First time I saw an SR-71 in person I was stationed at an Air Force base in Thailand during the Viet Nam war. One landed because of a mechanical problem and it was parked way away from everyone and surrounded by dozens of security personnel while it was repaired. It departed early in the morning before dawn and was amazing with the afterburners lit on those huge engines, a rapid climb and it was gone in seconds. You don't forget that.
@@Tigershark_3082 Ever read the book, Thud Ridge? It was written by a Thud pilot during the VietNam war and is very interesting and insightful and not boring.
@@davidangelamelcher9591 I haven't yet, but I fully intend to when I have the money to get it. Also, while in Vietnam, did you ever get to see any F-5C Skoshi Tigers?
Yes, I learned of the existence of the SR71 in 1972. It’s been around for a really long time. Tells me that Lockheed makes truly great airplanes. I’ve had the pleasure of flying a couple of Lockheed aircraft over the last 35 years but sadly not the SR71.
Thanks for posting this brilliant bit of film. I was there too, about a couple of hundred yards to your left, and have a whole collection of b/w photos of the display. An absolutely awesome aircraft, saw it at all the UK displays and watching this still makes the hairs prickle on my neck. The commentator was Roger Hoefling, a regular for years at Old Warden who really knew his stuff. Thanks for bringing back great memories..not least of which involve Burgers and Bud.
I’ll say it again, it (and Concorde in civil) has to be the 2 most beautifully designed aircraft ….ever! Even today, it just a stunning piece of craftsmanship and the perfect example of ‘solving the impossible’.
I agree about the Concorde. Very similar difficulties in just making it safe . The Concorde was close to 60 thousand feet at the end of its cruise & passengers were eating Canapés & drinking Champagne . At that height the military plane that can get up there , pilots are wearing Crash Helmets & Oxygen masks . T
When I was in the Marines, we use to watch the Blackbirds come over our base to land at Kadena AFB in Okinawa all the time. If you got caught taking pictures the MP's would take you camera. But it was beautiful watching them coming in or taking off at morning or dusk with the Afterburners in a dark sky.
You are one of the luckiest people on the planet to witness one of aviation's greatest feats of engineering to date. The king is dead. Long live the king.
It was my second day in the UK and my bro took me to Air Fete 87. I was there and never forgot how impressed I was that day. Boy, the Sr was so loud! Thanks for this great video..
Thanks for posting this video..I was there that year, such a great plane and such a great day out too. As a family we loved the SR 71. I was lucky enough to be part of a tour of Mildenhall and viewed the Blackbird in its hangar... sadly no photos allowed but what wonderful memories.
This has brought a tear to the eye! I first started going to 'The Hall' shows in '84 and they (and the SACdonalds burgers!) are sorely missed! I remember camping at Mildenhall around the time of the Libyan crisis and was woken up at about 6am by the dulcet tones of a Blackbird going on an excursion.......Now that was an alarm call!
I am reading Brian Shuls book about that right now. He and his back seater Walter, did that trip 3 days running & were shot at with the latest Technology missiles.
Thanks Kevin! I think I mentioned below I had totally forgotten I even had this footage till I was looking through some old VHS tapes one day and stumbled across it.
Frank Harris What a great vid!! Those low fast passes are awesome! I was fortunate enough to see her last flight in 99 at Edwards AFB. She did mach 3 at 80000 feet for us.
I saw SR-71 at Kadena AB in 84 when my dad was station at Kadena AB. They also have a Military Family Day and they have SR-71 on the show along with other fighter and jet. SR-71 cockpit, exhaust any open port were all covered. you could only get up to 25ft to see SR-71. I would hear SR-71 take off at dusk or dawn.
I had actually forgotten I even had the footage till I made contact with a gentleman in England who is a military aircraft enthusiast and is rather keen on the SR in particular. Frankly, I'm rather surprised the footage is still watchable given that it's over 20 years old! I'm currently working on re-rendering this video with some video stabilisation software to make it more watchable. Stay tuned!
Wow - didn't notice we were at Mildenhall. This could be one of the birds that were there when I was. What are the odds someone would have a video from there! I'm stoked. Thanks to Frank Harris!
My pleasure! I implied this further down below but I had forgotten I had this footage until I was searching for some other footage and came across this.
Yes, it was called Habu by the locals, Sakishima habu, a venomous snake. Beautiful plane, used to see it take off in the early mornings (1981-1982 USAF).
