The SR-71 "Buzzing the tower" story you probably never heard before
Vložit
- čas přidán 9. 09. 2018
- SR-71 Pilot Maury Rosenberg talks about the one time he decided to request a "fly-by" over the Sacramento airport on his way returning to Beale AFB- where he was going to land. The request was eagerly approved by air tower crew, and wanted them to fly "down the ramp" (much closer to the tower and other buildings)
I recorded this at Western Museum of Flight earlier this year. - Věda a technologie
An off-topic video that I set to NOT notify subscribers. Figured I would just hear a lot of whining. Not sure how people are finding it.
We got it here in the UK fine. Great find by the way.
I check your channel daily, because i know youtube goofs up notifications. Awesome video here, could you post the follow-up involving ground speed checks? I saw it live and love it.
It showed up in my feed. I personally really enjoy this kind of stuff.
showed up in my feed, I thought my subscription was messed up. I think most of your fans would enjoy this
I love this guy's stories.
~50 year old tech, and it still looks like it's right out of science fiction. Amazing machine!
Ikr I'm in love with that SR-71 imagine what kind of tech they have now
@@iseriouslycouldntfindagood2207 czcams.com/video/3RlbqOl_4NA/video.html
ColecoKid that’s Lockheed for ya
Kelly Johnson bro the greatest Aviation engineer ever lived
Not only 50 yrs old and Well advanced. That shi still Untouchable till this day
I was stationed at Beale AFB and worked the Q's that passed gas to the Blackbirds. Years later I became an FE on C-141. On a trip back from overseas I was monitoring the radio when I heard an aircraft contact center and request FL 500 (50,000 Ft). The controller replied "If you can make it, you got it". The aircraft responded "Roger, descending to FL500". I knew exactly what plane it was.
My late grandfather, Vic Horton, flew as RSO on the NASA Blackbirds (both SR-71 and YF-12) out of Edwards, usually with Col. Fitz Fulton in the front seat. On one of his high-altitude flights, he took some snapshots out the window in which you can clearly see the the curvature of the Earth, the bluish haze of the atmosphere and the black of space. He always used to scoff at the plane's "official" speed and altitude records and say, "Aww, they weren't even pushing her!" Reportedly, he and other NASA pilots actually gave a classified lecture at Beale in the early 80s about what the Blackbirds could actually do, speed and altitude-wise, when pushed to their limits.
It could have been a U-2 Dragon Lady.
🤣🤣🤣
The first time I read this a bit fast and missed DESCENDING to FL500. Haha. That’s great.
@@gabrielbennett5162 That is a cool story. I think it was over Alaska.
And... the same story, almost, about what the last, really secret F4s could do, is also amazing.
Love those two flying pieces of art.
This wasn't a plane. It was a violent work of art in every way imaginable. A sheer thing of beauty.
How poetic.
@@virginiawaters6076 Tyvm! Out of all the planes this is still by far my most favorite one. When this plane was being designed and then built it was really pushing the envelope immensely even when compared to the newer planes due to the technology we had at the time this was just a concept. It hits me extremely hard to see this bird being nothing more than a museum piece. This bird was meant to fly and not have it's wings clipped.
Which was conceived on a napkin
"Violent work of art" now that is the most accurate description ever!
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, they say. It's not in mine. I doubt very much if the designer's had visuals in mind, just ability. Personally, I see menace. which matches it's purpose.
That's AWESOME!! My dad's friend was an SR71 pilot in Okinawa. I was a little kid back then, but I remember meeting him with my dad for lunch at the officers club. We got there a little early, and all these fighter pilot jocks were talking about dogfighting and whatnot. When he walked into the club, they went quiet. I noticed he was dressed different. He was wearing a black flightsuit and on it were these orange badges with a blackbird with 3+ on them. He and my dad were talking over some things, I finished my hamburger and fries. Lunch was over and he left to report back. I asked my dad, "What does he fly?" My dad said, "He flies the Habu. You see the patches with the 3+? That means he flies Mach 3 and faster." To this day, the Blackbird is my favorite aircraft. Nothing in the world looks like it. Watching them take off at night was especially memorable. You could faintly see the silhouette of the plane as it taxied on the tarmac, but as soon as the plane turned around at the end of the runway, and pilot lit the afterburner, you knew it was an SR71. Such a beautiful bird.
great story!
Awesome, that actually gave me goosebumps! I wish I could have experienced such atmosphere and sights of yonder times... Still a beaut, that SR-71, even after so many years....
I was a fighter pilot and stationed in the Philippines 1977-1981 . I was temporary duty to Okinawa a lot. SR 71, Habu, guys, were there 30 days at a time. We were NEVER quiet at any time around them. In fact dogfighting and low level ingress ( < 100' above ground at 550 mph READING A MAP! TO HIT A TARGET +/- 2 MINUTES AND dropping bombs ON TARGET, then, was challenging. Moving the throttle forward is just going fast. That's' all.
@@stevewieland9379 awesome!!! I can almost see it before my eyes...
@@stevewieland9379 steve calm down lmao
Back when it wasn't illegal to have a little fun.
@Joker No. He meant EXACTLY what he said.
Like that airforce pilot that took the dick joke to a new level? I think he got fired for that one.
Yep, our local annual air display is slowly being killed through over-regulation, I miss the good old days 😕
It became illegal real quick lol
Shut up boomer
Years ago at Ellsworth AFB in South Dakota the B-1 was stationed there and an SR-71 had to land , the B-1 crew rushed to see the SR-71, and the 2 men from the SR-71 rushed over to see the then new B-1, both sides going “oh wow!”
I got to sit in a B1 as a little kid. Family friend was a pilot of one. So cool.
B-1 does look sexy
I'd be going "WOW!" at both planes too!
They both have that black matte, smooth streaky oil-slick look to them.
And they are both *Mean. As. HELL* airplanes!!
I had the privledge of laying next to the boom controller and we refueled 2 B-1 Bombers. Now that's cool.
@@davecrupel2817 The 71's oil slick look isn't just the paint. The Blackbird leaks a bit when perched.
There is an old saying in R/C modelling that scale flies like full scale (and I heard this story on a show a few years ago). There was guy who had made a beautiful SR-71 scale model, but he had problem with it, it would shred the middle tire (three tires on a blackbird) on the main landing gear. This would require disassembling the entire main landing gear truck to remove/replace the wheel. This had happened for about the third time and he was getting pretty frustrated because the aircraft flew fine other than that, The R/C guy hears someone chuckling and looks over to see an older gentleman in a Lockheed ball cap! He was a little mad so he he stalks over the to guy laughing the asks him what is so funny! The guy responded with "I test flew the first SR-71, and we had the same problem full scale, turns out it quits flying at about 225 knots and it comes down with a pretty good bang. When we looked at the test footage (still trying figure out why it was eating the center tire) that the two outer tires side-walls would flex out to absorb the shock and eat the middle tire! So the center tire if SOLID!!!" The scale guy replaced the center tire with a solid one (and according to him) never had the problem again!!!!
