AIAA NTX with the UTA AIAA Student Branch and the Society of Experimental Test Pilots present
Spy Pilot: Francis Gary Powers, the U-2 Incident, and a Controversial Cold War Legacy
Presentation & Book Signing
by Francis Gary Powers Jr.
Wednesday, 29 July 2026
7pm
UT Arlington SEIR Bldg., Room 294 (2nd floor)
655 W Mitchell St, Arlington, TX 76010
Reservations not necessary. Parking pass info below (please register your vehicle to avoid fine).
Francis Gary Powers Sr. (pictured above) was an American pilot who served as a USAF officer and CIA employee. Powers was shot down while flying a secret CIA mission over the Soviet Union. He survived but was captured and sentenced to 10 years in a Soviet prison for espionage. Powers served 21 months of his sentence before being released in a prisoner swap in 1962, which was made into the 2015 Steven Spielberg thriller, Bridge of Spies, about the spy exchange between KGB spy Rudolph Abel and Gary Powers. After returning to the US, Gary Powers worked at Lockheed as a test pilot for the U-2 and later as a helicopter pilot for Los Angeles news station KNBC. He died in 1977, when the KNBC helicopter he was flying crashed.
Francis Gary Powers, Jr. is the son of Francis Gary Powers, Sr. He lectures internationally and appears regularly on C-SPAN, the History, Discovery, and A&E channels. Gary is the author of Letters from a Soviet Prison (2017), Spy Pilot (2019), Enemy Territory (2022), The Berlin Airlift (2024), Cold War Virginia (2024), and Protecting America: Cold War Defensive Sites (2024). He is the Founder and Chairman Emeritus of The Cold War Museum located at Vint Hill, VA and was the Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee for the Cold War Theme Study which assisted the National Park Service to identify historic Cold War sites for preservation. In 2015, he consulted on Bridge of Spies. Gary is a past Board Member of the Strategic Air Command and Aerospace and an Honorary Board Member of the International Spy Museum. Because of his efforts to honor Cold War veterans the Junior Chamber of Commerce selected him as one of the “Ten Outstanding Young Americans” for 2002. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Philosophy and Master's Degrees in Public Administration and U.S. History.
Parking Pass at UTA
See Event Parking Areas on attached Map
To register for parking:
1. Follow the link to MavPark- https://utarlington.aimsparking.com/permits/?cmd=new_event
2. Select Student Organization Event
3. Select Gary Powers Jr. Speaker Event
4. Enter voucher code aiaa@UTA
5. Select permit type (EVT-COMP) Fac/Staff Surface Lots (After5PM)
6. Select the active date
7. Add vehicle info and confirm (make sure to complete submission!)
Evolving HQR1 Controls: So Easy a Caveman Can Fly It!
Kevin “Link” Christensen
Flight Controls Engineer, Bell Textron Inc.
Presented by the VFS Southwest Chapter with AIAA, SETP, SFTE
Join us for a Network Social and Presentation
Wednesday, 26 August 2026
Texas Star
1400 Texas Star Parkway
6pm Doors Open
6:45pm Presentation
7:15-8pm Hor D’oeuvres & Social
Since the Cooper-Harper Handling Qualities Rating (HQR) scale was first introduced in 1969, aircraft control systems have evolved to significantly reduce pilot workload and improve handling qualities. In particular, the introduction of automation with advanced fly-by-wire flight controls has made the assignment of the elusive HQR1 a reality. With an advanced flight control automation system, the pilot can focus less on hands-on aircraft control and more on mission execution. Such a system could also minimize the training needed to fly the aircraft. This presentation will cover recent simulation and flight test research aimed at improving handling qualities though the incorporation of advanced control automation. Kevin Christensen (F) is a Senior Staff Engineer and Associate Technical Fellow at Bell Textron with over 40 years’ experience in aviation. Kevin also graduated from the US Air Force Academy and served as a pilot in USAF having flown the F-22 as a test pilot and is an SETP Fellow.
Members: $32
Member Guest: $37
Non-Members: $42
Students: FREE!
This event serves as a VFS chapter fundraiser event with a silent auction
• Ft Worth aviation museum tickets
• Custom, Cliff Harrell made, wood Bell 525 and MV-75 puzzles
• Pottery from Ahaus Studios
• A private, in-home whiskey tasting for you and three friends
• And more!!!
For additional information on the event or VFS, please feel free to contact one of the following people:
Elizabeth Ward (817) 280-3806
Angela Buccio (817) 280-5227
Please RSVP by completing the online form HERE or through PayPal at southwest.vtol.org by 5pm 20 August
If you have any issues with the form, please email Elizabeth Ward at eward01@bellflight.com