Aircraft Altitude Records

The highest-flying aircraft depends on the category: manned aircraft or drones, military or civilian aircraft, etc. Here's a distinction of records based on these criteria:

1. Manned Aircraft

• Military Aircraft:
  The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, a strategic reconnaissance aircraft, holds an operational altitude record of 25,929 meters (85,069 feet), set in 1976.

• Fighter Jet:
  The MiG-25 Foxbat and its successor, the MiG-31 Foxhound, are capable of exceeding 20,000 meters (65,617 feet) in operational flight. In experimental configuration, the MiG-25 reached an altitude of 37,650 meters (123,523 feet) in 1977.

• Civilian Aircraft:
  The Concorde, a supersonic passenger aircraft, regularly flew at 18,300 meters (60,000 feet).

2. Unmanned Aircraft (Drones or Experimental Aircraft)

• The Helios Prototype, a solar-powered aircraft developed by NASA, reached a record altitude of 29,524 meters (96,863 feet) in 2001.

• The Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk, a military reconnaissance drone, flies at altitudes of approximately 20,000 meters (65,000 feet).

3. Experimental Aircraft with Rocket Engines

• The Bell X-15, a piloted rocket aircraft, holds the altitude record for a manned aircraft, with a flight to 107,960 meters (354,330 feet) in 1963. This aircraft is sometimes considered on the border of aerospace.

4. Near-Space Vehicles

If we include hybrid vehicles like Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo, it can reach altitudes of 90,000 meters (295,000 feet) during its suborbital flights.

In summary:

• Absolute Record (Manned): Bell X-15 (~108 km)
• Operational Altitude (Military): SR-71 Blackbird (~26 km)
• Unmanned Aircraft: Helios Prototype (~29.5 km).

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