fact the pilots were CIA agents. The next press release from NASA announced the expansion of the weather program to Europe. The information that the U-2 broke the altitude record or any specifics on flight duration, range of flight or even photographs of the plane was not released. .
The first U-2 flight group was officially designated the Weather Reconnaissance Squadron . The agent/pilots were selected from reserve officers in the Air Force. Most men selected were from a squadron that was being dissolved . This tactic eliminated any curiosity when a number of reservists resigned their commission. The pilots were introduced to their covert mission by learning not to set patterns in their movements, they were given alias", given lie detectors test and even instructed to create false addresses when checking into hotels.