I was there too with my two boys 11 and 9. The pilot was standing by the aircraft with his semi space suit. I couldn't believe how tiny he was. He offered to put my 9 year old in the pilots seat but he was too shy. Can you imagine that these days?
Peru or some other South American country, asked the Thunderbirds, to break the sound barrier at a local air show there. They were at first resistant, then were assured it was OK.... After the flyby at supersonic speeds, many windows were broken throughout the city
My TDY group was at Mildenhall around this time(late 80's),and we were allowed to tour the hanger,and see the bird close up.I had the best camera,so I was allowed to take close up pics,but strangely,the autofocus on my camera would'nt work very well,so many pics came out slightly blurred!I attribute this to the special "paint" on the bird.I remember all the "spies" camping out at the end of the runway,outside the fence,to take pics,and record it's coming and going!
Thank you. Yeah, I liked the commentator too. I only wish I had been better positioned near a speaker to where he would be more easily heard. He certainly knows his stuff!
I really wish I could have seen one of these flying in person. I was in the USAF while they were flying, but I missed them by a year when I got stationed at RAF Mildenhall. The only time I got to see one while I was in was in a C-5 on its way to a museum..... :(
AWESOME - This is my all time Favorite PLANE of any kind. It has been since the very first time I saw it. When I saw it for the first time instantly it was my Favorite. Also it's mission is another reason it's my favorite. I was thinking it could of been called " DAGGER" as well - It looks like it's slicing through the Sky when it flies :)
Yes. This was one of the first SRs to be retired from service. But, it was able to be flown back to Beale. It didn't fly for much longer afterward, though. The pilot, Jim Jiggens, had been a Thunderbird a few years before he joined the SR program. Sadly, he passed away in 2010, and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
@DG-ie5ip Bentwaters and Woodbridge. Been to Lakenheath a bunch of times. My favorite joke is "What does Libya stand for? Lakenheath is bombing your ass"
Wow, that’s a beautiful aircraft. I wish they hadn’t retired that because at least they could put modern technology and two at and it would’ve made it much more efficient.
32 SR-71’s were built. 12 were destroyed by accidents. 6 are in museums today. According to the U.S.A.F public relations office, there are no SR-71s flying today.
I would have loved to have seen one live. These videos are the next best thing thanks for sharing. I can’t believe that this bird is dead and gone. We probably couldn’t build her again if we wanted too. Sad 😢
If you ever make it to Washington State - be sure to visit the " Boeing Museum Of Flight" there you will see the sole surviving M-21 / D-21 " Black Bird " and there is also a recovered cockpit from a crashed SR-71 and you can sit in the Cockpit. I am extremely lucky to live in WA and being able to go and see it whenever I want :).
Yeah, I agree it was indeed a sad day. Many of my friends in the Air Force believed it was not a good idea for the AF to retire the plane. I know NASA still uses the plane at Edwards AFB though for high altitude research.
Boy oh boy do I wish I coulda seen one of these bad bitches fly. I’ve seen concord do a low pass in afterburner at Oshkosh when I was in CAP, but man I wish I coulda seen a Blackbird.
First time I saw an SR-71 in person I was stationed at an Air Force base in Thailand during the Viet Nam war. One landed because of a mechanical problem and it was parked way away from everyone and surrounded by dozens of security personnel while it was repaired. It departed early in the morning before dawn and was amazing with the afterburners lit on those huge engines, a rapid climb and it was gone in seconds. You don't forget that.
Damn, that sounds awesome! While in Vietnam, I take it you also got to see Phantoms and Thunderchiefs?
@@Tigershark_3082 We had a hodgepodge of aircraft at Korat, F-4s, Thuds, A-7s and later the AC-130 Spectre gunships.
@@davidangelamelcher9591 That's so freaking awesome. I've only ever seen the Thud and Phantom in a museum
@@Tigershark_3082 Ever read the book, Thud Ridge? It was written by a Thud pilot during the VietNam war and is very interesting and insightful and not boring.
@@davidangelamelcher9591 I haven't yet, but I fully intend to when I have the money to get it.
Also, while in Vietnam, did you ever get to see any F-5C Skoshi Tigers?
Faster than a speeding bullet. Kelly Johnson & the Skunksworks team. Real men of genius.
