Amazing aircraft!
Over 50 years old and if it was built today folks would be saying how amazing it is.
I had the privilege of being a Mission Programmer for the Sr-71 for 4 years in the late 80’s. I lived on a hill in base housing that overlooked the flight line and used to love to sit on the porch a night when they were doing engine burnoffs after returning from missions. You could here and see the raw power of that beautiful aircraft.
Watching one take off is an experience that never grows old and is never forgotten.
Surely one of the most superlative aircraft ever to fly.
Where did George Bush fit on that one when he flew to Iran to negotiate the release of the hostages?
/sarc
We were at Kadena AFB, Okinawa from 1969-1972. We lived close to the flight line and I loved watching those birds
take off. And the noise! But I loved hearing it and seeing it.They were knicknamed The Habu 1 and 2. Beautiful aircraft.
‘Blackbird pilot Brian Shul’s SR-71 was screaming across Southern California, 13 miles high and its crew were monitoring cockpit chatter as they entered Los Angeles airspace. Though they didn’t really control the SR-71, LA monitored its movement across their scope. The SR-71 crew heard a Cessna ask for a readout of groundspeed.
“90 knots” Center replied.
Moments later, a Twin Beech required the same. “120 knots,” Center answered.
An F-18 smugly transmitted, “Ah, Center, Dusty 52 requests groundspeed readout.”
Center (after a slight pause): “525 knots on the ground, Dusty”.
The SR-71 realised how ripe a situation this was for one-upmanship: “Center, Aspen 20, you got a groundspeed readout for us?”
Center (after a longer than normal pause): “Aspen, I show 1,742 knots”
No further groundspeed inquiries were heard on that frequency.
In similar vein (airport not stated), an SR-71 crew were listening in on a similar “match this” contest. A Cessna asked to clear to 4000 ft, a corporate jet requested clearance to 12,000, an airliner to 18,000, etc. Finally the SR-71 called ATC.
SR-71: “Request clearance to 80,000 ft”
Tower: “Just how in hell do you plan to get up there?”
SR-71: “Uh Tower, I’m descending to 80,000”.’
Kelly Johnson and the Skunk works guys were all geniuses. Now we have Suckerbergs and the like.
I like the tail number that has been blacked out and then repainted a number of times to confuse the Russians. They used to do the same thing with their ships, often stopping mid-ocean and repainting different hull numbers to confuse us.
SR-71 Blackbird has always been my favorite.. had chills when I touched the one displayed at Lackland AFB..
Yeah, though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I shall fear no Evil.
For I am doing Mach 3 at 80,000 feet and climbing...
I saw an SR-71 at an airshow (pre-sequester!) in SoCal many years ago. It made a “slow” and low pass over the runway, then as it reached the end, it nosed up, lit the afterburner and was just....GONE!
There was an eerie look to the plane, otherworldly maybe. That was in flight. The one I saw in a static display lost that magic. There was just something about the look of it when flying.
Great pic of a GREAT plane!!!
