how freaking cool is that?

a memoir of flying the SR-71:

http://maggiesfarm.anotherdotcom.com/archives/7821-Major-Brian-Shul-I-loved-that-jet.html

Neat piece, Steve NO.

I played golf at the University of Maryland several years ago with two aging ex-AF pilots who argued about everything (they were were good friends). It seems that one had flown the SR-71 and the other was a former U-2 pilot. Arguments went back and forth until the U-2 guy observed, "Well, at least the U-2 is still in service; let's go to a museum and see your SR".

Great Story

Pretty cool. Unbelievably advanced plane for it's time.

AWESOME!!!! I LOVE it!!!
For two years I worked for the company that made the aerial photographic cameras the went into the SR-71.

Thanks for the link Steve, that was a great read.

Here's the part I like; as I'm tooling along in my Cesena 120, at 65 Kts...

"One day, high above Arizona, we were monitoring the radio traffic of all the mortal airplanes below us. First, a Cessna pilot asked the air traffic controllers to check his ground speed. 'Ninety knots,' ATC replied. A twin Bonanza soon made the same request. 'One-twenty on the ground,' was the reply. To our surprise, a navy F-18 came over the radio with a ground speed check. I knew exactly what he was doing. Of course, he had a ground speed indicator in his cockpit, but he wanted to let all the bug-smashers in the valley know what real speed was 'Dusty 52, we show you at 525 on the ground,' ATC responded. The situation was too ripe. I heard the click of Walter's mike button in the rear seat. 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 1,742 knots on the ground.' We did not hear another transmission on that frequency all the way to the coast."

Absolutely phenominal aircraft! Thanks for posting the link Steve.

I remember when a SR flew from New York to London in an hour and fifty six minutes. She had to slow down to be refueled...................

I used to work with a retired Navy pilot who told me of a fellow pilot whose tail hook fell off into the ocean as he was making a carrier landing in the Atlantic. That pilot aborted the landing, of course, and buzzed-off to the west �

� and was back that same afternoon, with a new tail hook. He'd gone to the factory in St Louis and had a new tail hook fitted. It was unpainted, but the white hats aboard the carrier took care of that "problem."

We've had fast jets for a long time � some of 'em a lot closer to the water than the super-incredible U-2 and SR-71.

It was my job to read the photos.

thanx for story the sr71 and the p51 mustangs are my two all time favorite plans

There's Rhino fast and then there is Habu fast.

Great article.

And now I'll wonder what 'habu fast' really is.

It's incredible that 45 year old SR-71 aircraft technology is still state of the art today--and in some respects has yet to be surpassed.


Casey

Thanks to Kelly Johnson (designer of the old twin-boom P-38, IIRC), his crew at the "Skunk Works," and their "out of the box" brain-storming � an outstanding lead designer, a staff of creatively and innovatively imaginative designers, and super-intelligent ways of thinking (creating impossible problems and then solving 'em).

I was one of those that would congregate. As an airborne ASW operator in the Navy flying in land based P-3's, we ended up spending a lot of time at AF bases. Spent a couple weeks at Beale for some ground school training. Of course, take-offs and landings were never advertised, but if we were hanging around when the Blackbird hanger doors were opened, we would sneak over by an adjacent hanger and watch until it rolled out and took off.

I got to see 4-5 take offs and a couple landings.


Casey

Great story.

When I just got into elk camp in Idaho about 30 years ago I was getting my stuff organized at base camp to ride out to the spike camp the next morning. Everything was peaceful and quiet when all of a sudden two of the loudest explosions I had ever heard seemed to go off immediately on the other side of the tent canvas. I pealed out of there as startled as I had ever been and about as mad, expecting to confront some joker with a 338 BAR who touched a couple off right outside the tent. No one was around. I was completely befuddled and finally found the gorgeous wife of the head guide getting supper ready in the cook shack. I expected her to be as frantic as I was, but she appeared not even aware of the incredible booms that sounded like a couple of mountains fell down in the camps yard. Finally, after playing me for a while, she told me it was a SR71 Blackbird based just a few miles away. I heard the same double sonic booms several more times during the hunt and while they always were a bit startling in that peaceful nirvana, at least I knew what they were.