Faster than a bullet. More powerful than a locomotive. Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. It's a bird.its a plane...nope it's Blackbird
You are right
Imagine if Kelly had designed the iPhone? I would have replied 38 years ago without knowing it...
imagine if kelly and team were german citizenat WW2?? hmmm axis will won for sure! 👍🏻
@@faydulaksono Would be speaking German & eating weinerschnitzels.
Still the most fascinating aircraft ever produced!
I can't believe this was displayed at an airshow! Just wow!
Yes, I learned of the existence of the SR71 in 1972. It’s been around for a really long time. Tells me that Lockheed makes truly great airplanes. I’ve had the pleasure of flying a couple of Lockheed aircraft over the last 35 years but sadly not the SR71.
Thanks for posting this brilliant bit of film. I was there too, about a couple of hundred yards to your left, and have a whole collection of b/w photos of the display. An absolutely awesome aircraft, saw it at all the UK displays and watching this still makes the hairs prickle on my neck. The commentator was Roger Hoefling, a regular for years at Old Warden who really knew his stuff. Thanks for bringing back great memories..not least of which involve Burgers and Bud.
I was there too in 1987 , always a fantastic display, thanks for showing this,
@@markwilliamwestonwilson1503 send vid
Yes , the smoke from the burgers and jet fuel everywhere I can still taste as I type this.
Great video . I was there. The SR71 was overstressed on this demonstration, and was flown subsonic back to the US never to fly again.
Thanks! I'm just glad I found the raw footage I had!
На SR -71 можно бесконечно долго смотреть! Причём всегда. Есть сделанные вещи, а есть созданные!
i feel the same, this bird is a masterpiece of creation. such power and yet so gracefull. just beautiful.
I’ll say it again, it (and Concorde in civil) has to be the 2 most beautifully designed aircraft ….ever! Even today, it just a stunning piece of craftsmanship and the perfect example of ‘solving the impossible’.
I think the XB-70 would fit in that list as well.
I agree about the Concorde. Very similar difficulties in just making it safe . The Concorde was close to 60 thousand feet at the end of its cruise & passengers were eating Canapés & drinking Champagne . At that height the military plane that can get up there , pilots are wearing Crash Helmets & Oxygen masks . T
I sent a post it was supposed to be to you about a 6 hour video of a BA Concorde.
When I was in the Marines, we use to watch the Blackbirds come over our base to land at Kadena AFB in Okinawa all the time. If you got caught taking pictures the MP's would take you camera. But it was beautiful watching them coming in or taking off at morning or dusk with the Afterburners in a dark sky.
Should never of been retired, especially today, it would still be very capable with upgrades, awesome Aircraft 👌 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Thanks for sharing! What an amazing aircraft (almost a spaceship). Raw power and elegance!
You are one of the luckiest people on the planet to witness one of aviation's greatest feats of engineering to date.
The king is dead. Long live the king.
That's really an awesome fucking impressive machine.
Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for posting this great video. Air fetes at RAF Mildenhall we’re always spectacular. The highlight of the air show season. Sadly missed.
Lived off base just on the otherside of the flight line, got to see this plane everyday for 4 years
Good lord. What a beast. Thank you for sharing this footage!
It was my second day in the UK and my bro took me to Air Fete 87. I was there and never forgot how impressed I was that day. Boy, the Sr was so loud! Thanks for this great video..
A real credit to Kelly Johnson’s brilliance and to the craftsmen and women that put this unique, one-of-a-kind aircraft . A great video!
Yes. Absolutely magnificent first class engineering! Pre digital computer old fashioned work I understand.
Thanks for posting this video..I was there that year, such a great plane and such a great day out too. As a family we loved the SR 71. I was lucky enough to be part of a tour of Mildenhall and viewed the Blackbird in its hangar... sadly no photos allowed but what wonderful memories.
My pleasure sir! I'd forgotten I even had this video until I was going through some old VHS tapes and stumbled across this.
I find it amazing that they even displayed it!!
This has brought a tear to the eye! I first started going to 'The Hall' shows in '84 and they (and the SACdonalds burgers!) are sorely missed! I remember camping at Mildenhall around the time of the Libyan crisis and was woken up at about 6am by the dulcet tones of a Blackbird going on an excursion.......Now that was an alarm call!
I am reading Brian Shuls book about that right now. He and his back seater Walter, did that trip 3 days running & were shot at with the latest Technology missiles.
Awesome. Thanks for this.
Just badass. What a piece of engineering
What a cool video of an iconic airplane...seen by few.
