Posted on 12/28/2016 8:20:44 PM PST by BulletBobCo
Kind of like "British Airways pilot, have you not been to Frankfort before?" "Yes, twice in 1944, but it was dark, and we didn't land."
I think all F18 pilot had to do was go into after burner and call in again.
always funny no matter how often you read it.
one of my old customers was a Blackbird test pilot, he just laughed derisively when I asked if it could fly Mach 3 and 80,000 ft
They’ve been out of service since 99 or so. nasa may have one or two for whatever reason, but they’re certainly not flying with any frequency any longer.
Yes, Space Shuttle is about 17,500 mph in orbit, but it is not a beast like the Blackbird.
I wonder then what it is I see then, flying at incredible speed in the night sky?
Pull the SR-71B’s out of mothballs. They seat 2.
Poof!
Hypersonic AF1 For President Trump.
The two most amazing things about the SR71 to me are
1) when it was designed (1958-59) and built (early 60's) and
2) where the government sourced the titanium (USSR)
“at least a 20 year old story.”
Try 35+
On my wall is an autographed color photo of an airborne 71 signed by my friend Bill Groninger.
We crossed paths in Nam back in 67 and again in 84 in San Diego where he personalized the photo to me.
All the stories are true.
http://portroyal200.com/view.php?id=767
Another great story here: http://www.xmb.stuffucanuse.com/xmb/viewthread.php?tid=6830
1900 knots ground speed. At 80kft, Mach 1 is ~580 knots, and a strong westerly tailwind in the northern hemisphere is pretty rare.... especially a 600kt tailwind ;)
Not Fe.
that’s super cool. because thats exactly what I want someone to do with (what was then) our country’s most secret aircraft: draw unnecessary attention to it in order to win a biggest dick contest.
Nice.
List of pilots who flew the Blackbird.
http://www.sr71.us/Supp_BBook.htm
Note: Senator MajGen Barry Goldwater did on 2 Apr 1969
He also flew the U-2 and a gaggle of other aircraft.
Awesome...
The J 58’s could put out power than the SR-71 airframe could handle.
I just recently saw the plane at WPAFB. I think its last flight was coast-to-coast in 67 minutes. I had a chance when I was teaching at Creighton University to ride in a refueling tanker (C-47?) with an AF friend of mine, who was working at SAC Headquarters, Offutt AFB. A 71 called in and said he was slowing down for refuel. We were almost to the Iowa-IL state line when he called. He said approximately 10 minutes to link-up. When asked where he was, he reported: “Over Billings, Montana.” Holy crap, Batman! When he showed up, he was literally at stall speed and the tanker was firewalled. He took on a load of fuel, dropped down and—whish!—was gone. He radioed in a few minutes later (we had just crossed into IL) and said he had just completed his turn for home. When asked where he was now, he reported he was over Atlanta! The 71 couldn’t turn at all, but it was a bat-out-of-hell in a straight line.
I think it was the mid 60’s that the 71’s existance was no longer a secret.
And your point is well taken.
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