There's a SR71 at the Air Museum between Omaha and Lincoln just off Interstate 80. It's suspended on a huge pole just inside the door. I have a hard time pulling myself away from staring at it when I'm there, much as it were the most beautiful woman you can imagine displayed in all her glory. Actually, I think that plane has the stronger attraction.

Mach 3.5 is moving pretty good...2695 MPH.

Those other fast jets couldn't super cruise and the SR 71 (should have been the RS 71 but a typo changed it forever) could do so with great ease. It will be a long time before we ever admit to having anything that fast again.

One of the things that has amazed me with the SR71 is that about a dozen guys sitting in something called "The Skunk Works", using pencil and paper with slide rules dreamed up something like the SR71.

I've seen the SR71 up close and personal and flying an incredible aircraft.

I'm hot so sure the SR was a misprint simply for security reasons as I can remember another photo recon plane that had a fighter designation and it was flown off navy carriers in the sixties and seventies, They were origionally stationed at NAS Sanford, FL and the only rework facility for them was at NAS Jax, FL it was called the VooDoo.

There is also one at the Air museum in Tucson. You used to be able to climb into it.

I met a guy once at McChord who flew the YF 12. The Air Interceptor version. The main problem with it as a fighter was lack of maneuverability and lack of weapons that were capable of utilizing the speed and altitude. I believe he said it shrunk by a couple of feet at altitude.

The F-101 was originally designed to be a fighter though and wasn't just limited to Recce service.

thanks for the read. simply incredible.

Indeed there's "Habu fast!" Faster than the velocity of a .30/06 boolit!

In the summer of 1980 I once flew space-A to Japan when I was still a dependent. We entered Japan through AFB Kadena, where we also cleared customs. During that briefing I looked up in time to see a Blackbird launch (with that incredible rooooaar!) All I saw looked like a black arrow streaking by ..... and that fast ..... was gone!

The Blackbird is still my favorite and I get to see most of them up close. Doing some mods to the NASA two seat version back in the mid 90�s and got to poke around on one�. Very very thin skin and -- you have that plane to thank for a lot of the synthetic oils we use today in our cars for example! That plane even used the fuel system as part of the ECS for the cockpit. If memory serves me correctly the paint that that was used on the nose was still burning off until some time in the 80�s when they used a new paint that would not..

To this day it was the saddest I can remember except for the A-12 cancellation when they formally shut down the �Program� in 2000. Still wish we had those planes and we may regret it someday but they were absolutely brutal in their per hour cost!!

Could your Navy jet have been the RF8G? That bird flew recce for the Navy almost until TARPS was developed and used on the Tomcat.

The A.F. McDonnel-Douglas F101 along with the A.F. Convair F106 were used as intercepters by ADCOM. There was a recce version of the F101, but never used on a carrier-deck.

We had an SR-71 here at the Minesota Air Guard museum. Somebody here had connections and got one for the base. They then reconstructed the aircraft complete with instrumentation for a static display. It was so good, that the azzholes in Langley demanded it back for their CIA museum. Lotta unhappy folks around here that rescued it from the scrap heap and brought it back to it's full glory, only to have it snatched.

Great aircraft, some of the continued testing of systems etc. of the SR-71, had taken place involving the great folks at, AEDC Arnold Engineering & Developement Center, Arnold AFB, Tullahoma,TN.

This is slightly off the SR71 (which I see regularly at Pima Air Museum) topic but spot on about BIG FAST aircraft. Several years ago (over ten because it was before my wife died) my wife and I were driving from Green Valley to Big Bend one July morning on I10. I BELIEVE we were in New Mexico and driving along a really flat piece of real estate on a slightly elevated roadway when I heard this tremendous noise and my car actually rocked. Scared hell out of me. Two seconds later it happened again and when I looked up I saw a B52 going flat out at what was not over 100' altitude. The second bounce was a B-1 chasing the 52. I have never seen such large aircraft flat out so close to the ground. Have no idea whether they were training or playing all I KNOW is they were fast and low. It was the highlight of my trip I can assure you.

Maybe he was thinking of the RA-5, which also started with a "V"igilante and ended up being used more for recce than it's original purpose.