I was on a TAC site in Germany 1988, we tracked an SR71 going roughly North to South over the east west border. According to our radar, it was flying higher and faster than published numbers. We were amazed.
Lots of rumors that most will never no how fast or high it flew
@@Patrick-xd8jvi was suprised clicking on this and seeing a comment for 9hs ago
@@Patrick-xd8jv well shall know them in a few decades when they got smth faster ;)
"Are there any regulations that prohibit "buzzing the tower"?
"No sir."
"Have one on my desk by..."
Then you write up one making it MANDATORY to buzz the tower :D
Love it.
He wants a regulation that *PROHIBITS* this.
@@erictaylor5462 CMDR Sweeper
is making what we humans call a "joke".
I know, I was making what we humans call a "quote."
To go from flying the SR-71 to the 767 must have been awful. That's like going from an F1 racer to a potato.
Oh yeah, poor guy. I feel really bad for him and his shitty job.
From racecar driver to soccer practice. LOL
Resentful much?
Well, the commercial job probably paid 4X as much so there is that!
F1 to lawnmower racing
>”story you’ve probably never heard”
>me clicking on the video for the 20th time when it shows up in my recommended just to hear the awesome story again
Yup... me too. And I will next time around too!
2nd time i heard,and enjoy just as much as the first time
This one and LA speed check
@@henriks.pedersen4938 the LA speed check one is brill.
Were reading closer to two-thousand.
The most amazing thing about the SR-71 is Kelly Johnson and the skunk works designed it from first mark on paper to test flight in 18 months before computers and CADD. Simply amazing.
Holy shit that includes the whole titanium smuggling op?
Those dudes aren't legendary. They're way above that, they're in a league of their own
@@WolfpackOne Mythical.
@@haljordan5609 Yep!
Long before HR departments and sensitivity training.
It was men working to actually get shit done.
I wonder if the other 767 pilot was butthurt about cutting into his game like that lol. I mean, nothing steals another guy's thunder like coming in with a _"so, didja hear I flew the friggin SR-71?".._
Cock-block!
He probably shut right the hell up for the rest of the flight lol
+Akshay Anand Lmao just imagine the look on that guy's face right as he hears "the big reveal" ... >X^D
No.
Probably like most pilots he’s well aware of how lound, uncomfortable, and BORING flying straight and level at 80,000 feet and Mach 3 would be.... and has lots of seniority numbers on him, better salary, and is in the left seat.
I’ve had more than a few FOs brag to me... then I remember I pay more in taxes than their entire salary is.
Yeah, ok - but we're any of them SR-71 pilots?..
Blackbird: Tower may we have permission for flyby
Tower: Cleared for flyby
*Blackbird flys by at Mach 3*
Tower: Were waiting
Blackbird: We just flew by
Tower: 😮
And then seconds later the sonic boom shatters the windows and the pilot is laughing from miles away.
Nicolas Alvargonzalez Nah, it’s just the sound of Tower’s mind blowing.
Mach 3 and undisclosed top speed
*internal organs shatter*
Mach 3 at 80.000 feet, yes, but low near the ground? Maybe Mach 1 - 1.3 at the highest.
This plane holds a special place in my heart. Both of my parents were in the Navy, and then worked for NASA after leaving the military. I still remember the time my dad lost 50lbs just because he had a chance to go to some airfield for his work. He lost the weight specifically because someone he knew told him he might get a chance to sit in the cockpit of an SR-71. He was never a pilot, but he worked hard to lose that weight just because he knew he was too fat to fit into that cockpit. And damned if he didn't get to sit in it. Probably one of the happiest moments of his life.
I only saw the Blackbird once, but it was pretty unforgettable. I'm sure that there are many SR71 stories that would fall into the category of " you can't make this stuff up". I'd love to hear some of them.
Look up Brian Shul and his speed check story
@@robby844 "......and a twelve year old was reaching for the microphone when I heard a 'click' from Walter's mic....." 🙂
@@kellymc239 We're showing a little closer to........*sniff* two thousand.
I was at Sac Metro that day and watched in awe as the SR-71 flew by, it was GREAT.
You lucky bugger.
You're a lucky man, wish I got to see that thing fly!
Thats awesome man! What a treat!
They use to fly over my friends house as they slowed on their way back to Beale. We use to sit on his roof and wait for them.
Seriously doubt it
"I want one on my desk at 7 am tomorrow..." LOL... So great to hear all kind of stories like that...
Hubby was stationed at Beale AFB in mid-70s, and we lived in the on-base trailer park which had a perfect view of many dusk take offs of the SR-71 and its little white chase plane. Hubby was able to arrange a personal SR-71 hanger tour for my Dad, an Army Air Corp veteran of WWII... awesome!!!
One of these buzzed Mt. Washington in Pittsburgh near the 911th Airlift Wing. I was on a moving crew and we all thought the world was coming to an end as the apocalyptic noise grew louder and louder until we could no longer hear eachother. We ran out to the lookout and this thing flew right by the mountain almost level to the lookout. Spectacular sight and was earth shaking feeling in your body it was absoloutly amazing. Being a fan of this jet since a kid I am really happy to have witnessed one of these beasts in the air.
Lived about 5 miles from Beale for almost 35 years. The air shows were really fun. Especially when the SR did a high speed pass at 85 thousand feet and dumping fuel so you could see where he was. Going west to east and looked like he was well over the Nevada desert and banking left when the double sonic boom hit the base. Saw it doing flybys with trainer jets especially when they got ready to retire the plane. I took the week off to paint my house and got lots of low and slow flyover pictures. Titanium airframe would grow 12 to 14 inches at mach 3 just from air friction.
Cockpit outside was approx 700 degrees and in the wing armpit a 1000 degrees. Many engineering firsts on that plane. Then to see the technology adapted from there and watch the F22 Raptor fly to 20,000 feet and just hang in the air like a kite with it's thrust vectoring. Abosloutly amazing what we have done in aviation in just over a century!
I love these stories. I was stationed in Guam in 89' when we had the blackbird land. I was a security specialist, and my sergeant had his brand new video camera and just had to film it taking off. So, we drove down about 3/4 the way down the ramp, parallel to the runway and waited. We heard the tower give the clearance for take off over the radio. So my sergeant started filming and here comes the plane winding up speed really fast. This was the first time we had seen the plane in person and neither of us knew what to expect. Frankly, we thought it would be like pretty much every other plane taking off. Wrong! My sergeant was standing outside our police vehicle, a Ford Bronco, a few feet from the drivers door. As he's filming, the plane is coming really quick. You could see the jet wash was curling around and out with full afterburners lit up. And just as the plane streaked past us, the jet wash violently threw him against the drivers door and he dropped the video camera he had just spent $1200 for as a Christmas present for his wife. Yeah, the camera was done for. But, the blackbird didn't disappoint either of us.
rip the camera. did he ever get a second one?
