List of flight endurance records


The flight endurance record is the longest amount of time an aircraft of a particular category spent in flight without landing. It can be a solo event, or multiple people can take turns piloting the aircraft, as long as all pilots remain in the aircraft. The limit initially was the amount of fuel that could be stored for the flight, but aerial refueling extended that parameter. Due to safety concerns, the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale no longer recognizes new records for the duration of crewed airplane or glider flights and has never recognized any duration records for helicopters.

Airplane

Non-refueled, crewed

Duration DateLocationPilotsAircraftCommentsReference
09:00:03:44December 14–23, 1986Edwards Air Force Base, US, circumnavigationDick Rutan and Jeana YeagerRutan Voyager
04:21:51:00June 28 to July 3, 2015Nagoya, Japan – Kalaeloa Airport, Hawaii, United States André BorschbergSolar Impulse 2Solar plane, without any fuel; also longest solo airplane flight of any type
03:12:32:00May 25–28, 1931Jacksonville, Florida, USWalter Edwin Lees and Frederic BrossyBellanca J-2Last record recognized by FAI
03:04:45:00February 8–11, 2004Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USSteve FossettGlobal Flyer
03:03:23:07February 26 to March 1, 1931La Sénia, AlgeriaLucien Bossoutrot and Maurice RossiBlériot 110
02:19:13:55May 30 to June 2, 1930Montecelio, ItalyUmberto Maddalena and Fausto CecconiSavoia-Marchetti S.64
02:17:25:00July 5–7, 1928Dessau, GermanyJohann Risztics and Wilhelm ZimmermannJunkers W 33Also surpassed the refueled record
02:04:22:31.8August 3–5, 1927Dessau, GermanyCornelius Edzard and Johann RiszticsJunkers W 33
02:03:11:25April 12–14, 1927Long Island, New York, USClarence Duncan Chamberlin and Bertrand Blanchard AcostaWright-Bellanca WB-2 "Columbia"
01:21:11:59August 7–9, 1925Chartres, FranceMaurice Drouhin and Jules LandryFarman F.60 Goliath
01:13:59:10July 16–17, 1924Chartres, FranceEtienne Coupet and Maurice DrouhinFarman F-60Also surpassed the refueled record
01:12:04:34April 16–17, 1923Wilbur Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio, USOakley George Kelly and John Arthur MacreadyFokker T-2
01:10:14:07October 14–15, 1922Le Bourget, FranceLucien Bossoutrot and Robert DrouhinFarman F.60 Goliath
01:02:19:35December 29–30, 1921Roosevelt Field, New York, US; FAI record says Jacksonville, FloridaEdward A. Stinson and Lloyd BertaudJunkers-Larsen JL-6First record recognized by FAI
01:00:19:07June 3–4, 1920Ville Sauvage la Dordogne, FranceLucien Bossoutrot and Jean BernardFarman F.60 Goliath
01:00:12:00July 10–11, 1914Johannisthal Air Field near Berlin, GermanyReinhold BöhmAlbatros biplane
00:21:49:00June 28–29, 1914Johannisthal Air Field near Berlin, GermanyWerner LandmannAlbatros biplane
00:13:22:00September 11, 1912Étampes airfield in FranceAlexandre Fourny Maurice Farman MF-2
00:11:01:29September 1, 1911Buc, FranceAlexandre Fourny Maurice Farman biplane
00:08:12:45December 18, 1910Étampes airfield in FranceHenri FarmanMaurice Farman biplane
00:06:01:00October 28, 1910Buc, FranceMaurice TabuteauMaurice Farman MF-2
00:05:03:05July 10, 1910Reims, FranceJan OlieslagersBlériot monoplane
00:04:17:35November 3, 1909Mourmelon-le-Grand, FranceHenri FarmanH. Farman
00:02:18:33.6December 31, 1908Camp d’Auvours near Le Mans, FranceWilbur WrightWright Model A
00:01:54:00.4December 18, 1908Camp d’Auvours near Le Mans, FranceWilbur WrightWright Model A
00:01:31:25.8September 21, 1908Camp d’Auvours near Le Mans, FranceWilbur WrightWright Model A
00:01:14:20September 12, 1908Fort Myer, Virginia, USOrville WrightWright Model A
00:01:10:24September 11, 1908Fort Myer, Virginia, USOrville WrightWright Model A
00:01:05:52September 10, 1908Fort Myer, VirginiaOrville WrightWright Model A
00:01:02:15September 9, 1908Fort Myer, Virginia, USOrville WrightWright Model A
00:00:59:23.8October 5, 1905Huffman Prairie, Ohio, USWilbur WrightWright Flyer III
00:00:33:17October 4, 1905Huffman Prairie, Ohio, USOrville WrightWright Flyer III
00:00:26:11.2October 3, 1905Huffman Prairie, Ohio, USOrville WrightWright Flyer III
00:00:19:56September 29, 1905Huffman Prairie, Ohio, USOrville WrightWright Flyer III
00:00:18:11September 26, 1905Huffman Prairie, Ohio, USWilbur WrightWright Flyer III
00:00:05:41September 12, 1905Huffman Prairie, Ohio, YSWilbur WrightWright Flyer III
00:00:05:04November 9, 1904Huffman Prairie, Ohio, USWilbur WrightWright Flyer II
00:00:01:38October 14, 1904Huffman Prairie, Ohio, USOrville WrightWright Flyer II
00:00:01:35September 20, 1904Huffman Prairie, Ohio, USWilbur WrightWright Flyer II
00:00:00:59December 17, 1903Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, USWilbur WrightWright Flyer
00:00:00:12December 17, 1903Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, USOrville WrightWright FlyerFirst flight

