Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire "I pulled the throttles to idle just south of Sicily, but we still overran the refueling tanker awaiting us over Gibraltar."

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 I used to get it when it was out of date and shoot it in my own camera.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 � "