@@Stand_Tall Yes, he had to replace the video camera. His wife wasn't pleased with him. She didn't appreciate the blackbird as much as we did. They had two young children and the camera was for home videos. You know the old saying, "if Mama isn't happy, nobodies happy". She got her camera replaced. But on the bright side, the video survived. I just never got a copy of it. We had several other fun experiences while we where there. Everything from scuba diving in the Marianas trench, free hand cliff climbing, and cave scuba diving in fresh water pools of crystal clear water. I could write a book on all the things I did while in the Air Force. I was young and stupid for the most part back then. But it was a fun time.
My best friend lives in Saipan which is right next to Guam. Awesome story. Reminds me of her and makes me happy. Thank you for sharing
Fifth Amendment you should see if you can get a copy of it that sounds like it would make a good upload if you burn it onto a cd
Lies. That never happened at Anderson.
Almost as good as the "speed check" story.
That's a good one.
The speed check story is one of my favorite all-time stories.
That's my favorite of those stories.
czcams.com/video/8AyHH9G9et0/video.html for those interested
That was what I thought of when I saw this. This is a cool story, but the speed check one is great.
Sometimes the power of storytelling is just as captivating as anything.
Great story ! 😆
What a great story! These are the types of stories your grandfathers and maybe fathers could tell ya. You won't find stories like these anymore. If that happened today, the pilot would be court-marshaled. This is a great example of "The good ol' days".
I mean, you're playing games with what today would be a 1/4 billion dollar jet...you have flight plans, you can't really deviate from them and there's reasons for that. The peace time military was a circus, it's different when you're a war time force. You also use to be able to drink and fly, and use government aircrafts to do beer runs.
Not sure I'd call those "good ol'days" though.
@@snoosri Yeah, because everytime after someone did one of those stunts, the next day there was one regulation more!😂
@@snoosri well it’s the people’s tax payer money…
Thats probably a sign they're lying
Or the change was good
@@michag4337 I'm sure you're fun at parties
I just can’t stop looking at this plane and thinking it’s one of the most beautiful planes to ever take to the skies.
*SBD Dauntless cries*
It is.
In 1968, my models of the SBD Dauntless, Corsair, and Grumman F6F Hellcat, and the TOS Enterprise were all next to my pride and joy, the SR71.
Next to an SR71 fly by is my other favorite...the one and only F-14 Tomkatt.
My favourite plane is the Phantom, but the Blackbird is a thing of awe
fun fact: SR-71 100% IT'S MADE OF RUSSIAN TITANIUM ...
Always love hearing stories about the SR71.
who doesn't? The sr 71 is one if not the all time most favorite plane. Every one loves hat old bird. It is flat out the best looking jet ever created. It is no wonder that it is the most copied in sci fi and shows and comics like the xmen comics and movies and has had a 1000 different versions of futuristic jets in scifi. There was even a fairly accurate gi joe toy the added the little wings on the front i cut those off on mines as a kid and balanced it properly put a small rc plane engine on it and use to free fly it. Few drops of rc plane fuel in a fuel line start and let it go. Hey what kid did not want to fly the sr71?
I saw an image of SR 71 over the forest one afternoon in 2010. I'm saying image because the scale size was wrong and it seemed to hover a moment then fly off at amazing speed. I'm guessing it was a holographic image.
Nova Flare Estes rockets on mine. Plastic scale model. Went as well as one could expect. Wish I hadn't spent as much time painting it. Disclaimer, most of my plastic scale models died by Estes.
@@m1t2a1 I had an Estes SR71 it sat on the piano mounted on a pylon. I enjoyed many flights until a defective motor backfired and melted it. It never flew the same.
I worked with a x-SR pilot back in 78 - 79. He told me a story that a regional controller asked what was his altitude. He said don't worry nobody is up where I am. I wish I could remember the whole story.
I just found this video. However, I recall this incident on a personal level too. I was about 10 yrs old. I lived in Elverta, a little town a handful of miles south of Beale, and Just north of McClellan. At that time it was much more rural, and we'd fish on the north end of strip.
I use to photo many darkened aircraft as they would slip back and forth from Bealle and McClellan, or Mather. Often I was able to make solid eye contact with pilots on final to McClellan as they flew nearly right over our house, exactly 2 miles from field. I saw the SR-71 and B-117, before the public was informed and thought that was awesome.
Those experiences launched a career for me.
Thank you for the memory. It was load, the ground shook, I was excited with a smile.
I can still hear the scream of the C-130's, and C-5A's, or B-52s flying in. The house would rattle, and shake. Never broke our windows, but I am aware of a couple over the yrs.
One of the classic SR71 Stories his delivery is so awesome
- "Tower, this is Ghost Rider requesting a fly-by."
- "Negative, Ghost Rider. The pattern is full."
i was looking for this quote
Same
no, No, Mav, that's not a good idea...
Sorry, Goose, but it's time to buzz the tower.
@@HorizonSniper__ *Spills coffee* God damn it, Maverick!
I was looking for this!
1:12 "you can do anything once" - never a truer word said.
I mean, not to be that guy. But ima be that guy.
False.
And then some POed CO tells you to write the rule so you can never do it again.
like skydiving
@@Aristas-zd5vd can you name something you cannot do just once?
I mean technically even eating could be done only once. You'd stave to death but that doesn't prove the theory wrong.
@@user936 go to space
That is one of the greatest SR stories of all time. I lived in Sacramento at that time and that event was very well known among us aviation enthusiasts.
I've seen this beautiful ship at Andrews AFB in 1976 at the Bi-Centennial Air Show, I got to look at it up close, as my Uncle had a clearance, it was just amazing, then I got to watch the fueler, then the SR 71, take off the next morning, it was a spine tingler I'll never forget
They'll never made a cooler looking plane
Fact.
Yip
Grumman X-29 with the forward-swept wings was pretty sexy too... close second... and Concorde for third.
F 14 Tomcat, still the coolest one.
And that's a fact
Good Old American 80’s fun! Nobody was hurt and nobody sued! The good days!
f1620mm life was beautiful back then.
Miss these times
I prefer the 80's, as in the 1780's. Wooden teeth, no phones, only books to read and a computer was a person.
The Good Days, Miss those times
Who would sue who in this case?
Purple Planet I prefer the 1380’s tbh
Wonderful! Rosenburg was one of the pilots I used to hook up into the SR-71 when I was at Beale (I was part of the PSD unit)! Small world!
I was a crew chief at Norton AFB and because of my clearance at the time I was allowed in the hanger where they were keeping the SR71 the day before the air show I walked around it in awe it is truly a fantastic piece of technology, and to think in the making of it was done with slide rulers.
I miss NAFB. Scrapping it was a mistake.
