{"id":26473706,"date":"2026-10-04T10:43:23","date_gmt":"2026-10-04T08:43:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/?p=26473706"},"modified":"2026-10-04T10:55:10","modified_gmt":"2026-10-04T08:55:10","slug":"gary-sinise-u-2-flight-beale-lt-dan-band-50-states","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/es\/gary-sinise-u-2-flight-beale-lt-dan-band-50-states\/","title":{"rendered":"Gary Sinise at 70,000 Feet: Lt. Dan, the U-2 and a Life Spent Thanking Troops"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.et_pb_title_container h1.entry-title { padding-top: 40px !important; }<\/style>\n<!-- mfsh:top -->\n\n<style>\n.mfsh-trigger{display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:10px;height:44px;padding:0 18px;margin:0 0 26px;border:2px solid #0F1720;background:#fff;color:#0F1720;font-family:inherit;font-size:14px;font-weight:700;line-height:1;letter-spacing:0;text-transform:none;cursor:pointer;box-shadow:none;transition:background .15s,color .15s}\n.mfsh-trigger:hover,.mfsh-trigger:focus-visible{background:#0F1720;color:#fff;outline:none}\n.mfsh-trigger svg{width:18px;height:18px;display:block;flex-shrink:0}\n.mfsh-trigger.mfsh-bottom{margin:8px 0 28px}\n.mfsh-meta{position:relative;padding-right:190px}\n.mfsh-trigger.mfsh-inmeta{position:absolute;right:0;bottom:0;margin:0;height:30px;padding:0 8.9px;font-size:13px}\n.mfsh-trigger.mfsh-inmeta 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Down below, America knew him as Lieutenant Dan, the bitter, legless veteran of <em>Forrest Gump<\/em>. Up there, for a few minutes, he was something else: one of the highest people on the planet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fifteen years later Sinise is in the news again for a very different milestone. On Sunday 27 September 2026, his Lt. Dan Band played Naval Station Newport in Rhode Island, the 50th and last US state the band had not yet performed in. It is a good moment to look back at the flight, and at the four decades of showing up for troops that led to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"background:#f5f5f5;border-left:4px solid #1a1a1a;padding:18px 22px;margin:24px 0\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:600\">Quick Facts<\/p><ul style=\"margin:0;padding-left:20px\"><li><strong>Who:<\/strong> Gary Sinise, actor, musician and founder of the Gary Sinise Foundation<\/li><li><strong>U-2 flight:<\/strong> 8 June 2011, Beale Air Force Base, California, in the back seat of a TU-2S two-seat trainer<\/li><li><strong>Altitude:<\/strong> 70,000 feet, about twice the cruising height of an airliner<\/li><li><strong>The film:<\/strong> <em>High Flight: A Voyage to the Edge of Infinity<\/em>, released by his foundation in 2013<\/li><li><strong>Lt. Dan Band:<\/strong> Formed 2003; first show at Naval Station Great Lakes, November 2003<\/li><li><strong>50th state:<\/strong> Rhode Island, Naval Station Newport, 27 September 2026<\/li><li><strong>Foundation:<\/strong> Founded 2011; its 100th mortgage-free smart home for a wounded veteran was dedicated in November 2025<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Seventy Thousand Feet Over California<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Flying in a U-2 is not something you simply book. The day before his flight, Sinise went through the same preparation as a new crew member: altitude chamber training, ejection and escape training, and a fitting and briefing on the U-2 flight suit, the full pressure suit without which nobody survives at that altitude. He was briefed by the commander of the 9th Reconnaissance Wing, Brig. Gen. Paul McGillicuddy, and flew with a pilot from the wing&rsquo;s 1st Reconnaissance Squadron, the unit that trains every U-2 pilot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The aircraft was a TU-2S, the two-seat trainer version of the <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/u-2-dragon-lady\/\">U-2 Dragon Lady<\/a>, with a second, raised cockpit behind the first. From 70,000 feet the sky overhead turns dark blue to black and the curvature of the Earth becomes visible. General Aviation News reported that fewer than 1,000 people had made that flight in more than 50 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/tu-2s-dragon-lady-two-seat-u-2-trainer.jpg\" alt=\"A TU-2S, the two-seat trainer version of the U-2 spy plane\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">A TU-2S, the two-seat trainer version of the U-2, with its raised second cockpit. Sinise flew in the back seat of a TU-2S from Beale; this is not the same aircraft. Photo: US Air Force \/ Richard Gonzales<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;display:flex;gap:20px;align-items:flex-start\"><div><em>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s twice as high as any commercial airliner flies and forty thousand feet higher than Mt. Everest, the world&rsquo;s tallest mountain. It suddenly hit me that for a few incomparable minutes, I would be the highest human on planet earth.