Morris Co. Student Flies High, Shatters Aviation Guinness World Record

MORRISTOWN, NJ — A senior at Delbarton School has set the world record for the longest duration flight of an electrically powered UAV rotorcraft (5 to 20 kgs), or drone.

Michael Xu, Class of 2026, set the record on Sept. 13 after his homemade drone took flight for 2 hours, 22 minutes, and 13 seconds. Watch a time-lapse of the record-breaking flight here.

Michael had been working on the rotorcraft for more than six months, with help from his mentor, Delbarton Science Department Chair Brian Theroux, along with Roman Lesko, Class of 2009, and Peter Janovcik, who built a “crucial part” of the device for no charge.

“I realized that I could break it with everything I'd learned,” Michael said. “I thought it would be really cool to set a record after years of loving aviation.”

This is just the latest of many accomplishments from the aspiring engineer. As a sophomore, he won the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Young Engineer Award for his work in designing and building a UAV capable of “autonomous perpetual solar-powered flight.”

Additionally, the young man has won the Naval Science Award, the Bausch & Lomb Honorary Science Award, and was recognized by the American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics for his research paper “Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Perpetual Solar Flight to Cheaply Position Radio Antennas.”

"Michael’s achievement is a remarkable example of the curiosity, discipline, and creativity that we seek to cultivate in our young men at Delbarton,” says Delbarton Headmaster Fr. Michael Tidd. “His world-record accomplishment demonstrates not only technical skill but also the persistence and vision to apply knowledge in new ways."

Michael plans to study Aerospace Engineering in college, with one of his passion projects being a solar-powered drone that is capable of planting trees.

“I'm hoping to turn this into a tree-planting drone by designing a seed-dispensing system to put on the bottom of the aircraft,” says Michael. “Many forests are lost each year to forest fires each year and it's currently highly expensive to replant them. I'm hoping my ultra long-range drone can plant thousands of trees an hour.”

"We are deeply proud of Michael, and grateful that he represents the spirit of innovation and excellence that defines our community,” says Tidd.