I heard this story from the man himself in person last year right in front of the jet in question. What a legendary person.
that's crazy haha
The SR71 is still one sick looking airplane. Still looks futureristic!
I saw first hand the A12 on the Aircraft Carrier in New York in '93. I don't care if the plane was supposed to be unarmed and defenseless. Looks like a vicious Mach3 titanium dagger to me. (ex IAF First Wing airframe fitter)
@@trespire The F-12 was faster than the SR-71 AND armed.
It is spelled futuristic...
@@The_Touring_Jedi That's the way it's spelled now. In the future it's futueristic. 😏
Even moth balled in front of the California Science Center, it is an amazing looking piece of technology.
When I was stationed in Korea 1970 there was a SR71 that came to our base temporary duty. I worked in the missle shop near the runway. One day we heard it fire up to leave so we along with I think the rest of the base went outside to watch it leave. Well it started to my left, went down the runway with a big roar. It disappeared behind some buildings, at the far down the runway it took off. I thought that was quick, well just then after he had gained some altitude he spun around and headed back down at a steep angle and disappeared behind some trees. I thought he was going to crash. Next thing I see is the sr71 full afterburners streaking down the runway about 25 feet above the runway. About at the end of the runway he pulls the SR71 up to a almost vertical climb an soon disappears out of sight.
I was amazed at the agility of that craft.
I was with the 9th OMS from 1973-76 and worked at SMF from 1979-88. I loved this story. I don't know why I don't remember this. Perhaps it was when I had been assigned to Sac Executive for a while. Thank you Maury Rosenberg. I remember seeing your name on the orange suit as you walked out from the PSD van.
Most complicated story to impress a girl I ever heard.
worth it though
I would do more insane.
Bet that guy got heavy amounts of poon.
I will never get that 5mins back, complete waste of time.
These story that you call complicated are those that are small happiness in everyday life. These are souvenir, and you should not ignore or do not share them them because they are complicated or whatever.
I really appreciate listening to this it was happiness ;)
I laughed multiple time. it was not too long not too sort the amount of information and its pertinence is just right ... :P
Pasta-time:
"There were a lot of things we couldn't do in an SR-71, but we were the fastest guys on the block and loved reminding our fellow aviators of this fact. People often asked us if, because of this fact, it was fun to fly the jet. Fun would not be the first word I would use to describe flying this plane. Intense, maybe. Even cerebral. But there was one day in our Sled experience when we would have to say that it was pure fun to be the fastest guys out there, at least for a moment.
It occurred when Walt and I were flying our final training sortie. We needed 100 hours in the jet to complete our training and attain Mission Ready status. Somewhere over Colorado we had passed the century mark. We had made the turn in Arizona and the jet was performing flawlessly. My gauges were wired in the front seat and we were starting to feel pretty good about ourselves, not only because we would soon be flying real missions but because we had gained a great deal of confidence in the plane in the past ten months. Ripping across the barren deserts 80,000 feet below us, I could already see the coast of California from the Arizona border. I was, finally, after many humbling months of simulators and study, ahead of the jet.
I was beginning to feel a bit sorry for Walter in the back seat. There he was, with no really good view of the incredible sights before us, tasked with monitoring four different radios. This was good practice for him for when we began flying real missions, when a priority transmission from headquarters could be vital. It had been difficult, too, for me to relinquish control of the radios, as during my entire flying career I had controlled my own transmissions. But it was part of the division of duties in this plane and I had adjusted to it. I still insisted on talking on the radio while we were on the ground, however. Walt was so good at many things, but he couldn't match my expertise at sounding smooth on the radios, a skill that had been honed sharply with years in fighter squadrons where the slightest radio miscue was grounds for beheading. He understood that and allowed me that luxury.
Just to get a sense of what Walt had to contend with, I pulled the radio toggle switches and monitored the frequencies along with him. The predominant radio chatter was from Los Angeles Center, far below us, controlling daily traffic in their sector. While they had us on their scope (albeit briefly), we were in uncontrolled airspace and normally would not talk to them unless we needed to descend into their airspace.
We listened as the shaky voice of a lone Cessna pilot asked Center for a readout of his ground speed. Center replied: "November Charlie 175, I'm showing you at ninety knots on the ground."
Now the thing to understand about Center controllers, was that whether they were talking to a rookie pilot in a Cessna, or to Air Force One, they always spoke in the exact same, calm, deep, professional, tone that made one feel important. I referred to it as the " Houston Center voice." I have always felt that after years of seeing documentaries on this country's space program and listening to the calm and distinct voice of the Houston controllers, that all other controllers since then wanted to sound like that, and that they basically did. And it didn't matter what sector of the country we would be flying in, it always seemed like the same guy was talking. Over the years that tone of voice had become somewhat of a comforting sound to pilots everywhere. Conversely, over the years, pilots always wanted to ensure that, when transmitting, they sounded like Chuck Yeager, or at least like John Wayne. Better to die than sound bad on the radios.
Just moments after the Cessna's inquiry, a Twin Beech piped up on frequency, in a rather superior tone, asking for his ground speed. "I have you at one hundred and twenty-five knots of ground speed." Boy, I thought, the Beechcraft really must think he is dazzling his Cessna brethren. Then out of the blue, a navy F-18 pilot out of NAS Lemoore came up on frequency. You knew right away it was a Navy jock because he sounded very cool on the radios. "Center, Dusty 52 ground speed check". Before Center could reply, I'm thinking to myself, hey, Dusty 52 has a ground speed indicator in that million-dollar cockpit, so why is he asking Center for a readout? Then I got it, ol' Dusty here is making sure that every bug smasher from Mount Whitney to the Mojave knows what true speed is. He's the fastest dude in the valley today, and he just wants everyone to know how much fun he is having in his new Hornet. And the reply, always with that same, calm, voice, with more distinct alliteration than emotion: "Dusty 52, Center, we have you at 620 on the ground."
And I thought to myself, is this a ripe situation, or what? As my hand instinctively reached for the mic button, I had to remind myself that Walt was in control of the radios. Still, I thought, it must be done - in mere seconds we'll be out of the sector and the opportunity will be lost. That Hornet must die, and die now. I thought about all of our Sim training and how important it was that we developed well as a crew and knew that to jump in on the radios now would destroy the integrity of all that we had worked toward becoming. I was torn.
Somewhere, 13 miles above Arizona, there was a pilot screaming inside his space helmet. Then, I heard it. The click of the mic button from the back seat. That was the very moment that I knew Walter and I had become a crew. Very professionally, and with no emotion, Walter spoke: "Los Angeles Center, Aspen 20, can you give us a ground speed check?" There was no hesitation, and the replay came as if was an everyday request. "Aspen 20, I show you at one thousand eight hundred and forty-two knots, across the ground."
