Dave Spencer Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 I just came across this on fb. http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/favorite-sr-71-story-1079127041 Regards, Dave 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth Vader Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 Brilliant ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aimee'sDad Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 Superb! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rickpadwick1801 Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 Excellent, I love the blackbird. Just wish I had seen one flying :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 That's been my favourite SR-71 story for years, and I was at Edwards the day the last SR-71 flew with NASA, and I got the bang. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhdove Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 Brilliant! We'd love to see the Blackbird fly on our annual pilgrimage to Mildenhall Air Fete, surely the best ever UK Airshow and sorely missed. There's only one faster sled pilot and he's on tour December 24th! TonyS 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve4428 Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 I remember one flying over our position back in the late 80s in the middle of the night, whilst I was stagging on somewhere near Thetford! I had never seen or heard such an aircraft before! Totally amazing!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
upnorth Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 I saw one fly once back in 1986. I was in Vancouver, Canada to visit the World's Fair which the city was hosting that year. The same weekend I was there, the Abbotsford airshow was going on. I was taking in a performance of some sort on the expo grounds when a Blackbird flew over fairly low and quick. The sound drowned out everything else and I was watching it disappear with burners lit almost as quickly as it had shown up. We also got a couple of flyovers by the Concord that weekend too. Two great shapes that sadly no longer ply the clouds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c.smith10 Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 Now all we need is a modern tooling in 1/48 of this iconic aircraft! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geedubelyer Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 Great to read this one again Dave. Much thanks for the link. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmcclure Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 Having spent a few years growing up near Mildenhall in the late 70s/early 80s I saw the SR71 flying many times but no matter how often, it never stopped being the most incredible sight. possibly the aeroplane I'd most like to see in the sky again. Cheers, Roger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard E Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 If you ever get the chance try to go to one of Colonel Rich Graham's talks on flying the SR-71 - he visits Duxford on a fairly regular basis; he is a retired Wing Commander at Beale and normally delivers a very concise presentation followed by an open question-and-answer session. Despite spending a career flying a Mach 3 over many of the world's hot spots he is a very quiet and modest gentleman who still flies as an instructor in Texas: imagine pounding circuits in a Cessna with a former SR-71 pilot in the left hand seat.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spad Posted November 16, 2014 Share Posted November 16, 2014 Try this one! Opposite end of the Sr's speed spectrum! http://www.planeandpilotmag.com/speed-is-life.html Enjoy - I did!! ATBRick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Bryon Posted November 19, 2014 Share Posted November 19, 2014 Thanks for the link. I have a copy of that book which it looks like I'll now be selling...! Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarrenH Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 I can highly recommend Brian Schull's inspirational video on his story of his quest to survive incredible burns and then get into the Blackbird program His photography is brilliant with two superb books both share great reading and beautiful images. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhdove Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 I can highly recommend Brian Schull's inspirational video on his story of his quest to survive incredible burns and then get into the Blackbird program His photography is brilliant with two superb books both share great reading and beautiful images. DarrenThank you so much for posting that. I watched it all spellbound. What a great vid. It brought back so many memories from Air Fete, I miss it SOOOOOO much, I don't think we'll ever see it's like again unfortunately, but I feel privileged to have been there so many times and to have so many wonderful memories. I bought a copy of Sled Driver on publication for £25.00, I looked on EBay and the only copy on there is at £485.00..... ....that makes it the best investment I have ever made (albeit unwittingly)! TonyS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flankerman Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Didn't I read the same story linked to in the first post - but about altitude rather than speed ??? I can't remember the exact details, but IIRC, the same aircraft were involved, but with the Cessna asking the tower for 'clearance to 5,000ft' Then follows the twin Beech asking for clearance to 20,000ft, the Hornet trying to out-do everyone by asking for clearance to 50,000 ft etc etc........ Then the SR-71 asks for clearance to 70,000ft - to which the tower replies that 'no-one can go that high' After a few seconds the Blackbird driver replies ....... 'Err, that's clearance to DESCEND to 70,000ft'..... Whatever the facts, its still a great story. Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keefr22 Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 I bought a copy of Sled Driver on publication for £25.00, I looked on EBay and the only copy on there is at £485.00..... ....that makes it the best investment I have ever made (albeit unwittingly)! I got one for a fiver in a remainder book store! Had a look at the completed listings & the only recently sold ones appear to have gone for a best offer close to £250 & another sold for £147. Still nuts....!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard E Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 (edited) I think this is the quote from Brian Shul's book that Ken is referring to: "...I heard a Cessna ask for a readout of its groundspeed. "90 knots," Center replied. Moments later a Twin Beech required the same. "120 knots," Center answered. We weren't the only one proud of our speed that day as almost instantly an F-18 smugly transmitted, "Ah, Center, Dusty 52 requests groundspeed readout." There was a slight pause. "525 knots on the ground, Dusty." Another silent pause. As I was thinking to myself how ripe a situation this was, I heard trhe familiar click of a radio transmission coming from my back-seater. It was at that precise moment I realized Walt and I had become a real crew, for we were both thinking in unison. "Center, Aspen 20, you got a groundspeed readout for us?" There was a longer than normal pause. "Aspen, I show one thousand seven hundred and forty-two knotsa." No further enquiries were heard on that frequency...." Edited November 21, 2014 by Richard E 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flankerman Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 No - that's from the link given by the OP. The one I'm half-remembering is (more-or-less) the same story of a p*ssing contest - but about altitude rather than speed. I can't quote a source - but I'm almost sure I'm not making it up....... Anyone ??? Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard E Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 No - that's from the link given by the OP. The one I'm half-remembering is (more-or-less) the same story of a p*ssing contest - but about altitude rather than speed. I can't quote a source - but I'm almost sure I'm not making it up....... Anyone ??? Ken I think I've heard the story about descending to 70,000 feet as well somewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keefr22 Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 I think I've heard the story about descending to 70,000 feet as well somewhere. Ditto. As I remember it was a request to cross Heathrow's ATZ after Concorde had been given climb clearance to 50,000 ft.. But I think that was just one version.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnT Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 Not Quite SR71 territory but the altitude descent story reminded me of a tale from Roland Beamont in one of the books I have on the shelf. He was flying a Canberra into the USA for a demo to the USAF and arrived over controlled airspace at some previously impossible altitude. The gound controller asked for his altitude which RB would not give over the radio as it was at a height that was classified. He told them that he was way above other traffic and not to worry but they just didn't believe him as they took it for granted that he had to be down among traffic. Caused quite a fuss until he repeated the height for the USAF who took the point. Of course the rest is history as far as sales go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Bryon Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 I got one for a fiver in a remainder book store! Had a look at the completed listings & the only recently sold ones appear to have gone for a best offer close to £250 & another sold for £147. Still nuts....!! I too paid £4.95 for one in Cambridge in 1998. Just sold it for £150 on ebay, with slight damage to cover and binding. Part of me thinks I should have asked for more, but another part is just staggered. I had no idea it was worth anything! Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keefr22 Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 I had no idea it was worth anything! Me neither Jon! I'm torn now as to whether to sell it or keep it - even after all these years I still haven't read it! Keith 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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