Jon Thomas Little

West Point, 1964

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by Bill Murphy on January 23, 2006:

Thanks Charlie for the U-2 article. I had several friends who flew the U-2. One of my pilot training classmates lost his life flying one at Edwards AFB. My room mate in A-2, Jack Little, also flew the U-2. The U-2 demands some tricky flying when it is at altitude. Instead of using the regular throttle, minor adjustments are made with a small trim wheel to keep the plane at the proper speed. From what I have been told flying the plane is a balancing act. The margin between high speed stall and low speed stall is very small. Think of balancing a pencil on a pin head. Definitely need good hand eye coordination. Unfortunately for Jack his plane came unglued at well over one hundred thousand (100000) feet and he had to eject. His space suit did inflate and I think he holds the world's record for the highest free fall. If not the record, he is very close. Luckily his chute finally opened and he was ultimately rescued. Some of you may have talked with him about his experience at our 20th Reunion. It was the last reunion he was able to attend.The U-2 was the last plane he ever flew due to injuries sustained. He eventually died of cancer too early in his life. I believe the AF finally decided that his cancer was due to the ejection. At his request he was buried in his orange flight suit in the West Point Cemetary. Bill Murphy

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