Dragon Lady breaks endurance records on 70th anniversary of U-2's first flight

A two-seat variant of the U-2 Dragon Lady has broken two endurance records on the 70th anniversary of the spy plane's first flight.

A TU-2S operating out of Beale Air Force Base in California flew longer than 14 hours and travelled over 6,000 nautical miles, pushing the capabilities of the aircraft and its pilots to the limit.

The US Air Force said the flight also showcased Beale AFB's capability to rapidly respond to hostile actions anywhere in the world.

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The aircraft, which took off at night, was flown by Cory "Ultralord" Bartholomew, a 1st Reconnaissance Squadron assigned flight safety officer and U-2 instructor pilot, and an officer identified only by his rank and callsign – Lieutenant Colonel "Jethro", a 1st RS instructor pilot and U-2 chief pilot.

The two men are not the usual pair assigned to that particular aircraft – these being Lt Col John "Jester" Mattson and Lt Col Jeff "Mario" Andrade.

The aircraft belongs to 9th Reconnaissance Wing and was prepared for flight by members of the 9th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron.

While the aircraft was being prepped and fuelled for the flight, the crew were too.

Because the aircraft operates at altitudes up to 70,000ft, U-2 pilots wear a flight suit resembling a space suit.

Ultralord and Jethro had to spend an hour undergoing 100% oxygen exposure with the 9th Physiological Support Squadron before taking off on their record-breaking flight.

On the successful completion of their mission, they were welcomed back by Colonel Keagan McLeese, the commander of 9th Reconnaissance Wing.

The U-2 high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft is operated by the United States Air Force and the Central Intelligence Agency.

It made its first flight in 1955 and became operational the following year.

The type was nicknamed Dragon Lady after a cartoon character of the day, but the name stuck and persists today.

While U-2s have been flown in recent conflicts, the surveillance aircraft is best known for its role at the height of the Cold War – and two notable losses.

In 1960, Gary Powers was shot down in a CIA U-2C over the Soviet Union by a surface-to-air missile and in 1962, Major Rudolf Anderson Jr was shot down during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

But over the past 70 years, the type has proven its worth, being modified and updated a number of times.

Watch U2: America's Secret Spy Plane from Forces TV