And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
I referenced my photos on my laptop and can confirm by the tail number, 17959.... this is on display at the Armament Museum @ Eglin AFB, Florida. There are several more aircraft on display outside.
Why? You think it wasn't replaced by something better and faster...?
BTW, they're all actually rather small up close, and they look and feel pretty kludgy. Like the one at Eglin, you can walk right up and under the one at Warner-Robbins, tap on it, etc., or at least you could in the '90s.
It's only when heated up by friction at speed and altitude that they enter their rightful realm.
Now imagine what the Skunk Works ginned up to make the Air Farce willing to mothball the entire SR-71 fleet.
Google Thursday Morning Sonic Booms and Jim Mori at CalTech circa 1992.
" 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 adrenalin-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 levelled 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."
History fact:
ReplyDeleteThat's the actual Blackbird that George Bush Sr flew in 1980 to Paris to negotiate the release of the hostages before the election
Now that's funny!
DeleteBlack bird has its own sarcophagus.
ReplyDeleteI referenced my photos on my laptop and can confirm by the tail number, 17959.... this is on display at the Armament Museum @ Eglin AFB, Florida. There are several more aircraft on display outside.
ReplyDeleteIt's a beautiful aircraft. Pity to see it mothballed like that:-(.
ReplyDeleteWhy? You think it wasn't replaced by something better and faster...?
DeleteBTW, they're all actually rather small up close, and they look and feel pretty kludgy. Like the one at Eglin, you can walk right up and under the one at Warner-Robbins, tap on it, etc., or at least you could in the '90s.
It's only when heated up by friction at speed and altitude that they enter their rightful realm.
Now imagine what the Skunk Works ginned up to make the Air Farce willing to mothball the entire SR-71 fleet.
Google Thursday Morning Sonic Booms and Jim Mori at CalTech circa 1992.
" 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 adrenalin-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 levelled 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.
ReplyDeleteQuickly 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."
SR 71 speed check story is hilarious. those pilots are the shits.
ReplyDelete