Some of the best footage I have ever seen of that amazing machine. Just imagine what we have more since that was built. God bless freedom.
beautiful video thank you for uploading! wish i could see this beast live and flying.
the turning radius of the blackbird is huge haha
Brilliant video - thanks so much for sharing
Thanks Kevin! I think I mentioned below I had totally forgotten I even had this footage till I was looking through some old VHS tapes one day and stumbled across it.
Frank Harris What a great vid!! Those low fast passes are awesome! I was fortunate enough to see her last flight in 99 at Edwards AFB. She did mach 3 at 80000 feet for us.
I love this video 😀
@@MrBen527 I was there as well and it was awe inspiring. The last time I saw it was at Offutt AFB in Omaha in 79, I believe.
Its 2016 and its still impressive!
It’s 2021, we are all dead...
Nah the US military is making great advances. This year we have LBGTQ! How impressive!
Americas pride. The greatest aircraft ever built. Nothing comes close to equaling it’s performance. Nothing. USA!!!!
Frank fantastic video of pure power going slow, thank you Jeff in LA USA
Absolutely awesome and mind blowing they were at air shows back then. People were very lucky to have seen them.
I saw SR-71 at Kadena AB in 84 when my dad was station at Kadena AB. They also have a Military Family Day and they have SR-71 on the show along with other fighter and jet. SR-71 cockpit, exhaust any open port were all covered. you could only get up to 25ft to see SR-71. I would hear SR-71 take off at dusk or dawn.
@@rpoosua3452 amazing!
Most beautiful plane ever
I had actually forgotten I even had the footage till I made contact with a gentleman in England who is a military aircraft enthusiast and is rather keen on the SR in particular. Frankly, I'm rather surprised the footage is still watchable given that it's over 20 years old! I'm currently working on re-rendering this video with some video stabilisation software to make it more watchable. Stay tuned!
Thanks v much for your efforts.
Wow - didn't notice we were at Mildenhall. This could be one of the birds that were there when I was. What are the odds someone would have a video from there! I'm stoked. Thanks to Frank Harris!
That was freakin' awesome!
My pleasure! I implied this further down below but I had forgotten I had this footage until I was searching for some other footage and came across this.
I remember seeing it take off and land when I was a kid at march afb, what an amazing plane
Habu, is what we called it in Okinawa, Japan. 1976-1977 USMC.
Yes, it was called Habu by the locals, Sakishima habu, a venomous snake. Beautiful plane, used to see it take off in the early mornings (1981-1982 USAF).
What a fierce and beatiful aircraft. RIP
I was there that day... amazing plane. Remember walking down to see the pilots get out and meet the crowd... great burgers there as well :-)
I was there too with my two boys 11 and 9. The pilot was standing by the aircraft with his semi space suit. I couldn't believe how tiny he was. He offered to put my 9 year old in the pilots seat but he was too shy. Can you imagine that these days?
Simplesmente fantástico uma obra -prima.
I too was there that year and the year before and the year before that we loved mildenhall and lakenheath airshows this brings back memories
The baddest jet of its time.
Of all time...
Extraordinary aircraft! 😎
Amazing Aircraft!
Peru or some other South American country, asked the Thunderbirds, to break the sound barrier at a local air show there. They were at first resistant, then were assured it was OK.... After the flyby at supersonic speeds, many windows were broken throughout the city
Good one, well filmed!
I got to witness it at the annual open house and air show when my dad was stationed at KI Sawyer AFB. It didn’t take off or land, but did two flyby’s.
Nothing else was, nothing is, and nothing will ever be like this airplane.
Thanks for posting this awesome video of an SR-71 showing its awesome capabilities!
1980s airshows were the best
What a superb 'Stand Alone and Omnipotent' air-craft.
My TDY group was at Mildenhall around this time(late 80's),and we were allowed
to tour the hanger,and see the bird close up.I had the best camera,so I was allowed to take close up pics,but strangely,the autofocus on my camera would'nt work very well,so many pics came out slightly blurred!I attribute this to the special "paint" on the bird.I remember all the "spies" camping out at the end of the runway,outside the fence,to take pics,and record it's coming and going!
Thank you. Yeah, I liked the commentator too. I only wish I had been better positioned near a speaker to where he would be more easily heard. He certainly knows his stuff!
Bloody gorgeous
I saw that a few times at mildenhall. I remember the burgers and looking into the sun most day.
