SR-71 Blackbird Arrives at RAF Greenham Common Airshow (IAT) 1983
Vložit
- čas přidán 11. 09. 2024
- The SR-71 arrives at RAF Greenham Common for the 1983 International Air Tattoo (IAT), Pilot: BC Thomas, RSO: John Morgan, July 1983. The commentator was John Doyle.
I was the pilot in this video, but did not fly the SR-71 out of RAF Greehnam Common. I was the "mobile control" officer when the aircraft departed and the pilot was Maj Jim Jiggens, a USAF Thunderbird pilot and formally a US Army helicopter combat pilot in Vietnam. On the evening of the air show featured in this video, women, who were protesting President Reagan's decision to station intermediate nuclear missiles in England, broke into the security cordon around the air show aircraft and threw paint on several, including this SR-71. Owing to the unique metals associated with the SR-71, the removing of the paint required special maintenance procedures to assure that no "hot spot" would develop on subsequent flights. It was quite a hassle and we were not amused over this incident. Jim and I planned a farewell departure for the protesters who were encamped in a squalor of tents just outside the main gate. Jim obtained clearance for a "closed pattern" and turned to a downwind leg, descended to about 50 feet above the ground, and flew directly over the protestors' encampment. It was early and probably most were asleep, but not for long. Jim was flying about 250 knots and selected afterburner in both engines as he was approaching the tents. As the SR-71 accelerated to 350-400 knots, he pulled up and focused the plume (and noise) directly on the protesters. It was a magnificent sight. As we were leaving the base immediately after Jim's departure, the gate guard (British) said to me: "I say, that was a jolly good show, but next time, please warn me before you do it." I also had the honor to prefer charges against the women, but the British government later declined to prosecute. BC Thomas
I was there the day the SR-71 left. We'd been pulled from several bases throughout the 3rd Air Force because of the peace women incident. The painted slogans all over the KC-13Q (Dedicated tanker) then ran across the ramp and threw paint on the SR. An MOD cop was there with his dog and let it off the leash. A peace woman screamed and the dog sat down. The next day we got sent to GC and were at the front gate for orientation at the SP building when she took off, circled, and gave them a show.
Col Thomas, thank you for sharing this. My dad was the SP CC at RAF Greenham Common 1980-1982 during the protests, etc. He is now deceased, but served for 28 years. Thank you also for your service.
V/r,
TSgt, USAF, Retired
never tire of looking and listening to this incedible machine
after the greenham common women broke into the base a few days before, and daubed paint onto the sr71, the pilot decided to surprise them on his departure from the base by overflying them at 250ft, then pitched up sharply directly above their tents in full afterburn..."sounding the trumpets of freedom"!!! Would love to have seen that!
Brilliant! Nice to see English coverage of stuff like this.
I was sitting in my office when the SR took off from Greenham. The Tattoo had been over for a couple of days and all the other aircraft had long since departed so there was no mistaking the sound when it fired up to leave. I looked out my window and saw it slowly cruising by. I jumped to run outside to get one last look at the SR, now my office was maybe a couple of hundred yards straight in from the main gate, by the time I got outside the SR was out of sight & sound. It blew down the camp.
Am amazing machine designed and built by an incredibly talented group of people. This plane was designed in the early '60's and was designed without the aid of computers or CAD systems, just slide rules!
It's a damn shame that talent like that has really gone, it took such trust in design to commit to making something like this, and I doubt that anything like this will ever be made again.
Amazing video my friend thanks for uploading and sharing your memories of one of the greatest aircrafts ever built love it Thanks.
An awesome aircraft, even by todays standards.
I had PCSd to GC a week before the IAT. I remember it like it was yesterday. As a matter of fact, I still have my official program from the airshow. RAFGC was the best tour of my career.
Very luck to see the sr71 flying twice mildenhall birds🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
still a stunning aircraft, never tire of looking at it. favourite quote comes from paul crickmores excellent book-beyond the secret missions, and relates to this show, apparently the greenham lesbians managed to break into the base and daub white paint onto the aircraft,luckily not causing any damage to the titanium. afew days later when it departed the base flown by maj jim jiggens(ex thunderbirds display pilot) it flew directly over the peace camp at 250kts and very low, applying sharp back-
Oh my God, I had this whole show on tape from when it was broadcast! By the way, I think the commentator is actually Sean Maffett, though I could be wrong o course
@frogfister Actually, it was somewhat lower than 250 feet.
Also there was a SR-71 stationed at RAF Mildenhall, UK
@frogfister I have included a description of the SR-71 departure from RAF Greenham Common above, in the overall description of the video. The narrative was too long to be included here as comments are limited.
@frogfister How did the women react??? I bet they loved it!!!!
I was also there as an SP. We understood that an MOD cop didn't want to get paint on his uniform so he let the "peace women" throw the paint on the plane. I also remember the plane taking off and this filled in the blanks as to what was going on. I was sleeping in the dorm and about came stuck to the ceiling. All is good tho.
@bcthomas2h90 even better! i'm guessing you were the pilot who carried out this sword waving mission-how low were you really, and did you get any idea or feedback on how the wimmin(sorry, women!) reacted?
I thought the actual speed record belonged to the A-12 Oxcart
The record was set by the SR-71, but the A-12 could fly as fast. Both were temperature limited and not power limited.
there is a replacement for the sr-71 but The US have in as highly classified. Residents have sighted the next generation jet called the (auroura project) The US deny to posess it though.
Actually a lot faster and a lot higher.
U-2 been out of service replace with the TR-1. Every time the SR-71 went up it cost a million dollars plus everything else that went along with it
@frogfister Ahhhh the peace camps @ RAF Greenham. I was in School @ Greenham when that happened. They also had many riots when I was there...
2000 MPH.... well we now know that is at least 1000 MPH off. LOL
Huh? Don't know what that means.
Think of all the toxic radiation spewing out of those crazy engines. Truly a wreckless time in american history.
Toxic radiation?!?