Refueled, crewed

Duration

DateLocationPilotsAircraftCommentsReference
64:22:19:05December 4, 1958, to February 7, 1959Las Vegas, NevadaRobert Timm and John CookCessna 172
Hacienda		Refueled from moving truck on ground
50:00:18:20August 2, 1958, to September 21, 1958Dallas, Texas, USJim Heth and Bill BurkhartCessna 172
The Old Scotchman		Refueled from moving truck on ground
46:20:00:00August 24 to October 10, 1949Yuma, Arizona, USBob Woodhouse and Woody JongewardAeronca 15AC Sedan
City of Yuma		Attempted to persuade government officials to reopen Yuma Army Air Field
42:00:02:00March 15 to April 26, 1949Fullerton, California, USDick Riedel and Bill BarrisAeronca 15AC Sedan
Sunkist Lady
30:06:00:00October 1–30, 1939Long Beach, California, USWes Carroll and Clyde SchlieperPiper J-3 Cub floatplane
Spirit of Kay
22:07:45:00October 1- 23, 1939Muncie, Indiana, USRobert McDaniels and Kelvin BaxterPiper Franklin 50 Cub Miss Sun TanJim Fidler provided on-air coverage of flight through WLBC broadcasts. Pilots met Eleanor Roosevelt following flight.
27:05:34:00June 4 to July 1, 1935Meridian, Mississippi, USBrothers Al and Fred KeyCurtiss Robin
Ole Miss		Invented a spill-free mid-air refueling nozzle. Inaccessible recording altimeter verified duration.
23:01:41:30June 11 and July 4, 1930Chicago, Illinois, USBrothers John and Kenneth HunterStinson SM-1 Detroiter
The City of Chicago
17:12:17:00July 13–30, 1929St. Louis, Missouri, USDale Jackson and Forest O'BrineCurtiss Robin
St. Louis
10:06:43:32July 2–12, 1929Culver City, California, USLoren W. Mendell and Roland B. ReinhartBuhl CA-5A Airsedan
Angeleno
07:06:00:00June 30 to July 6, 1929Cleveland, Ohio, USRoy Mitchell and Byron K. NewcombStinson SM-1 Detroiter
The City of Cleveland		Not recognized as an official record by FAI because it did not exceed previous record by at least 1%.
07:04:31:01May 19–26, 1929Ft. Worth, Texas, USReginald Robbins and James Kelly
Fort Worth
06:15:40:00January 1–7, 1929Van Nuys Airport, California, USMaj. Carl Spaatz, Capt. Ira Eaker, 1st Lt. Harry A. Halverson, 2nd Lt. Elwood Quesada, and Sgt. Roy W. HooeAtlantic-Fokker C2A
Question Mark
02:12:07:00June 1–4, 1928Tirlemont, BelgiumLouis Crooy and Sgt. Victor Groenende Havilland DH-9
01:13:15:14August 27–28, 1923Rockwell Field, California, USCapt. Lowell Smith and 1st Lt. John Paul Richterde Havilland DH-4BFirst refueled flight to surpass the non-refueled record