Lockheed built some of the coolest looking planes
Awesome aircraft
Sensational
I really wish I could have seen one of these flying in person. I was in the USAF while they were flying, but I missed them by a year when I got stationed at RAF Mildenhall. The only time I got to see one while I was in was in a C-5 on its way to a museum..... :(
@@DG-ie5ip Yes I did.
THE BADDEST PLANE EVER BUILT!
Wicked ride
I did see the SR71 in 198 2 while I was a turret Mann on a crash wagon at Patuxent Naval Station.
I think its safe to say that I would donate a kidney to stay where these people were in the present day and see this marvelous plane fly again
Another Star Trek fan. Greetings from DS9, I mean Germany. :)
The fireball year was 1986, there is a great video of it posted by skyflash1 under SR71 Blackbird USAF..worth a look.
AWESOME - This is my all time Favorite PLANE of any kind. It has been since the very first time I saw it. When I saw it for the first time instantly it was my Favorite. Also it's mission is another reason it's my favorite. I was thinking it could of been called " DAGGER" as well - It looks like it's slicing through the Sky when it flies :)
Major Jim Jiggins overstressed the aircraft on this display. After only 200hrs flight time the aircraft was never flown again (I was there).
Interesting Telos.....do you have it on good authority about the overstressing ?
Yes. This was one of the first SRs to be retired from service. But, it was able to be flown back to Beale. It didn't fly for much longer afterward, though. The pilot, Jim Jiggens, had been a Thunderbird a few years before he joined the SR program. Sadly, he passed away in 2010, and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
@@LV_FUD80 Was the plane scrapped or is it on display today?
@@Alidade1 It's on display at Blackbird Airpark, Palmdale, CA
Technology as Art!
Oh wow 👌
Coolest plane ever made.
A unique aeroplane👍✈️
My favorite plane
We were at this air show too. We left England in July 1987
@DG-ie5ip Bentwaters and Woodbridge. Been to Lakenheath a bunch of times. My favorite joke is "What does Libya stand for? Lakenheath is bombing your ass"
My favorite airplane
Remarkable
The SR71 was flying towards me at about 500 ft height when it was banging with the igniter, It looked so slow I thought its going to fall on me.
Wow, that’s a beautiful aircraft. I wish they hadn’t retired that because at least they could put modern technology and two at and it would’ve made it much more efficient.
You can talk about Top Gun pilots all you want but only the nations greatest pilots have ever or will ever, fly the Black Bird.
Man, I wish 4k/8k cameras existed back then. For someone who's too young to see these fly in person, that would be so sweet.
The sr71 could take pictures at 72,000 ‘ and tell if a penny was heads or tails on the ground
@@smith8281 Yeah, too bad the cameras used to film the plane weren't much better than a potato. lol
32 SR-71’s were built. 12 were destroyed by accidents. 6 are in museums today. According to the U.S.A.F public relations office, there are no SR-71s flying today.
I would have loved to have seen one live. These videos are the next best thing thanks for sharing. I can’t believe that this bird is dead and gone. We probably couldn’t build her again if we wanted too. Sad 😢
If you ever make it to Washington State - be sure to visit the " Boeing Museum Of Flight" there you will see the sole surviving M-21 / D-21 " Black Bird " and there is also a recovered cockpit from a crashed SR-71 and you can sit in the Cockpit. I am extremely lucky to live in WA and being able to go and see it whenever I want :).
Oh wow!
After this thing blasted off and out of sight, you can still hear it echoing in the atmosphere for a few minutes afterwards.
5:25 best flyby ever
Yeah, I agree it was indeed a sad day. Many of my friends in the Air Force believed it was not a good idea for the AF to retire the plane. I know NASA still uses the plane at Edwards AFB though for high altitude research.
What a Great Show that was, shame no more
Yes I was at raf mildenhall
Boy oh boy do I wish I coulda seen one of these bad bitches fly. I’ve seen concord do a low pass in afterburner at Oshkosh when I was in CAP, but man I wish I coulda seen a Blackbird.
Прекрасный самолёт - выглядит просто космически
I was a kid. Paine Field Airshow Everett Washington
HOLY SHIT!!!!!!!
I remember afterburner.. looked like donuts, rings of light
"Look mummy...there's an Airplane up in the sky." Pink Floyd, good boy blue sky.
You always expect Batman to climb out of this plane after it lands.
Gosh this bird could ratle the hanger doors
The fastest, sharpest plane ever .