There was no moss growing on those Vigilantes either, my friends.

The only thing faster than that plane was the way a fifth disappears at Tail Hook!

Zimhunter:

About 35 years ago I was canoing on a lake formed by an impoundment of the Pigeon River in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. We heard a roar and looked up just in time to see a B-52 doing nap of the earth practice fly over us. I don't know how high up he was, but it wasn't very high, because the engine wake left ripples on the lake and the wings seemed to go from horizon to horizon. It was simply one of the most memorable moments of my life.

Some of you are wondering about the retiring of the SR71 and maybe needing it for recon work in the future. I have a history book that was authorized by the Air Force and the Department of Defense on the SR71. There is a chapter dedicated to the SR71's replacement called the Aurora. I've heard no more about the Aurora so maybe it doesn't exist and maybe it does. Probably the reason one can't find out anything is the Department of Defense wish they hadn't put a chapter in a general publication book about the newest, fastest spy plane replacement.

cooooooooooooooooool.

I opemed my mouth and got it wrong it was the Vigilante not F-101 VooDoo.

I'm pretty sure the Aurora got canned some years ago. I seem to recall that a few of the SR's was taken out of mothballs some years ago for a short period of time. Hard to say if that may occur again. I think we are relying on non air breathers and UAV's to fill the SR's role now, though I am not personally comfortable with that decision. I hope the rumors of the Aurora's death were false, though it's been a heck of a long time to keep a black program like that veiled. Even the SR and F-117 could only keep the lid on a few years and there were rumors floating around the intel crowd of the F-117's existence (not by name of course) long before it was unveiled.

That's alright, that's what I figured you meant.

The SR71 and the B1 rattled the hell out of my windows when I was stationed at Offutt AFB, Nebraska. When I came back to Ms, I couldn't sleep because it was too quiet.

Interesting reading the article as I know we ran TR-1 recce missions over Libya that morning as well. That was our first clue that something was up. I was TDY for a month to Alconbury RAF at the 497th RTG doing an Intel course and we were awakened very early that morning by several TR-1's taking off which they had not done the entire time we were there.

When we finally went in the TR-1's were landing and they were running the film into the building. Of course by then everything was a buzz and we observed from across the room as they started doing the BDA. Don't think we got much accomplished that day.

By the afternoon they had shut down the base because the Brits were climbing the fences and spray painting static aircraft with red paint and attempting to get at the Aggressors (F-5's). The Tr-1's were all safely tucked away.

I assume the author had taken off from Mildenhall RAF that morning, which was where SR's staged for that part of the world. It was a wild time to be in Britain.

When did they move the TR-1's over to Alconbury?

We supported both U-2's and SR's out of RAF Mildenhall. I don't recall ever having both on base at the same time. We also had RC-135's, a recon story all on their own.

TR-1's were always at Alconbury under the 497RTG. At least as far back as I can recall. U-2's and SR-71's were at RAF Midenhall under SAC control (If I recall correctly). TR-1's on the other hand were under USAFE control.

That's all Alconbury had (TR-1's and Aggressors) after the Tac Recce squadron (RF-4C's) was shut down there in 1987.

Yeah, I worked with some RC-135 stuff when I was at FTD. I think they were out of Okinawa.

Yup.

Alconbury had RF-4C's in the mid 70's when I flew into there on AOB's. IIRC Alconburys runway was narrower than the runway we had at Mildenhall, our outboard engines were over grass when we taxied around Alconbury.

The blank film that was used in the RC's was a prized catch back then. Extra fine grain Kodak TRI-X?

No biggie. You're cool. I had forgotten about the A5 / RF5 too. I suppose a "lot of politics" helped get that problem-aircraft pushed on the Navy. Wasn't that program short-lived?

We carried some Kodak Tri-X Pan for our backup periscope camera but never used that. I used to get it when it was out of date and shoot it in my own camera. Having free film and processing equipment around was kind of nice.

