Son of U-2 pilot shot down by Soviets to share Cold War story at EP museum

High above the Soviet Union on a May day in 1960, CIA pilot Francis Gary Powers was on a secret mission to photograph Soviet military installations when his U-2 spy plane was shot down by a missile.

Powers ejected but was captured by the KGB, triggering a major international confrontation. He was subjected to a globally televised trial and imprisoned before being exchanged for Soviet spy Rudolf Abel in 1962.

Powers’ son, Francis Gary Powers Jr., will delve into the Cold War and the harrowing tale of his father’s capture during a presentation at the Wings of the North Air Museum at Flying Cloud Airport in Eden Prairie at 7 p.m. July 29.

Powers Jr., an author and consultant for the Steven Spielberg film “Bridge of Spies,” which portrays the prisoner swap, will provide detailed insights into the broader context of the Cold War and his father’s personal ordeal.

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Despite widespread misinformation about the incident, as noted in a Wings of the North news release, Powers Sr. was posthumously given the POW Medal, the CIA Director’s Medal and the Silver Star for his service.

Tickets are $20 and must be purchased in advance through the museum’s website. Attendance is limited to 50 people.

Doors open at 6 p.m., and the presentation begins at 7. Ticket price includes admission to the museum at 14857 Pioneer Trail. Volunteers will be on hand to assist with parking. Access to the venue is via Gate H, one mile west of Flying Cloud Drive on Pioneer Trail.

For additional details, visit the museum’s website.