[MNJohnnie]

Got this forwarded to me in an email. Don't know who wrote it but it is a great story.

[6SJ7]

As my eyes adjusted to the view, I realized that the brilliance was the broad expanse of the Milky Way, now a gleaming stripe across the sky. Where dark spaces in the sky had usually existed, there were now dense clusters of sparkling stars.

Nice!

[Thermalseeker]

At 107 feet long, it appeared big, but far from ungainly.

I saw and SR-71 for the first time close up last summer at the Air Force Museum in Dayton, OH. My first impression was that it was considerably smaller than I thought it would be.....

[NTW64]

Flying low at 2,125 mph? Whats maximum speed at altitude?

[BufordP]

Wow!

[ken5050]

FYI..The plane was originally designated the RS-71. When LBJ mistakenly leaked the news of its existence, he misspoke and called it the SR-71. Immediately, that’s how it became referred to.

[RedRightReturn]

AWESOME read!!! ~Thanks!

[gridlock]

I love that bit about calling ATC for a ground speed check. Can you imagine hearing that come over the headphones?

[Hatteras]

Need to get som Saran Wrap to protect my monitor...

[A Texan]

What an absolute great read. I loved that jet as a kid. I had two model plane versions of it as a kid (hanging on fishing line from the ceiling) and one large poster of it on the wall. The jet is engineering genius.

Thanks for the post and bringing back some childhood memories.

[sport]

Mark.

[rottndog]

Some Eye Candy to go along with the story...

[AFreeBird]

There seems to be a confirmed trust now, between me and the jet; she will not hesitate to deliver whatever speed we need, and I can count on no problems with the inlets. Walt and I are ultimately depending on the jet now - more so than normal - and she seems to know it. The cooler outside temperatures have awakened the spirit born into her years ago, when men dedicated to excellence took the time and care to build her well. With spikes and doors as tight as they can get, we are racing against the time it could take a missile to reach our altitude.

He writes about her as though they were married. The marriage of man and machine.

And what a machine. Kelly Johnson was a frick'n genius and artist.

[AFreeBird]

Was written by a former Sled Driver. It is part of a book, appropriately titled: "Sled Driver".

[JZelle]

Love that plane! So we now rely only on satellites that can be shot down?

[Mr. Jeeves]

In his most innocent voice, Walter startled the controller by asking for a ground speed check from 81,000 feet, clearly above controlled airspace. In a cool, professional voice, the controller replied, "Aspen 20, I show you at 1,982 knots on the ground." We did not hear another transmission on that frequency all the way to the coast.

LOL! I guess not. ;)

I'm looking forward to seeing an account like this from an Aurora pilot who flew at Mach 6 over Iran...some day.

[Joiseydude]

Makes me PROUD to be an American!

[AFreeBird]

The authors BIO:

Brian Shul was born in Quantico, Virginia, in 1948.  He graduated from East Carolina University in 1970 with a degree in History.  That same year he joined the Air Force and attended pilot training at Reese AFB in Texas.

Brian served as a Foreign Air Advisor in the Viet Nam conflict, flying 212 close air support missions in conjunction with Air America.  Near the end of all hostilities, his AT-28 aircraft was shot down near the Cambodian border.  Unable to eject from the aircraft, Brian was forced to crash land into the jungle.  Miraculously surviving, he was severely burned in the ensuing fireball.  Crawling from the burning wreckage, he was finally found and rescued by a Special Forces team.

He was evacuated to a military hospital in Okinawa where he was expected to die.  Barely surviving 2 months of intensive care, in 1974 he was flown to the Institute of Surgical Research at Ft Sam Houston, Texas. During the following year, he underwent 15 major operations.  During this time he was told he’d never fly again and just lucky to be alive.  Months of physical therapy followed, enabling Brian to eventually pass a flight physical and return to active flying duty.

Two days after being released from the hospital, Brian was back flying Air Force fighter jet aircraft.  He went on to fly the A-7D, and was then selected to be a part of the first operational A-10 squadron at Myrtle Beach, SC, where he was on the first A-10 air show demonstration team.  After a tour as an A-10 Instructor Pilot in Arizona, he went on to instruct at the Air Force’s Fighter Lead-In School as the Chief of Air-to-Ground Academics.  As a final assignment in his career, Brian volunteered for and was selected to fly the super secret spy plane, the SR-71.  This assignment required an astronaut type physical just to qualify, and Brian passed with no waivers.

Brian’s phenomenal comeback story from laying near dead in the jungle of Southeast Asia, to later flying the world’s fastest, highest flying jet, has been the subject of numerous magazine articles and an inspiration to many.

After 20 years and 5000 hours in fighter jets, Brian retired from the Air Force in 1990.  He went on to pursue his writing and photographic interests.  In addition to running his own photo studio in northern California, he has authored five books on flying, for which he did all the writing and photography. 

His first two books are about flying the SR-71 Blackbird.  Written in a very non-technical style, these books give the reader a first hand account of being in the cockpit of the world’s fastest jet throughout a variety of interesting missions.  The books are filled with stunning photos from the author’s personal collection and have become the most popular SR-71 books ever done.  Brian’s third and fourth books are about America’s air demonstration teams, the Air Force Thunderbirds, and the Navy Blue Angels.  Again filled with unique aerial images, these books take the reader into the dynamic formations of these world famous teams.  Brian is now the only man in America to have flown with both the Thunderbirds and the Blue Angels extensively as a guest in the making of his colorful books.  His fifth book is a special remake of his original SR-71 book, entitled Sled Driver, issued in a very richly crafted Limited Edition of only 3500 copies to commemorate the Centennial of Flight in 2003.

Brian’s story is unique, and he has been asked to speak at numerous functions nationwide on his varied experiences.  His entertaining slide show and dynamic message make for an unforgettable presentation.  He has been the featured speaker for medical groups, aviation safety seminars, and air museum programs, and frequently has been a motivational keynote speaker for a variety of corporations across America.  Most recently his patriotic talks concerning terrorist attacks against America have received national acclaim. 

Brian was recently honored as an Outstanding Alumni from East Carolina University.  He owns Gallery One, a photo studio in northern California, and divides his time between writing, photography,  public speaking, and backpacking in the high Sierras.

Definitely the "Right Stuff"

[Centurion2000]

The plane was flying a mile every 1.6 seconds, well above our Mach 3.2 limit

Nice story but this speed is 2250mph or mach 2.96

[Vision]

Fantastic story.

a bright light outside my window. As my eyes adjusted to the view, I realized that the brilliance was the broad expanse of the Milky Way, now a gleaming stripe across the sky. Where dark spaces in the sky had usually existed, there were now dense clusters of sparkling stars. Shooting stars flashed across the canvas every few seconds. It was like a fireworks display with no sound. I knew I had to get my eyes back on the instruments, and reluctantly I brought my attention back inside. To my surprise, with the cockpit lighting still off, I could see every gauge, lit by starlight. In the plane's mirrors, I could see the eerie shine of my gold spacesuit incandescently illuminated in a celestial glow. I stole one last glance out the window. Despite our speed, we seemed still before the heavens, humbled in the radiance of a much greater power. For those few moments, I felt a part of something far more significant than anything we were doing in the plane.

[bmwcyle]

A blast from the past ping