About all I can remember about the A-5 or RF-5 was that they were advertised as an Attack Aircraft, but that their real mission was aerial photo reconnaissance and they filled that roll for the Navy rather than as an Attack aircraft and that they home based at NAS Sanford,FL until the navy phased out NAS Sanford under the Base Closure Program in the late 50's early 60's and at that time the Vigilante's were move to the West Coast. The only rework facility for that particular aircraft was located at NAS Jacksonville. If memory serves me right the Navy only had at the most only one or two squadons of these aircraft and that they were only in service for a short time as I think the F-4 Phantom took over their roll for the navy.

Being a black shoe sailor with ties to weapons that were slung under aircraft I was more in a support roll to aviation I was not an airdale. Thank god we never had to launch one of those weapons in anger after WWII, because if we had our mission would have been a total failure.

For some reason that I can neither understand nor explain, it was a real thrill several years ago when casual conversation with a friend brought to light the fact that he'd been a pilot of a jet fighter that I'd been peripherally involved in the development of, many years earlier.

(My apologies for that awkward sentence! Can't always make 'em shimmer and glisten, y'know!)

Steve No,

Thanks for posting the link to this story. This reminded me that I have met Major Brian Schul when I was stationed at Beale AFB. In fact, his wife worked at the National Bank of Fort Sam Houston branch located on Beale AFB where my wife was the manager. That is how I met Brian.

I retired in 1988 and moved to Yreka, Ca which is about 30 miles south of the Oregon border on Interstate 5. About 5 years ago, a flat bed truck came thru and spent the night here in town. That truck had Maj Schul's SR71 #960 on board, wings were removed and boxed up under it. I stopped and spoke to the driver who said he was taking it to the Air Museum at McMinnville, Oregon where I understand it is now on display along with Howard Hughe's "Spruce Goose" and a few other note worthy aircraft.

For anyone who has ever seen the Blackbird fly, it is an amazing experience, one that I will never forget.

David E. Liddick, MSGT, USAF (Retired) (A.K.A. Daveyreka)

I was on the USS Forrestal in 1972 and 1973. While we were in the Med RA-5C's would regularly land and take off from the deck. If I remember correctly they were based in Barcelona. I may be wrong about that, it was a long time ago. I have pics around here somewhere.
The Vigilante was one neat looking warbird.

Awesome read............Thanks for posting!

Truly an amazing aircraft!

At the reunion of Forward Air Controllers in 2006, one of our guest speakers was a fellow FAC who had gone from the Cessna O-1 (top speed 90 knots) to the SR-71. Some clueless personnel weenie had no doubt assumed that recce is recce, and pilots are pilots - groan.

Anyway, he believes he has the world's record for speed differential in back-to-back flights. Ninety in his final O-1 mission in Nam and 3,000 on his first SR training mission some weeks later. I think he actually applied for the record!

He filled us in on quite a few little-know facets of the SR-71. One of his more memorable lines went something like "The airplane is quoted as having a ceiling of 85 thousand feet and a top speed of 3,000 mph." He paused, grinned widely, and then said, "Nope."

Perfect pilot prose.

While at the convention (at the AF Museum in Dayton) they were flying the replica of the Wright Flyer in our honor, and we immediately knew what we had to do. We wangled a co-pilot ride for him, and he got some stick time. He now has the official record of being the only man living to fly both the Wright Flyer and the SR-71.

RockyRaab, THAT is very neat!

"He now has the official record of being the only man living to fly both the Wright Flyer and the SR-71."

To paraphrase Jackie Gleason, how neat it is!

Very cool, Rocky. The AF museum is a must see for anyone interested in aircraft. The XB-70 alone is worth the trip. Probably a close 2nd to the SR-71 as the coolest aircraft we ever put in the sky.
They have a YF-12 as well.

When I worked for the Army � and lived on the post � we used to get heads-ups before the B-1 (then being developed and still very hush-hush) was scheduled to fly ground-hugging through the housing area. Few spectator thrills match standing on your own front stoop while the wake turbulence of a low, streaking B-1 nearly knocks you down.

Here's some more SR-71 lore:

SR-71:: "Center, Blackbird (don't know the exact callsign)XXX requesting Flight level Six-Five-Zero."

Center: "Blackbird if you can get to six-five-zero, you can have it!"

