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For 40 years it has been the fastest plane ever built, and now the crew who flew the record-breaking, speed-shattering mission have been reunited with the aircraft they once commanded, and climbed back into the cockpit. It was 1976 when U.S. Air Force pilot Maj. Gen. Eldon 'Al' Joersz and Lt. Col. George 'GT' Morgan flew a jet faster than a speeding bullet. They flew faster than anyone had done before, or since. On July 28, 1976, the two men flew a SR-71 Blackbird spy plane for more than a thousand kilometers at 2,193 miles per hour, covering one mile...

Those of us in flight test at California’s Edwards Air Force Base in 1959 accused the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter production engineers of turning the designer’s drawings upside down. The wings of most aircraft employed dihedral—they were set at a slightly upward angle—but the F-104’s wings angled in the opposite direction; the horizontal stabilizer and elevator sat atop the vertical stabilizer instead of below it; and the ejection seat fired down instead of up.We could recover from the spin that resulted from the aircraft pitching up uncontrollably when it stalled,which was due to the T-tail configuration, but most pilots who used...

From the desert skies above Edwards Air Force Base to orbit around the moon, the five test pilots recognized by the city in the latest additions to the Aerospace Walk of Honor have made their marks in aviation history. Original Mercury 7 astronaut Leroy Gordon "Gordo" Cooper Jr.; Apollo 11 command module pilot Michael Collins; and the first female space shuttle commander, retired Air Force Col. Eileen M. Collins, will add their names to the 90 already honored with plaques along Lancaster Boulevard. The three astronauts will be joined by test pilots Irving L. "Irv" Burrows, who piloted the first...

LANCASTER, [California] - Under the skies in which they each contributed to aviation history, five skilled test pilots were recognized for their achievements Saturday with their inclusion in Lancaster's Aerospace Walk of Honor. As their bronze plaques were unveiled, retired Air Force Lt. Col. John E. Allavie, retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Doug Pearson, Edward T. Schneider, Wally Lien and Richard Thomas joined the 75 others so honored. This year's class have illustrious careers that span the history of modern aviation, from the earliest jet fighter to the Air Force's latest weapon system. Established in 1990, the Aerospace Walk of...

CAMP TAJI, Iraq, Aug. 22, 2005 — Day in and day out, aviation brigade aircraft are taken apart for routine “phase” maintenance or to handle problems that come up in daily operation. After looking at an aircraft that’s been taken apart into what looks like a million pieces on a hangar floor, and then put back together, it can take a special breed of pilot willing to be the first one to take it out for a spin. “There's no boredom with this job. It's taxing, mentally and physically, but there's something new every day.” U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer...

LANCASTER - Lancaster's 15th annual Aerospace Walk of Honor festivities - set for the third anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks - will combine honors for those who served in the skies above the Antelope Valley with remembrance of that tragic day and its significance. "Three years ago, on Sept. 11, the United States was attacked by terrorists in a way we never imagined," Mayor Frank Roberts said. "In the weeks, months and now years since the attacks, Americans have been reminded of the liberty that we enjoy and the price it costs to preserve that liberty." With the...

They are among the most recognizable aircraft in the world: U-2, SR-71 Blackbird, B-2 stealth bomber and F-117 stealth fighter. But in the beginning, few outside the cloistered world of their development knew of their existence. There were rumors of strange black shapes in the skies over Area 51 in Nevada's desert. But not even the families of those who designed, built and flew these top-secret machines knew what was really taking shape. Now, many of the tales of those "black world" airplanes can be told. Six pilots from those programs shared their stories recently at the Society of Experimental...

LOS ANGELES - One was a rocket plane that flew at the edge of space and with blistering speed. The other was a series of odd-shaped aircraft designed to fly and land without wings. Both research programs are direct ancestors of today's space shuttle, making space travel in reusable, winged vehicles possible, and contributed much to aeronautical knowledge in general. A joint Air Force and NASA research program, the X-15 is considered one of the most successful ever, completing 199 flights from 1959 to 1968 using the skies and dry lake beds of Edwards Air Force Base. A. Scott Crossfield...

Lord, Keep our Troops forever in your care Give them victory over the enemy... Grant them a safe and swift return... Bless those who mourn the lost. . FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer for all those serving their country at this time. God Bless America...................................................................................... ........................................... U.S. Military History, Current Events and Veterans Issues Where Duty, Honor and Countryare acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated. Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. Welcome to "Warrior Wednesday" Where the Freeper Foxhole introduces...