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Gary Sinise<\/strong> &mdash; on his U-2 flight, quoted by General Aviation News, January 2013<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Eight years later to the day, Sinise marked the anniversary on social media and finally named the man in the front seat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"max-width:550px;margin:0 auto 28px\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?id=1137413030231207937&theme=light\" style=\"width:100%;height:520px;border:none;overflow:hidden\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;display:flex;gap:20px;align-items:flex-start\"><div><em>&ldquo;The flight was incredible and the views from 70,000 feet are absolutely breathtaking. An experience I will never forget. I send my personal thanks to my pilot Jay Ford, and all the folks at Beale Air Force Base.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Gary Sinise<\/strong> &mdash; on X, 8 June 2019<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The flight became a documentary. <em>High Flight: A Voyage to the Edge of Infinity<\/em>, directed by Jon Tennyson with music by Bill Brown, follows the training at Beale, interviews U-2 crews and rides along to 70,000 feet. The Gary Sinise Foundation released it on DVD in 2013, with the proceeds going to its programmes, and it premiered on US television in May 2014. The foundation has since put the whole film online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Momu007GRsk\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Not Just a Passenger<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The U-2 was not Sinise&rsquo;s only ride. In 2017, after survival training at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, he flew in the back of an F\/A-18 Super Hornet and made an arrested landing on the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt. Years earlier he had landed on USS Ronald Reagan while it was operating in the Persian Gulf, and went up to the bridge. What stayed with him was not the ship but the crew.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;display:flex;gap:20px;align-items:flex-start\"><div><em>&ldquo;So we have a 19-year-old kid steering the Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier around the Persian Gulf.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Gary Sinise<\/strong> &mdash; speaking to the USO, March 2009<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/gary-sinise-uss-ronald-reagan-2007.jpg\" alt=\"Gary Sinise aboard the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan in 2007\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">Sinise aboard USS Ronald Reagan in June 2007. Photo: US Navy \/ Petty Officer 3rd Class Joe Painter<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/XqpB-GtWV_g\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">From Lieutenant Dan to the Lt. Dan Band<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sinise&rsquo;s connection to the military predates Hollywood fame. In Newport this September he explained where it started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;display:flex;gap:20px;align-items:flex-start\"><div><em>&ldquo;I started supporting Vietnam veterans in the 80s because my wife&rsquo;s two brothers had served in Vietnam.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Gary Sinise<\/strong> &mdash; speaking to Rhode Island Monthly, September 2026<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Playing Lieutenant Dan in 1994 made him instantly recognisable to veterans, and he became a regular on USO tours. In 2003 he formed a cover band to play for troops and named it after the character people kept calling him by. The Lt. Dan Band played its first show at Naval Station Great Lakes, near Chicago, in November 2003, and went on its first overseas USO tour, to South Korea, Singapore and Diego Garcia, in February 2004. By September 2025 it had played 600 shows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The last three states fell in a single week this September: New Hampshire on 24 September, Vermont&rsquo;s Camp Johnson on 25 September and, on 27 September, Naval Station Newport. Rain moved the Newport concert indoors to Kay Hall, and Sinise was handed a dog tag engraved &ldquo;RI 50&rdquo;.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">The Foundation<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sinise founded the Gary Sinise Foundation in 2011, the year of his U-2 flight. It raised more than $300 million in its first decade, and its revenue for the year to March 2026 was about $100 million. Its best-known programme, R.I.S.E., builds specially adapted, mortgage-free smart homes for severely wounded veterans; the 100th was dedicated on 19 November 2025 to retired Sgt. 1st Class Joe Bowser in Cedar Hill, Tennessee. The foundation says 90 percent of its spending goes to programmes; independent evaluators put the figure at around 85 to 86 percent, which still earns it top ratings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/gary-sinise-honorary-chief-petty-officer-2012.jpg\" alt=\"Gary Sinise is made an honorary US Navy Chief Petty Officer in August 2012\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">Sinise receives his combination cover as an honorary US Navy Chief Petty Officer at the US Navy Memorial in Washington, August 2012. Photo: US Navy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The honours followed. President George W. Bush awarded him the Presidential Citizens Medal in December 2008. The Navy made him an honorary Chief Petty Officer in August 2012, and a year later the Marine Corps made him an honorary Marine. He has never served in uniform.