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It's October 27th, 1962.

In the skies above Cuba, an American spy plane glides through the clouds at 72,000 feet.

It bangs east, heading into the morning sun.

And as it flies toward the Caribbean Sea, a landmass appears on the horizon.

Inside the cockpit, US Air Force pilot Rudy Anderson looks out the window.

At this altitude, he can't make out much detail at the land below.

It's mostly a blur of sparkling turquoise water and long stretches of green.

And while it's a beautiful view up here in the clouds, Anderson is well aware that this is no time to enjoy the scenery.

Down at ground level, the Soviet Union has installed an array of anti-aircraft missiles all across Cuba,

capable of shooting down American spy planes like the one Anderson is flying.

Anderson is keenly aware of the dangers of entering Cuban airspace.

Still, for the American military, these flights are critical.

The US now has evidence that the Soviets are building up a nuclear arsenal on Cuban soil.

The installations pose a direct threat to the US mainland, putting millions of lives at risk.

And while President John F. Kennedy has instituted a naval blockade around Cuba,

it's unclear whether the effort is working to prevent additional Soviet weapons from reaching the island.

So Anderson is on a mission to gather intelligence using his planes sophisticated cameras to snap photos of suspicious activity.

Anderson will be flying in radio silence to avoid detection.

But Soviet radar installations are active below.

So as soon as he's finished his run, he'll bank north and west to get back into safe airspace,

and far away from any Soviet anti-aircraft missiles.

...