I think it was the forty-two knots that I liked the best, so accurate and proud was Center to deliver that information without hesitation, and you just knew he was smiling. But the precise point at which I knew that Walt and I were going to be really good friends for a long time was when he keyed the mic once again to say, in his most fighter-pilot-like voice: "Ah, Center, much thanks, we're showing closer to nineteen hundred on the money."
For a moment Walter was a god. And we finally heard a little crack in the armor of the Houston Center voice, when L.A.came back with, "Roger that Aspen, Your equipment is probably more accurate than ours. You boys have a good one."
It all had lasted for just moments, but in that short, memorable sprint across the southwest, the Navy had been flamed, all mortal airplanes on freq were forced to bow before the King of Speed, and more importantly, Walter and I had crossed the threshold of being a crew. A fine day's work. We never heard another transmission on that frequency all the way to the coast.
For just one day, it truly was fun being the fastest guys out there."
Fantastic....What dreams are made of...!!
Great story!
this is straight from the book Sled Driver, at least cite the story
Well, i did specify it was a pasta, didn't i?
@Joe H Good choice
Back around that time I was a Captain on a B727 flying from San Diego to Ontario, Ca at 10000 feet. Flew right over March AFB as a SR-71 was taking off to the North. He pulled straight up in front of us ... I will never forget how beautiful that looked ... and being ex AF ... it looked safe to us! :) Thanks for the great story!
I was in Buckhorn, Ontario on Lower Buckhorn Lake that year when it was flown from Ottawa to Toronto. The SR 71 flew low enough to make the lake water rumble. It was only going subsonic since it was so close to the ground but in the few seconds it took to leave my view it made one of the most lasting memories of my life. Who ever was flying it that Saturday of the Labour Day Weekend thank you.
I could listen to stories like this for hours on end. Thank you.
seems like the RS-71 pilots have the best stories.
President Johnson first announced in 1964 the existence of the RS-71, the Air Force two-seater Blackbird. That's right, RS-71 was its official designation, but Johnson accidentally turned it around and called it the “SR-71.”Dec 6, 2016
How the SR-71 got its name - Philip Greenspun's Weblog
philip.greenspun.com/blog/2016/12/06/how-the-sr-71-got-its-name/
The kid at 2:20 when he said he lit the after burners "whoa" - -
The kid know B)
Made me go "awww"
made me do the chuck norris nod and smile
Went to only 1 airshow as a kid, a performance by the Blue Angels in '83 or '84 at Pt. Mugu in SoCal. Near the end of the show, the announcer told us they had a treat for us: a high speed pass by an SR-71. I'd been in AWE of that aircraft since the 1st time I'd seen a picture of it... It was over in a INSTANT! A black blur, an immense feeling of pressure, then the biggest BOOM I felt until being near an Abrams firing her main gun during my time in the Army! Never forget it as long as I live!
What a cool story ! I was at that very show in Toronto and went specifically there to see the SR71, as it departed over lake Ontario they just slowly rolled the throttle on and the ground shook like a friggin earth quake ! I will never forget that sight !
I did 110 in my Corolla once!
LOL! How many engines did it have?
elenthora Twin engines mate! Bi turbo, quad rocker, double barrel carby, monocoque Japanese beast...
And you only did 110?
elenthora Yeah. Didn`t want to show off too much. I`m a subtle kinda guy🤔
Ahhh, I see what ya did there, very intriguing.
*Here's an even better story.* This is what I thought this video was going to be about, and to put it bluntly, it ended up being pretty anticlimactic.
*Edit: FOR THOSE WITH THE READING COMPREHENSION OF A CHILD, **_THIS IS NOT A FIRST HAND EXPERIENCE_*
I was flying the SR-71 out of RAF Mildenhall, England, with my back-seater, Walt Watson; we were returning from a mission over Europe and the Iron Curtain when we received a radio transmission from home base. As we scooted across Denmark in three minutes, we learned that a small RAF base in the English countryside had requested an SR-71 fly-past. The air cadet commander there was a former Blackbird pilot, and thought it would be a motivating moment for the young lads to see the mighty SR-71 perform a low approach. No problem, we were happy to do it. After a quick aerial refueling over the North Sea, we proceeded to find the small airfield.
Walter had a myriad of sophisticated navigation equipment in the back seat, and began to vector me toward the field. Descending to subsonic speeds, we found ourselves over a densely wooded area in a slight haze. Like most former WWII British airfields, the one we were looking for had a small tower and little surrounding infrastructure. Walter told me we were close and that I should be able to see the field, but I saw nothing. Nothing but trees as far as I could see in the haze. We got a little lower, and I pulled the throttles back from 325 knots we were at. With the gear up, anything under 275 was just uncomfortable. Walt said we were practically over the field-yet; there was nothing in my windscreen. I banked the jet and started a gentle circling maneuver in hopes of picking up anything that looked like a field. Meanwhile, below, the cadet commander had taken the cadets up on the catwalk of the tower in order to get a prime view of the fly-past. It was a quiet, still day with no wind and partial gray overcast. Walter continued to give me indications that the field should be below us but in the overcast and haze, I couldn’t see it. The longer we continued to peer out the window and circle, the slower we got. With our power back, the awaiting cadets heard nothing. I must have had good instructors in my flying career, as something told me I better cross-check the gauges. As I noticed the airspeed indicator slide below 160 knots, my heart stopped and my adrenaline-filled left hand pushed two throttles full forward. At this point we weren’t really flying, but were falling in a slight bank. Just at the moment that both afterburners lit with a thunderous roar of flame (and what a joyous feeling that was) the aircraft fell into full view of the shocked observers on the tower. Shattering the still quiet of that morning, they now had 107 feet of fire-breathing titanium in their face as the plane leveled and accelerated, in full burner, on the tower side of the infield, closer than expected, maintaining what could only be described as some sort of ultimate knife-edge pass.
Quickly reaching the field boundary, we proceeded back to Mildenhall without incident. We didn’t say a word for those next 14 minutes. After landing, our commander greeted us, and we were both certain he was reaching for our wings. Instead, he heartily shook our hands and said the commander had told him it was the greatest SR-71 fly-past he had ever seen, especially how we had surprised them with such a precise maneuver that could only be described as breathtaking. He said that some of the cadet’s hats were blown off and the sight of the plan form of the plane in full afterburner dropping right in front of them was unbelievable. Walt and I both understood the concept of ‘breathtaking’ very well that morning and sheepishly replied that they were just excited to see our low approach.
As we retired to the equipment room to change from space suits to flight suits, we just sat there-we hadn’t spoken a word since ‘the pass.’ Finally, Walter looked at me and said, ‘One hundred fifty-six knots. What did you see?’ Trying to find my voice, I stammered, ‘One hundred fifty-two.’ We sat in silence for a moment. Then Walt said, ‘Don’t ever do that to me again!’ And I never did.
