Pilot of U2 ‘Dragon Lady’ Plane Took Cockpit Selfie of Chinese Spy Balloon

The pilot of a U.S. Air Force U2S Dragon Lady spy plane took a “legendary” cockpit selfie showing the Chinese spy balloon during its cross-country foray this month through American airspace.

The photo had achieved “legendary status” within the US-Canadian North American Aerospace Defense Command before the Pentagon confirmed its existence on Wednesday.

The Chinese balloon was tracked by U2 high altitude spy planes before an Air Force F-22 Raptor shot it down on February 4 off the coast of South Carolina.

The U2 pilot shot the selfie on February 3, the Pentagon said. At the time, the aircraft were close to Kansas. But the photo itself could be described as “out of this world.”