Fantastic article/account from pilot of SR-71 Blackbird!

[Boilers]

The Thrill of Flying the SR-71 Blackbird - Blackbird - Gizmodo

 

[Ashkelon]

My wife's Uncle was the Navigator on an SR71 in the 80s There is a big picture of him shaking hands with Reagan after they broke a speed record of some sort. Retired USAF Lt Col. Now works between Calif and DC peddling bombs and such. Fantastic guy with great stories about being on the bird. Was at area 51 for a while but keeps it tight lipped.

 

[shooter521]

Great read, thanks for posting! The bit about the ground speed check has been making the rounds on the internet for a LONG time. I wonder if this is really the source?

 

[Mokkie]

Thank's for a great read. Never under estimate the training and dedication of the service men and women of the United States.

 

[451_Detonics]

As an interesting sidenote....

Grissom has one of the extremely rare (less than 3 remaining) Lockheed D21 Air Launched Drones. This is basically half a SR71 made to be launched at speeds up to mach 3. Here are some specs and a couple bad photos...wasn't anywhere in the hanger to get a good pic.

If you take the museum tour and ask you can see it in person but currently is is not on display. Plus you will get to see some great warbirds outside...

 

[shooter521]

Grissom has one of the extremely rare (less than 3 remaining) Lockheed D21 Air Launched Drones.

"one of the less than 3 remaining"... wouldn't that mean there's two remaining?

Thanks for the pics; I had no idea Grissom had one of those. If they're so rare, you'd think they'd be at the Smithsonian, the US Air Force Museum, or Beale AFB (the SR-71's home base).

 

[Boilers]

That would be perfect to go next to the MOAB and SR-71 at the armament museum!

Air Force Armament Museum at Eglin Air Force Base Fort Walton Beach Destin Florida Airplanes Fighter Jets Bombs Missiles.

 

[ReSSurrected]

Good read.

There's another pilot's account floating around the net about an SR71 that disintegrated during a test flight. I'll see if I can find it.

 

[baldmax]

The SR-71 are great planes. Well ahead of their time.

 

[HandK]

Good read!! I like the quote I once read by a SR-71 pilot, "you are never as lost as you can be until you have been lost at 80.000 feet and Mach 3.5"

 

[Blue Tile Spook]

As an interesting sidenote....

Grissom has one of the extremely rare (less than 3 remaining) Lockheed D21 Air Launched Drones. This is basically half a SR71 made to be launched at speeds up to mach 3. Here are some specs and a couple bad photos...wasn't anywhere in the hanger to get a good pic.

If you take the museum tour and ask you can see it in person but currently is is not on display. Plus you will get to see some great warbirds outside...

My family and I were just as Grissom two weeks ago. This unit was not there, inside or out. They did have a couple o outbuildings that were closed up and locked, but the drone was nowhere to be seen.

Good info, though!

 

[Boilers]

More info: first flight video here

The Secret Film of the CIA Supersonic Spy Plane's First Flight

 

[SavageEagle]

Boilers, ReSSurrected, those were both AWESOME reads. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Colt556]

As I was reading this thread the History Channel started the Great Planes episode featuring the SR71! Pretty awesome. I've been to Grissom's Museum as well as Wright Pat and the Armament Museum in Florida. The Naval Air Museum in Pensacola is my favorite though. I want to plan a trip back down there one weekend when the Blue Angels are practicing. That would be great. Then maybe go over to Mobile to see the USS Alabama and the aircraft on display there.

 

[ChrisK]

"one of the less than 3 remaining"... wouldn't that mean there's two remaining?

Thanks for the pics; I had no idea Grissom had one of those. If they're so rare, you'd think they'd be at the Smithsonian, the US Air Force Museum, or Beale AFB (the SR-71's home base).

At Beale they have a SR-71 and the Drone on display side by side next to the flightline. My son was in the egress shop there and now is in QA.

 

[EvilBlackGun]

Da Nang Air Base, Summer, 1967

A Black-Bird, named in Code-ops as "Blue Feather", had to recover in emergency status on the west runway at Da Nang air-base. We knew that she was coming. So did the USMC. While she was on the runway they surrounded her. And us. The "-feather" had an incident happen over the North, not related to enemy action. Recovery had to be Da Nang. Kadena had the runways, but not the Top Secret CW Security-Clearanced personnel. YoKoosKa had plenty of Clearanced personnel, but too-short runways. Had to be us. It was at night. Only the west run-way had an arrestor-net. The USMC got out to the runway after we Security Servicemen were already in place. The "-feather" carried our intelligence, so we were the ones to protect that. We only had 1911-s. Ship came in south-to-north and didn't use the arrestor-net. An Air Force fuel-truck came and helped turn the ship to the south again, and refueled her. The truck-drivers were both full AF Colonels. While the pumps ran, the Brass went under the ship and removed some canisters. No-one got out of the ship. We were given camo tarps to cover the ship's wings, especially the leading edges. They were as sharp as knives. I felt them. We left after the ship was fueled. USMC stayed. She took of at first light. Our Squadron Commander, Maj. Ardisana, found out that I had a Minox, and confiscated it, so I have no pics. EBG

 

[MrSmitty]

I was at Kadena AB 1981-82, when one of our "Habu's" got shot at by a N.Korean missle...missed by quite a long way! You could identify the Habu drivers, they had bright orange flight suits. The locals used to line up at the end of the runways to take pictures of them as they took off. I once tried to time how long it took to take off, until out of sight, and I think less than 20 seconds!! The locals called the SR-71's "Habu" because there was a deadly snake on the island called that, and the SR-71 looked deadly.

 

[Hammerhead]

I stood nose to nose with a de-commissioned SR-71 at the US Space and Rocket Center (where they hold Space Camp; I was not there for Space Camp) in Huntsville, AL back in '94. One of my all time favorite planes and truly awe inspiring as I walked around it's exterior. This was also the same week I went and saw the ISS in it's hangars before launch.

The only time you'll see it now as close as I did is if you fork over $20mil to the Russians.

 

[littletommy]

If I'm not mistaken, the USAF museum does, or did have a D21. Also for anyone interested, there is a great book called Sled Driver, which has tons of pics and stories about the Blackbird.

 

[PeaShooter]

went to the Kansas Cosmosphere in Hutchnison Kansas a couple of years ago. They have an SR-71 hanging inside. As luck would have it, there was an ex-blackbird pilot giving a lecture while we were there. great stories. Can't remember his name. I will have to see if i can look it up.