A year later, Walter and I were having lunch in the Mildenhall Officer’s club, and overheard an officer talking to some cadets about an SR-71 fly-past that he had seen one day. Of course, by now the story included kids falling off the tower and screaming as the heat of the jet singed their eyebrows. Noticing our HABU patches, as we stood there with lunch trays in our hands, he asked us to verify to the cadets that such a thing had occurred. Walt just shook his head and said, ‘It was probably just a routine low approach; they’re pretty impressive in that plane.’
Kyle Gilmore -- I suspect that it certainly is "pretty impressive" or even 'inspirational' for our servicemen and civilians to witness these fly-bys. Although it must be incredibly horrifying for any of our enemies to view! I don't know how they think they can fight back against such war birds as our SR-71Blackbird, B-2 Spirit, F-15 Eagles and the F-22 Raptors. (Amongst many more modern birds that I have no idea of...)*My Uncle was a member of a B-29 crew in the 1901 Bomb Group in Korea. They flew "The Outlaw".
Awesome. Man, I really do respect you folks! Thanks.
Kyle Gilmore great story, thanks for sharing. Pity smart phones weren’t around to record that for you( and us)
Not necessarily a better story in my opinion. I have doubts about the authenticity of your story and wonder if you're actually a former Blackbird pilot. IF your story actually happened the way you claim it did, you wouldn't have a story if it weren't for very poor piloting and decisions. By your own admission, you had no idea where you were in relation to the tower, platform, etc so you could have easily hit and killed every one of them including yourself and Walter and destroying your $34 million aircraft.
It's not my story, I just didn't use quotations when I copy and pasted.
It being better is always going to be up to the individual, I however found the story in the video to be quite watered down and rather dull compared to what I _thought_ it was going to be about, the story I posted above.
That pilot would go on to become actor Fred Willard
I need an sr71 in my location
😂🤣😂
Dude, that was hilarious. I knew that voice sounded familiar! I'm waiting for him to ask if he knows how much he can bench press. LOL
They’ve got an SR-71 at March Field Air Museum in SoCal that just surprises and stuns you as you walk in. With its majestic length that is enhanced with purple lights underneath the entire body, you feel as though you’re in some science fiction filmset. Absolutely amazing creation.
What an awesome story! My only SR-71 story is second-hand. Old friend of the family was an F-111 wrench out of Mountain Home. Had a day they locked down the base, had an SR-71 land, go straight to a hangar, stay there for a number of hours, then come out of the hangar at damn-near WOT and went vertical directly after. He never knew what/why, but said it was one Hell of show.
I can't imagine the cool stories SR-71 pilots would like to tell us, but can't.
grovermatic meh. The REAL interesting stories are the ones from the A-12 guys. Flew FASTER, and actually stealthy with additional tech. The A-12 was a spy plane. The SR was a recon aircraft designed to do battle damage assessments after nuclear war...
That may have been the premise of their operation but the reality of SR missions was for the -71 to act as an on-call spy plane that could get pictures without having to what for the next satellite to pass over the area.
Its been out of service for 28 years, I think everything would be considered declassified now.
Bill Trowsdal You'd be shocked at what old stuff is still classified.
NDAs(Non-Disclosure Agreements) and government redaction can last for over a hundred years or more so yeah it's not surprising we don't know more about the aircraft or the missions it did which for some required direct-presidential approval so let that sink in.
To me, this is not only the most beautiful aircraft ever, it is simply one of the most beautiful things ever made by humans.
My Korean war C/O was Capt. L R St John. His final assignment before retiring as Col. St John was an upper level world wide position with the SR-71 program. I only found this out shortly before he passed and don't know all the details. He was though the finest leader I ever met, in my whole life, and set a standard that I've always tried to achieve. Thank you Sir,
S/Sgt. R. Horton
When the SR-71 first flew over the Farnborough Airshow Early 80's they missed UK and had to turn around over France
I was told that same story by one of my teachers in the 80's
A 180 degree turn at Mach 3 in the sr71 takes a couple hundred miles to pull off
I use the watch the SR-71 on radar when I was station at the 26th Air Division/ NORAD region at Luke AFB Arizona in the late 1970's. It goes a lot faster and higher than the Air Force ever let out.
how high do you suppose it went and how fast?
Jon Schave not to mention it was never actually tested.
Retired AF here, let's just say she goes over Mach 4 with ease (closer to 5). 😏
@@jonn443 do the math for titanium to glow from air friction (you are correct Mach 5)
Quite correct, being from the 1st. Combat Evaluation Group, SAC, in the mid 70s. They go way over 2,000 m.p.h.
I was at the Toronto airshow for that exhibition. I remember being the only person on the beach who recognized the Blackbird. No one thought it was real until the afterburn blew our ears out.
I was Navy enlisted but worked in the Atlantic Command JCS office for Reconnaissance for 3 years and got to meet a number of SR-71 crew members and even seen the inside of the Cockpit of an SR-71 (instruments were covered ). Best tour of duty during my 20 years of service
The most aesthetically pleasing aircraft ever built.
Ever ever
Aesthetically*
@@assassin_5656 thanks for the spell check something did seem off. Beautiful bird though.
@@rogerengland2821 Oh yeah definitely. Still don't think the design has been topped yet
Agreed!
you had me at "buzzing the tower" and sr-71
I don't know why exactly but seeing that work of art and hearing about these adventures is just so calming.
My grandfather worked in USAF and SAC and got to see these take off in the early morning long before they were made public. Would be wild seeing something like this for the first time.
I love a Great story! I have a brief little one of my own to add.
My Grandfather worked for Mobil as a chemical engineer his whole career working mostly with fuels and lubricants. A few years back we went to the Air and Space museum's Udvar-Hazy Center. As we were walking around, my grandfather goes up to the blackbird and starts casually telling us all about the fuel it uses how it's basically a super refined kerosene with special additives to tweak it as necessary. Turns out he had been a part of developing the fuel for it! As we continued throughout the museum he pointed out some rockets that he had been a part of development too. It was all pretty cool, because previously none of us, even my grandmother, knew that he had been a part of these projects.
He's gone now and will be missed, but it's neat to know some of the things that he did in his career. It makes you wonder what else he worked on that he could never talk about!
Charles H ,sounds like you had one really great grandfather,and it must have been not just enthralling but also a surprise to hear of his untold exploits during his life. My grandfathers never really talked about the things that they did during WWII, but one thing I did find out before my grandfather passed was that he was involved with the Lancaster bombers modifications that were needed to carry out the “dambusters” raids on the Ruher(I think that’s spelt correctly) dams with the bouncing bombs developed by Barnes Wallace, who also invented the Wellington bomber,and I believe the “grand slam” bomb, the heaviest bomb dropped by any nation during the war. Glad you had such a great grandfather and may he rest in peace.
That dangnable Grampa! and who the hell is chopping those friggin ONIONS?
