James Pickar Brief:

U-2 Spy Plane Incident: A simulation that allows the user to experience the emotion, stress, and decisions Cold War spy pilots endured. Having a user sit in the cockpit of a spy plane and asking them to make a life or death decision achieves this experience.

American spy pilots during the Cold War were required to keep all information about their job other than that they are in the Air Force secret. They sent years in training comparable to the training of the Apollo astronauts. If shot down, spy pilots were trained to either commit suicide or be captured by their opponents. Being captured, however, was seen as dishonorable. Our project invites a user to experience the same high stakes decision. They sit in the cockpit and are abruptly shot down. What will they decide? The project calls into question the social construct of nation-states and why we take drastic measures to protect them. All of this is done through a virtual reality simulation in which the user pilots a U2 Spyplane and must photograph Soviet airbases while also flying in a combat zone. The experience brings the emotions and ideas of the Cold War to a new audience.

Amiyr's Ahmad Brief:

The U-2 Incident is a simulation that allows the user to experience the stress and life or death decisions made by U-2 spy pilots during the Cold War era. 

 The user is asked to fly a surveillance mission on a U-2 spy plane. The user steps into the cockpit of a U2 plane. Then, they are directed to photograph Soviet airbases. The pilot must navigate this task in the middle of combat. If shot down, the user much chose to either commit suicide or be captured. If they chose to capture, the pilot is considered to be dishonorable.  The project calls into question the decisions that must be made to protect the country. The project aims to educate the general public about the sacrifice of those serving in the military.