Airline, scheduled

Duration DateLocationPilotsAircraftCommentsReference
32:09:00June 29, 1943 – July 18, 1945Swan River, Nedlands, Western Australia to Lake Koggala, Ceylon several Qantas crewsQantas Consolidated PBY CatalinaCalled "The Double Sunrise"
271 crossings
23:19:00October 1–2, 1957London to San Francisco44 persons. Capt. Gordon Granger and co-pilot Herbert OttewillTWA Lockheed Constellation L-1649A, F/N 307 / N7307C
19:36:00October 21–22, 1936San Francisco to Pearl Harbor, HawaiiCapt. Edwin Musick, FO Harold Gray, JO M.C. Weber, NAV Fred Noonan + 4 additional flightcrew.Pan Am Martin M-130 Flying Boat

Airplane, uncrewed

Duration
DateLocationAircraftClass
67:06:52:002025-04-28KenyaAALTO HAPS Ltd Zephyrnon FAI sanctioned, solar power
64:18:26:002022-08-19US, Arizona, YumaAirbus Zephyr 8 non FAI sanctioned, solar power
25:23:57:002018-08-05US, Arizona, YumaAirbus Zephyr 8non FAI sanctioned, 75 kg, solar power
18:22:30:002021-09-13US, Arizona, YumaAirbus Zephyr 8U-Absolute, U-1, 25–100 kg, electric
14:00:22:002010-07-23US, Arizona, YumaQinetiQ Zephyr 7U-Absolute, U-1.c, electric
08:00:50:002021-10-02US, California, Edwards AFBVanilla UnmannedU-1, 100–500 kg, and Jet
05:01:24:002017-10-23US, Virginia, WallopsVanilla Aircraft VA001non FAI sanctioned
04:11:00:002022-09-22US, California, NAS Pt. MuguVanilla Unmannednon FAI sanctioned
03:09:24:002014-12-08Switzerland, RafzETH Zurich AtlantikSolarnon FAI sanctioned, 6.8 kg, solar power
03:08:02:002014-12-08US, California, RidgecrestAurora FS OrionU-1.f, and Jet
03:03:57:002023-07-09US, Eastern Oregon Regional AirportKraus Hamdani Aerospace K1000ULEnon FAI sanctioned, Group-2 UAS, solar power
03:01:00:002025-07-20US, Stennis airport, Kiln, MississippiSkydwellersolar powered
02:22:00:002019-12-11US, Utah, DugwayUS AFRL Ultra non FAI sanctioned
02:12:00:001988USBoeing Condornon FAI sanctioned,, piston engines
02:11:00:002025-06-03CaliforniaSoLongnon FAI sanctioned, solar battery
02:07:56:002016-12-02US, New Mexico, Las CrucesVanilla Aircraft VA001U-1.c, and Jet
02:06:27:002012-07-07Latvia, JelgavaUAV Factory Penguin Bnon FAI sanctioned, 22.3 kg TOW, two-stroke
02:00:01:002013-04-18unknownUS NRL Ion Tiger UAVnon FAI sanctioned, hydrogen fuel cell
02:00:00:002025-11-24Abu Dhabi, UAEUAVOS ApusNeo18non FAI sanctioned, solar battery
01:10:24:002025Grand Forks AFB, North DakotaUSAF Global Hawknon FAI sanctioned
01:06:24:002001-03-21US, California, EdwardsNorthrop Grumman RQ-4U-Absolute, U-2.g, and Jet
01:06:17:002022-02-19unknownLockheed Martin Stalkersubmitted to FAI, 5–25 kg, Propane Fuel Cell
01:02:01:002009-11-17US, MD, AberdeenUS NRL Ion Tiger UAVnon FAI sanctioned,, hydrogen fuel cell

Space station, crewed

Duration that a specific person continuously occupies the spacecraft while in orbit.
Duration DateLocationAstronautAircraftCommentsReference
437:17:58:17January 8, 1994, to March 22, 1995Low Earth orbit; Baikonur Cosmodrome to near Arkalyk, KazakhstanValeri PolyakovRussian space station Mir