@@allandavis8201 Its 'Ruhr' actually - but you're forgiven! :-)
Charles H The “tweak” in the fuel is called “TEB” (triethylborane). The JP7 those engines has a very high ignition temp and required a little squirt of TEB to get them going.
Charles H my uncle worked for Grumman as an engineer for the F-14, X-29, and lunar rover projects. I bet he is in heaven now, swapping stories as we speak. I can picture it now: The SR-71 was a great airplane, but I remember the time a F-11 shot itself down... Definitely the “greatest generation” RIP to them both. Looking forward to the day we can see them again, but not TOO soon lol
An SR-71 also made a fly-by at the Abbotsford International Airshow many years back (don't ask me when). I was working in my Vancouver shop on the warm August Saturday of the show, and I had the door to the parking lot open. Suddenly, the loudest jet roar I'd ever heard filled the building; I ran outside and of course the plane was probably 40 miles away at the show by then! A guy was standing on a loading dock across the lane with a bit of a "WTF?" look on his face: "Was that the Blackbird?" I called. He didn't know. "Was it huge, sorta triangular, and black?" Yes, it was.
I went back inside, sorry to have missed it, but kept my ears open. It wasn't long before the roar built again and I sprinted for the door, only to see the distinctive rear profile of the plane quickly getting smaller as it headed west. Not until Star Wars came out years later, and everyone knew what the Millennium Falcon looked like jumping in hyperspace, would I have a comparison for happened next: there was a blue flash of afterburners on the massive engines and the plane simply disappeared out over the ocean.
Quite impressive.
It was the summer of 1986 - during Expo. the theme for that year was transportation, so they combined Expo 86 with the Air Show and somehow got the SR-71 to make an appearance.
On the Friday I was at lunch down on Granville island in Vancouver (about 30 miles away) when we could hear this roar like you never heard before coming down the valley towards us.
I looked up to see the SR-71 fly slowly over the city and circle over the downtown core.
After one circuit he pointed the nose vertical, touched off the after burners, and went straight up until he disappeared from view.
To this day I struggle to describe the sound that we heard and the colours of the flames coming out of the back end of the aircraft - flames that were as long a the craft itself. Kind of a purpley, bluish, orangey, red, yellow kind of flame.
I will never forget it.
The funny thing is, at the time (1986), I knew about the SR-71 and thought that if they had one flying around the Abbotsford air show up in Canada, it must not be so top secret anymore - one could only imagine what amazing wonderous kind of aircraft they had to replace it. Imagine what they must have today.
@@geegaw14 I wondered about a replacement, I would think that they have to have one
duckslayer92 Satellites
@@wdwerker its more of a bomber that a spy plane isn't it?
As a kid growing up in the eighties, during the height of the Cold War, I can remember camping in the Sierra Nevadas with my parents when we heard a sonic boom that seemed to shake the earth. We never saw the plane but I always imagined it was a blackbird.
Oh, that would have been cool. That was the area they often flew.
Relative of mine was working on that when it was a secret. The most awesome plane for it's time. Still love it.
This beats any fiction honestly. Real stories from real pilots. Sully is the tip of the Iceberg that everyone can see, but there are so many interesting stories below.
kekke2000 Imagine the stories they can’t tell.
my late grand uncle Earnie Johnson was a jet engine mechanic and worked on these incredible aircraft while he was in the service and so did his brother Frederick Johnson who was also a helicopter pilot in 1957, I got to meet one of them when I was a kid freddy died a month before I was born from cancer that was caused by exposure to agent orange during the Vietnam war, he was also a gunsmith, a locksmith, and scuba diver, who had a patent for a diving regulator some real secret agent type of stuff for the time, they were both incredible men and lifelong tinkerers and held the Sr-71 close to their hearts, may they rest in peace their families proud of them
interesting, thank you for sharing!
Drew Alsup My girlfriend's uncle-in-law's father was on the design team who created the SR-71!
@@prostidude87 that sounds like a stretch. I cant make this stuff up
Sorry to blow a hole in your story but only Pratt and Whitney technicians were allowed to work on the J58's
@@robby844 my grand uncle freddy was a pratt and whitney jet engine mechanic when he was in the service i have a plaque that says that he was a certified pratt and whitney jet engine mechanic. He wore many hats.
Just watched this again after a year or so. Laughed just as hard as I did the first time!
Well done sir!
glad you enjoyed it twice!
Me too! The best part was “I want one on my desk at 7 o’clock in the morning.” 😂
@@davidinflorida6814 literally laughed out loud at that part! 😉
Wow, this brings back memories. I was stationed at Beale AFB from 1982 - 83 and was a jet engine mechanic on the SR-71.
GREAT STORY!!! Mr. Rosenberg must be one hell of a pilot! Really fun story! Thanks!
Heard this story over a dozen times and it still does not get old !
Saw one fly out of Nellis AFB 1990. Also got to see the B3 bomber. The coolest thing I saw at Nellis was an engine fall off a warthog during take off and it turn around and landed in oncoming traffic. The depleted uranium rounds were fun to watch at night too. Great story.
I love hearing stories about the SR-71
So that's who it was. I was at the Toronto air show, and the SR-71 made some lovely passes. But everyone knows that for airshows there are restrictions, including a ban on overflying the crowd. Since this airshow was on a lakeshore, all the aircraft kept over the water. But for the final pass, he approached from the East, did a wide 360 turn to the left (probably took 3 miles), but instead of keeping over the water, he went low over the crowd, pulled his nose up high, and just climbed out of sight. I knew it was a hotshot pilot that day, but they, how can you stop someone like that from having some fun?
You have to have brave and bold men like that at the tip of the spear, they are the ones who are first to step up and defend freedom.
Amen to that!
I was at that show too. You got it exactly right. Just flew straight up to heaven, right through the cloud ceiling. Boom! Gone. Just an incredible thing to watch.
A friend told me about this. . Clearly lived in city at wrong time. Seen airshow from my apartment from 96 to 04 .twice have seen Concord and B1B Lancer . Once timed my vacation to see the A 380 do 1st Pearson landing.! 25 years working near airport and never got tired of 747 coming or going!
The day of the Air France incident did not take long for me to notice something was not right. Went for coffee at lunch and three 747 lined up to leave. I was a bit late on returning to work! 😁
Back sometime in the late '70s, I was at Cleveland's National Air Show that was held on Labor Day Weekend, and after a flight demo, a F-15 Eagle was going to do a 'Max Performance' climb to altitude, whilst broadcasting to the Cleveland Air Show PA system reading his altitude as he climbed. The F-15 went vertical - hit burner - and those two angry eyes of exhaust pipe glow took less than a minute to reach 35,000 and the pilot said 'Goodbye Cleveland!', and tipped over as he leveled off to head for the Toronto Air Show (also held the first weekend in September...) Good times!
Anyone who hits the "dislike" button on this has no soul. Great story. I love your stories and certainly appreciate your dedication to our nation.