SR-71: "Roger Center, LEAVING flight level eight-zero-zero for flight level Six-Fice-Zero."

I don't believe Center had an appropriate response

jorge

Kind of hard to top that reaction!

I recall an article written about one of the trans Atlantic runs for a successful speed record linked with the Paris air show. From recall they had the throttles wide open as they passed Paris, and were over European Turkey before they got turned around. High and fast, but not much on the short turns.

That was the speed run I was refering to;

New York to London Speed Run

The SR-71 was always a crowd pleaser at RAF Mildenhall. You didn't just pull one out of the hangar and send it on it's way. Preflight was pretty intensive along with engine start. Once fired up the SR would sit on the end of the runway for a period of time before take-off. Word of the launch would get out, the traffic on the road that ran alongside the base would stop (both lanes) so the blokes could watch the launch

If my plane was parked on a hardstand close to the runway I'd go out on a wingtip for a ring side seat.

Passengers on the maiden flight of the world's first fully automated airliner found no crew aboard. Instead, a recorded voice greeted them:

"Welcome aboard the maiden flight of the world's first fully automated jet airliner! There is no pilot. There is no crew. Computers control everything aboard this marvelous new aircraft. Take-off is automated. Navigation is automated. You will be served refreshments by an automated system. Landing will be automated.

"Fasten your seat belts. Sit back and relax. Nothing can go wrong � kkk � go wrong � kkk � go wrong � kkk � go wrong � kkk � go wrong � kkk � go wrong � "

During the first Gulf War, I recall Gen, Horner breifing the press with Sat. Photos. He explained that the satillites passed over at such and such intervals, and they could alter the orbit to get a different path if need and how cloud cover effected things. A reporter asked:

"General, would you like to have the SR-71 in service right now?"

Horner smiled as he paused for effect.

"That sounds like a politcal question, not a military question."

Kinda summed up the state of affairs for me on why they were mothballed.

In truth, though, it was horrendously expensive to fly and maintain. There was nothing standard or off the shelf in it, including the hydraulic fluid and wiring.

It probably cost many millions for every flight, if you include maintenance costs.

Tweaking satellite orbits is something you don't do a whim, either. There's only so much propellant aboard, and making one significant orbital change could well reduce the satellite's expected on-orbit life by years. Gambling that against the chances of clouds is way above my pay grade, brother!

If memory serves me right, the SRs were brought out of semi retirement for the Gulf War. Today with all the unmanned UAVs and improved imagery, Photo-recon is no longer the best option. Oh well, there went another way to earn Air Medals! =:0 jorge

Yes, they were for a few years after DS. There is nothing during peacetime that we can't replicate with non air breathers and UAV's. My concern has always been if the shyt hits the fan with Russia or China, we won't have any non air breathers providing imagery or for use with GPS guided munitions either, then what?

That's not to say we should have kept the poor old Blackbird limping along and costing 6+ figures a mission but I think we should have gone through with a successor.

As to General Horner's comments, well, let's just say those particular issues were changing right about the time he made them.

I have to assume that you mean a replica of the "B" flyer:


and not a replica of the original Flyer:



Regards,
Scott

At the time of the quote, U2's were operating, but not the Blackbird. The Blackbird did appear in skies after that particular quote. you could tell by the look on Horner's face that he wanted them operational.

As I recall, the military had to ask NASA to re-qualify SR-71 pilots since they had (at the begining of the first Gulf War) the only operational SR's and flight crews (they flew 3 SR's for research purposes).

When I was in training in 02 - I hung out with an AF e-6. At that time we were talking about weird military experiences - he claimed to have seen an Aurora flight path on radar. It freaked him out - he asked a question and was told not to. Guy next to him whispered it's name. I totally forgot about it until this thread mentioned it.

True or not I do not know - probably not as I can't see a linguist being in a position to be around that project.

Yes, the "B" Flyer, thank you, Scott. Great photo, too!

Living here in Utah, we occasionally see a very weird contrail in the sky, very very high and very very fast. One such contrail had the appearance of widely-spaced beads on a string. Clearly a plane and not a satellite track. Tonopah and the infamous Area 51 are only a few hundred miles away.

I ain't even gonna speculate.

Gives me hope.