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">What the Viral Posts Get Wrong<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sinise&rsquo;s story is now a staple of social media, and some of the numbers that circulate do not hold up. The Lt. Dan Band was formed in 2003, not 2004; 2004 was its first overseas tour. The often-repeated tally of 174 military bases and 21 military hospitals visited since 2003 appears in his Wikipedia biography without a source, and we could not trace it to the foundation or to any official count. Likewise, a cumulative total of more than $400 million raised is plausible but we found no published figure for it; the last sourced total is &ldquo;over $300 million&rdquo; for 2011 to 2021. The U-2 flight, the quotes and the 50-state milestone are all on the record.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Sources: US Air Force, &ldquo;Lt. Dan flies high&rdquo; (June 2011); Code One magazine; General Aviation News (7 January 2013); Gary Sinise Foundation (High Flight release, financials, band history); Gary Sinise on X (8 June 2019); USO, &ldquo;Gary Sinise on Patrol&rdquo; (11 March 2009); Rhode Island Monthly (28 September 2026); RI News Today (1 October 2026); WCAX; NewsChannel 5 Nashville; CharityWatch; Charity Navigator; DVIDS; White House archives (Presidential Citizens Medal, 2008)<\/em><\/p>\n\n<!-- mfsh:bottom -->\n\n<button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-trigger mfsh-bottom\" data-mfsh-placement=\"bottom\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-share\"\/><\/svg>Share this story<\/button>\n\n<!-- \/mfsh:bottom -->\n\n\n<style>.mfq{margin:34px 0 8px}.mfq h2{font:26px\/1.3 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117;padding-top:22px;margin:0 0 6px}.mfq .qa details{border-top:1px solid #5C91FF;margin:0;padding:0}.mfq .qa details:last-of-type{border-bottom:1px solid #e2e7ee}.mfq .qa summary{cursor:pointer;list-style:none;display:flex;justify-content:space-between;align-items:center;gap:16px;padding:22px 26px;font:18px\/1.7 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117}.mfq .qa summary::-webkit-details-marker{display:none}.mfq .qa summary::after{content:\"+\";font:24px Helvetica,sans-serif;color:#3568e0;flex:0 0 auto}.mfq .qa details[open] summary::after{content:\"\\2013\"}.mfq .qa details:hover summary{color:#3568e0}.mfq .qa .a{font:16px\/1.7 \"Gilroy regular\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#454e5e;padding:0 26px 24px}.mfq .qa .a a{color:#3568e0}@media(max-width:680px){.mfq .qa summary{padding:18px 14px;font-size:17px}.mfq .qa .a{padding:0 14px 20px}}<\/style>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"mfq\"><h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2><div class=\"qa\"><details open><summary>Did Gary Sinise fly in a U-2 spy plane?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Yes. On 8 June 2011 Gary Sinise flew in the back seat of a TU-2S, the two-seat trainer version of the U-2, from Beale Air Force Base in California, climbing to 70,000 feet with a pilot from the 1st Reconnaissance Squadron. He trained in an altitude chamber and wore a full pressure suit.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>How high did Gary Sinise fly in the U-2?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Gary Sinise flew to 70,000 feet, roughly twice the height at which airliners cruise and about 40,000 feet higher than Mount Everest. General Aviation News reported that fewer than 1,000 people had made the flight in more than 50 years.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>What is the documentary High Flight about?<\/summary><div class=\"a\"><em>High Flight: A Voyage to the Edge of Infinity<\/em> documents Gary Sinise&rsquo;s June 2011 U-2 flight, from his training at Beale Air Force Base to the flight to 70,000 feet. It was directed by Jon Tennyson and released by the Gary Sinise Foundation in 2013, with proceeds going to the foundation.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>When was the Lt. Dan Band formed?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">The Lt. Dan Band was formed in 2003 and played its first show at Naval Station Great Lakes in November 2003. Its first overseas USO tour followed in February 2004. It is named after Lieutenant Dan, the character Gary Sinise played in Forrest Gump.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Has the Lt. Dan Band played all 50 states?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Yes. The Lt. Dan Band completed all 50 US states in September 2026, playing New Hampshire on 24 September, Vermont on 25 September and finally Rhode Island, at Naval Station Newport, on 27 September 2026.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Did Gary Sinise serve in the military?