Short answers, pulled from the story.
The Compagnie d'Aéronautiers formed as the first air force in history during 1794. Charles Coulston Gillispie records that French officers used hydrogen-filled balloons like L'Entreprenant to observe Austrian Army movements at the Battle of Fleurus.
American Army Corporal William Eddy produced the first-ever military aerial surveillance photos during the Spanish-American War of 1898. He adapted a concept from British meteorologist Douglas Archibald who rigged cameras to kites in the 1880s.
A U2 aircraft flying at altitudes reaching 70,000 feet captured images revealing nuclear missiles in Cuba in 1962. This plane carried a Hycon 73B camera capable of capturing details as small as 2.5 feet wide.
Out of 152 cryptologists who died during the Cold War era, 64 participated in aerial reconnaissance missions. Between 1945 and 1977, more than forty reconnaissance aircraft were shot down across European and Pacific areas.
The Schengen Area utilizes technology to track illegal crossings and smuggling attempts along its southern Mediterranean border. Belgium has deployed drones to monitor irregular maritime activity and locate children lost on beaches.