Col. Merryl Tengesdal, USAF (Ret.), poses with a U-2 reconnaissance aircraft. A former test pilot and instructor, Tengesdal broke barriers as one of only 12 African American U-2 pilots in history and the only female African American U-2 pilot. Photo Courtesy of Merryl Tengesdal

SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - At 70,000 feet above Earth, the sky fades to black and the stars shine uninterrupted. For Col. Merryl Tengesdal, the first and only African American woman to fly the U-2 “Dragon Lady,” that silence became a place of peace and purpose.

“It’s just me up there,” Tengesdal said. “No light pollution. The only thing I hear is my own breathing and the hum of the engine. It’s where I confront myself, judge myself and love myself.”

A Bronx-born “Star Trek” fan who once dreamed of meeting aliens, Tengesdal charted a real-life journey that defied not only gravity but also history. Perhaps it’s all that time hovering in the stratosphere that has helped keep “T” looking so fresh and youthful. But her glow is more than physical; it radiates from someone who has boldly gone further than most. Now 54 and living in Roseville, Tengesdal is among a select few, just 11 women and 12 African Americans, who have piloted the Air Force’s high-altitude reconnaissance plane.

“I had no idea I would be making history,” said Tengesdal. “I just wanted to fly the aircraft and do the mission; that was the furthest thing from my mind. For me, it was all about being with a group, a brotherhood and sisterhood that flew a great mission and a bunch of professionals that were great at what they did.”

Her inspiration took root at age 7 in front of a television screen. Tengesdal watched “Star Trek” intensely determined to meet aliens, explore new worlds and boldly go where no one had before.

“To do that, I knew I was going to do well in math and science and I was going to go to college,” said Tengesdal. “I didn’t know what I was going to fly but I was going to fly.”

Tengesdal joined the Navy in 1994, flew helicopters, returned as an instructor and eventually transitioned to the Air Force. That’s when she stumbled across the U-2 program.

“The mission was very similar to what I did in the Navy, as well as going and flying in a pressure suit and flying above 70,000 feet,” explained Tengesdal. “It was everything that I wanted. It was the next step for me so I said, ‘Let’s go.’”

For many pilots, the experience of flying the U-2 is more than technical; it’s spiritual.

“I got to be above 70,000 for a long time. A lot of people will never see the Earth from that perspective,” Tengesdal said. “When you come back to Earth, there has to be a level of humility you should take things with. What you’ve seen is spectacular. I realized that everything in life is so small, so infinitesimal, compared to the universe. So let’s not take life so seriously. Let’s be kind to one another. Let’s try and have different perspectives to understand each other.”

Although she officially retired in 2017, Tengesdal admits she misses the solitude and clarity that the stratosphere offered.

“Oh yeah, I miss it,” said Tengesdal. “For me, that is a peaceful place, where I can think and it’s just me. I think a lot of people have a hard time being alone in their own thoughts, I love it. I love being able to confront myself for who I am and be able to evaluate myself, judge myself and love myself.”

When asked what it means to be a symbol for women, for Black women, for people of color, Tengesdal doesn’t flinch.

“It feels amazing. I’m glad I have the opportunity to do something positive,” Tengesdal said. “Contrary to what a lot of people think, and I used to think like this, representation does matter. With women and people of color, if they see someone in my position, wearing my rank, doing what I’ve done, it inspires them. In the past, we have had a lot of people who have accomplished amazing things with totally different pressures and they still succeeded anyway. We have some opportunities right now that other people may be trying to take away. We need to fight for that and just be unstoppable at what we do because we are amazing people.”

That same fire shapes how she views today’s culture and what it needs.

“Right now, the way things are, number one, I’m seeing a lot of mediocre things on social media and I’m tired of it, I’m exhausted,” Tengesdal said. “If we’re truly about excellence, let’s be excellent. And for the mediocre people out there, stop gaslighting us, ’cause we’re doing some good things. Let us cook. Go over there in the corner.”

Today, Tengesdal splits her time between mentoring youth, training others through martial arts and weightlifting, and sharing her story nationwide.

“When I retired, I became a personal trainer because I wanted to be able to train youth to become better versions of themselves,” Tengesdal said. “You can talk to a teenager when they’re most tired. And when they lift weights with me or do martial arts with me, they’re tired, so that’s when I can feed in some good nuggets for life lessons.”

Tengesdal’s decision to retire was heavily influenced by her two children and a desire to be more present.

“My son was four years old and I wanted to walk him to school. I wanted to be able to do things that my mom wished she could have done, but as a single parent she couldn’t,” said Tengesdal.

As Juneteenth approaches, Tengesdal’s story is especially resonant. Tengesdal’s career, and her presence, are a reminder of the progress that’s possible when paired with a positive mindset and supportive mentorship. Her memoir, “Shatter the Sky,” is now available on Amazon and she continues to speak around the country on leadership, diversity and personal excellence. Those interested can follow her on Instagram at @dragonlady788.