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">No. Gary Sinise never served in uniform. He has been made an honorary US Navy Chief Petty Officer (2012) and an honorary Marine (2013), and received the Presidential Citizens Medal in 2008 for his work supporting service members and veterans.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>What does the Gary Sinise Foundation do?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">The Gary Sinise Foundation, founded in 2011, supports wounded veterans, first responders and their families. Its R.I.S.E. programme builds specially adapted, mortgage-free smart homes for severely wounded veterans and dedicated its 100th home in November 2025.<\/div><\/details><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Did Gary Sinise fly in a U-2 spy plane?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Yes. On 8 June 2011 Gary Sinise flew in the back seat of a TU-2S, the two-seat trainer version of the U-2, from Beale Air Force Base in California, climbing to 70,000 feet with a pilot from the 1st Reconnaissance Squadron. He trained in an altitude chamber and wore a full pressure suit.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How high did Gary Sinise fly in the U-2?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Gary Sinise flew to 70,000 feet, roughly twice the height at which airliners cruise and about 40,000 feet higher than Mount Everest. General Aviation News reported that fewer than 1,000 people had made the flight in more than 50 years.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What is the documentary High Flight about?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"High Flight: A Voyage to the Edge of Infinity documents Gary Sinise\u2019s June 2011 U-2 flight, from his training at Beale Air Force Base to the flight to 70,000 feet. It was directed by Jon Tennyson and released by the Gary Sinise Foundation in 2013, with proceeds going to the foundation.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"When was the Lt. Dan Band formed?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The Lt. Dan Band was formed in 2003 and played its first show at Naval Station Great Lakes in November 2003. Its first overseas USO tour followed in February 2004. It is named after Lieutenant Dan, the character Gary Sinise played in Forrest Gump.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Has the Lt. Dan Band played all 50 states?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Yes. The Lt. Dan Band completed all 50 US states in September 2026, playing New Hampshire on 24 September, Vermont on 25 September and finally Rhode Island, at Naval Station Newport, on 27 September 2026.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Did Gary Sinise serve in the military?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"No. Gary Sinise never served in uniform. He has been made an honorary US Navy Chief Petty Officer (2012) and an honorary Marine (2013), and received the Presidential Citizens Medal in 2008 for his work supporting service members and veterans.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What does the Gary Sinise Foundation do?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The Gary Sinise Foundation, founded in 2011, supports wounded veterans, first responders and their families. Its R.I.S.E. programme builds specially adapted, mortgage-free smart homes for severely wounded veterans and dedicated its 100th home in November 2025.\"}}]}<\/script><div style=\"background:#f0f4ff;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:16px 20px;margin:32px 0 8px\">\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:600;color:#333\">Related Posts<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/b-2-u-2-crews-eat-drink-toilet-long-duration-sortie\/\">B-2 and U-2 Crews: How You Eat, Drink and Go on a 44-Hour Sortie<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/every-u-2-shot-down-seven-spy-planes-lost-to-missiles\/\">Every U-2 Shot Down: The Seven Spy Planes Lost to Missiles<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/francis-gary-powers-u-2-shot-down-1960-sverdlovsk-glienicke-bridge\/\">Francis Gary Powers: The U-2 Shot Down Over the Soviet Union<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/black-cat-squadron-taiwan-u-2-overflights-china\/\">Black Cat Squadron: Taiwan&rsquo;s U-2 Pilots Over Mao&rsquo;s China<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In June 2011 Gary Sinise rode a two-seat U-2 to 70,000 feet. In September 2026 his Lt. Dan Band played its 50th state. The flight, the band, the foundation, and which viral numbers hold up.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":26473029,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[666,670],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26473706","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-history-and-legends","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Gary Sinise U-2 Flight: Lt. Dan at 70,000 Feet | MiGFlug<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Gary Sinise flew a U-2 to 70,000 feet from Beale in 2011. Now his Lt. Dan Band has played all 50 states. 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