You know, I think it doesn't matter if its CZcams, or your local news site, people are just out there down-voting comments, often with no real reason at all, but I suspect that some of them are touch-screen misclicks.
@@notsure9355 Could be a bot too. Plenty of cynical programmers who would make this sort of bot to get better at programming and then just leave it running in the background for no reason.
as utterly brilliant as these aircraft were, the pilots and their stories are what takes it to another level. They were simply the best of the best, but they were still human flying an aircraft that was often described as a UFO, but these days is still considered the best plane to ever take to the skies. Brilliant achievement from the guys that designed it to the guys that built it to the ground crews that looked after it to the pilots that flew it and to the technicians that more than once saved the world from war. The word TEAM sometimes just isn't enough..
Just found this channel and I love his stories. SR-71 has always been my favorite.
THIS WAS GREAT!
I can listen to old stories like this all day.
Well done.
I saw (and felt) a similar thing at Perth international airport (Western Australia) in the early sixties. A Royal Air force Vulcan bomber was visiting and when he departed the pilot requested a "flyby" which was approved. The Vulcan dived straight at the tower then raised the nose but was squashing in. I was quite close to the (old) tower and saw the door open and people rushing for the outside stairs. The Vulcan then opened the throttles (afterburners?) and with an ear shattering roar, slid up over the top of the tower! The ground shook! An experience never to be forgotten!
Wowzer... 🤣🤣🤣
My two favorite aircraft are the SR-71 "Black Bird" and the F-177 "Night Hawk", amazing engineering and definitely ahead of their time....
F-117 you mean
@@RDrumcajsek Jasně.
I’m almost certain I saw this SR71 go over my head while I was on the Toronto island. Way back in 1982 or ‘83. The aircraft would have been approaching east to west to the airshow, crossing over Toronto Island. Big black jet overhead then sonic boom! I thought at the time it was a cruise missile, but how could they be? Thanks for sharing yout story.
I saw one of these once in 1977/78 flying over my town in Norfolk in England. What an aircraft.
I grew up near Beale AFB and was too little to remember anything, but my parents have some super-8 movie clips of the SR's flying over, which was illegal to film at the time.
TAOFLEDERMAUS The village where I lived in Norfolk was on the edge of a very large area of grazing marshes. Through the end of the 60's and up to the end of the 70's when we moved, I used to watch Phantoms, F-111's, A-10's, Dutch F-16's, Harriers, Buccaneers and other 'planes making mock attacks on a sugar factory in the middle of the marshes. Bloody hell I loved it!!
One did a practice diversion at Coltishall in the late 80s as I was sat in the caravan at the end of the runway at the time.
I saw one of these do a supersonic flyby then land in Oshkosh as a kid in the late 80s. It was amazing. That memory will be with me my entire life. I saw a single engine prop plane crash that day, but the sr71 was the highlight for me. The pilot that crashed walked away from the crash. He attempted a roll at takeoff, but the wing hit the ground
I lived on Beale in 1982 and I loved it when the Blackbirds flew over the housing area or when we had an air show and they buzzed the flightline. Such an amazing aircraft!
My favorite aircraft of all time. Looks like it's doing Mach 1 while sitting on the ground. I was in the Air Force in 71 when Nixon mined Haiphong Harbor, Vietnam. The Air Force went to DEFCON 3 & started rotating aircraft from their home base to bases that don't normally see such aircraft. I was working on an Aircraft Arresting Barrier crew at Kingsley Field, Oregon so I was on the flight line. Two of these beauties landed at Kingsley at different times & stayed 24 hrs. Was able to get close up to an SR-71 & even met the crew. Oh man what a beautiful aircraft, although... I was amazed at how much fuel it leaked while parked. The take off of an SR-71 is a sight to behold.
i read that the fuel tanks didnt seal up till they were up and heated up and expanded all tight -----thats super cool to have first hand experience :)
A '71 came to Barksdale for open house in '79, and I got to see her inside the hangar. She leaks like a sieve on the ground -- the tanks are made to expand in flight to seal.
I worked in the Pod Shop on the flight line at Hill AFB Utah and saw many SR71s pull in for days rest for pilots. Planes always had entire circle of low enlisted guys at parade rest guarding plane entire time on the ground. They always took off at sunset, leaking fuel all the way. We watched every beautiful takeoff. I was always in the pilots lounge getting 'creamsicles' from the great selection snack machines there.
Grandpa the Grey never had the privilege of seeing the Blackbird. Unfortunately for me wherever I was in the world they never came to my location, after leaving the RAF I have gone to many air shows and again,never did they have the Blackbird as even a static ground display,let alone a flying display. Just my bad luck. As I understand it from watching many videos and personal engineering knowledge the SR71 leaks badly because of the need to allow,within the manufacturing tolerances, enough space between things like wing panels for thermal expansion at higher airspeeds, and although it looks pretty dam bad, it had/has to be like that so the aircraft won’t get fatigue damage by parts continuously rubbing against each other during the heating and cooling down actions that happen every time if flies.
Sarah Hays: Absolutely correct Sarah. Design Engineers tried, but never could develop a sealant or gasket that would prevent leakage both in flight, and on the ground. They settled for a perfect seal while in flight where the Blackbirds airframe reached temperatures of 600-900 degrees F depending on speed & altitude.
My favorite TFM video of the year. Thanks for recording him Jeff!
Top 3 favorite birds, the SR71, the A10, and the F22. The SR71 was what inspired me to join the Air Force.
Just for raw "cool factor", I don't think that plane has ever been surpassed. That thing was a beast.
"And that's how I met my wife"
Was thinking same!
I could listen to stories like that all day, especially with a SR-71 involved.
My Dad flew in WW II from P-40's through P-51e, became a flight instructor toward the end and was assigned to the first jet fighter squadron being formed. He never really got into computers towards the end, and it's a shame. I'd have loved for him to hear these stories.
I used to live in Palmdale 1954-1967. About 1967 sitting in a classroom with the door open an unknown to me jet fighter on afterburner buzzed the school. It was terrifying, then beautifully loud, as in we’re going to glory in a ball of fire or having a moment to remember. 54 years later I still remember that thrill.
Was stationed at Barksdale many years ago and was able to observe an SR do touch and go's at dusk! It was quite AWSOME!
Loved being in USAF in the 80’s and seeing this beautiful jet fly at our 1984 Airshow near Scott AFB
That's awesome that you've flown that beautiful bird. I met a pilot who flew it at a carnival in Ohio selling his memoirs there. I remember I kept telling my friend that night that the YF23 shouldve won that competition. Yes the 22 was more maneuverable, but the window had better stealth and a higher top speed. They shouldve just joined forces and added the thrust vectoring to it lol. Awesome story brother, hooah!
I have been enamored of the SR71 for as long as I can remember. I really love hearing this fun bit of history. The Legend grows with each little tidbit like this.