The historic flight, which was 11 years in the making, saw the TU-2 flying longer than 14 hours and traveling over 6,000 NM across all 48 contiguous states of the U.S.
On Aug. 1, 2025, we reported about a Lockheed U-2 aircraft which was heard communicating to air traffic control about the intention to break the altitude and endurance records for the type. Few hours later, the U.S. Air Force confirmed that the aircraft indeed broke two endurance records and provided additional details.
The flight, using the callsign DRAGON 70, was communicating with the Atlanta Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) and stated that the aircraft departed from Beale AFB at 9:30pm the previous evening, with the plan to return the following afternoon. DRAGON 70 was not transmitting on the right transponder modes for flight tracking websites like Flightradar24 to display its flight path, so the only indication of this flight happening were the radio communications which were caught on public frequencies.
The historic flight
According to the service, a TU-2S Dragon Lady from the 9th Reconnaissance Wing took off from Beale Air Force Base (AFB) on the evening of July 31, 2025, piloted by Cory “ULTRALORD” Bartholomew, 1st RS assigned flight safety officer and U-2 instructor pilot, and Lt. Col. “JETHRO”, 1st RS instructor pilot and U-2 chief pilot. Notably, the Air Force highlighted that this flight had the most U-2 flight experience combined in a single U-2 cockpit as both pilots hold the records for the highest amount of U-2 flight hours.
The flight was conducted on a special date for the aircraft, the 70th anniversary of the very first Lockheed U-2 Dragon Lady’s accidental maiden flight in 1955. On that day, during a planned high speed taxi test with test pilot Tony LeVier at the controls, the prototype U-2, then known as Article 341, lifted from Groom Lake at only 70 knots.
The goal for this special anniversary was to complete the longest single flight this platform had ever attempted, flying across all 48 contiguous states of the United States. When the Dragon Lady landed the next day at Beale AFB, it had flown longer than 14 hours and traveled over 6,000 nautical miles, breaking the endurance records for an aircraft of its class, announced the Air Force.
It thus appears that the aircraft did not break the altitude record, although the press release did not provide details on this attempt, and the current exact altitude record remains classified. The U-2 is widely known for being capable of long flights at altitudes above 70,000 feet, but the exact altitude that it can reach has never been publicly disclosed.
“This flight is historic, and it is fitting that it was planned and flown by aircrew from the 1st Reconnaissance Squadron, America’s longest-serving flying unit,” said Lt. Col. John “JESTER” Mattson, 1st Reconnaissance Squadron (RS) commander. “The character of war is changing, but our extreme ownership of our mission to build aircrew ready to exploit and dominate the electromagnetic spectrum and win, will never change. We continue to hone our combat competencies showcasing Beale’s capacity as a power projection platform to rapidly respond to adversary actions anywhere in the world.”
The planning
The service explained that the flight maxed out the operational range of the U-2 and placed the pilots at the edge of their physiological limit. Such a feat required careful planning and it took 11 years before this could happen.
“11 years ago, I realized just how far we could hypothetically fly the U-2 if we really wanted to push its limits to see just what it could it do,” said “ULTRALORD”. “Now that were on the 70th anniversary of the U-2, 70 years at 70,000 feet, it seemed right to demonstrate the true capability of this aircraft”.
Planning and coordinating flight routes, choosing emergency refueling stops, and accounting for factors such as winds, temperatures, altitudes and not crossing a border into the wrong air space were only some of the aspects that were considered. The service explained that this flight was also the occasion to improve relatively new mission planning software which the 1st RS uses to plan for more complex missions, as it has never been used to plan a flight this long.
“I’m proud to be a part of this record flight and put ULTRALORD’s vision into reality”, said Stephen “SCOTCH” Johnson, a 1st RS mission planner that worked on this historic mission. “This flight’s length makes it more difficult than usual so there were special challenges to overcome in its planning”.
The physiological impact of the U-2 operations on the pilots is a well-known aspect of the operations with the Dragon Lady, and the pilots famously fly with pressure suits. This is even more true for this record-breaking mission, and in fact the service explained that the members of the 9th Physiological Support Group (PSPTS) had to overcome and adjust for the parameters of this U-2 flight.
“We already have to be perfect on every single flight, so with this one it just meant maintaining that standard of excellence,” said Technical Sgt. Christopher Burdi, 9th PSPTS physiological support detachment launch recovery team. “We had to ensure no incidents would occur for a longer flight than ever before, and that required more care, and more resources than usual, but it was nothing we couldn’t handle or continue to. Like I said, we’re already used to performing at a level of perfection.”
Similarly, the 9th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron (AMXS), also known as the “Dragon Keepers” for their role in maintaining the U-2 fleet, worked hard to make sure everything went flawlessly. “One single mistake could cost the pilot’s life and the aircraft, as special precautions were taken to ensure the expected durability and longevity of the U-2,” said the Air Force.
A tribute to the legacy of the U-2
The flight on the 70th anniversary was not used only for breaking the records, but it was also used to honor the legacy of the Lockheed U-2. In fact, the service mentioned that the flight paid tribute to all those who had gone before and earned the privilege to be a member of the tight-knit U-2 community, which has just over 1,000 pilots qualified to fly the aircraft.
Specifically, the flight honored fallen U-2 pilots by including specific flight paths over certain states, such as over the homes of families these pilots are remembered by. The Air Force said this aspect was also emphasized by “ULTRALORD” after he touched down, noting the U-2 mission is only possible from the team efforts of all those serving today and all those who have come before.
“The incredible thing about this flight is that it shows not only the capabilities of the U-2, but that of our Air Force’s most important asset, it’s people”, said Col. Keagan McLeese, 9th Reconnaissance Wing commander. “Our Airmen demonstrated they are mission-ready in using the skills, adaptability, and innovation it takes to generate global air power.”
