Last week, a Lockheed TU-2S Dragon Lady took part in a historic flight to mark the 70th anniversary of the famed spy plane. On Thursday, July 31, 2025, the aircraft from the 9th Reconnaissance Wing took off from Beale Air Force Base (AFB), California, the US Air Force announced.

It was not a routine flight, nor was it part of a surveillance mission along the southern border. Instead, it was to mark the 70th anniversary of the Dragon Lady’s “accidental maiden flight” on August 1, 1955, when test pilot Tony LeVier was conducting a taxi test at Groom Lake, Nevada. At 70 knots, the aircraft unexpectedly became airborne—which was a problem, as there were no markings for LeVier to judge height. Upon landing, the plane suffered minor damage, but LeVier was back at the controls just three days later to carry out the U-2’s first official flight test on August 4.

While last week’s anniversary flight was not quite as dramatic as the one on August 1, 1955, it was noteworthy as the aircraft flew for more........

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