Brian Shul on piloting the SR-71 Blackbird

[IdaCat]

This is an inspiring video of patriotism, beauty, history, and human achievement.

I've always thought the SR-71 Blackbird to be one of the most beautiful, sexy, advanced well beyond it's time creations ever.

This 1960s example of American technological superiority flew over the Soviet Union and our other enemies doing aerial reconnaissance for 26 years without ever being shot down. Cruising altitude was 85,000 feet with a max speed of mach 3.3+. It flew too high and fast for any SAM or MIG to threaten it.

It STILL holds the known speed record for jet aircraft.

I'm lucky that there is one just south of here at the Hill Airforce Base Museum in Utah. I won't try to cover all of it's huge historical significance, so if you're not familiar with it, watch this well delivered video. This is the kind of thing that makes me get emotional for some reason.

 

[the nail at the foul line]

Excellent.

 

[SosaUK87]

Bad ass.

 

[_Mav_]

From Wikipedia (so TIFWIW), “If a surface-to-air missile launch was detected, the standard evasive action was to simply accelerate and outpace the missile” (emphasis mine) 😂😂😂.

Commies shooting stuff at you? No prob, just step on the gas.

 

[Tannerdad]

Saw one at the Dayton museum. Big mother. Awe inspiring

 

[IdaCat]

The pilot in this video said that all the commie bad guys (Soviets, Chinese, North Koreans) had a big meeting in North Korea. Ronald Reagan ordered him and his navigator to fly up to NK and do figure eights over the meeting causing constant sonic booms to rattle their coffee cups off the table. Just to show the commies that we were there. LMAO.

This guy has some great stories. How he recovered after being nearly burned alive from being shot down as a fighter pilot in Vietnam and went on to become an SR-71 pilot is very inspirational.

 

[_Mav_]

The pilot in this video said that all the commie bad guys (Soviets, Chinese, North Koreans) had a big meeting in North Korea. Ronald Reagan ordered him and his navigator to fly up to NK and do figure eights over the meeting causing constant sonic booms to rattle their coffee cups off the table. Just to show the commies that we were there. LMAO.

🤣

 

[the nail at the foul line]

Amazing photos he took.

 

[Catman100]

Watched the entire clip.
Awesome and maximum bad ass!!!

 

[_Mav_]

Amazing photos he took.

Master Yoda approves this syntax.

 

[LordEggForgotHisPassword]

so effin cool.

 

[the nail at the foul line]

Master Yoda approves this syntax.

Nerd

 

[BigBlueDave]

No one mentioned the one at Elgin AFB on the way to Destin /FWB?

 

[LordEggForgotHisPassword]

i was driving through the panamint valley one time and had stopped to just be in the middle of nowhere and watch the dust devils. Out of nowhere I got thunder blasted by an F-Something-or-other at very low altitude and high speed. After I gathered myself and confirmed i had not shit my pants, i watched it bust its move down the rest of the valley and bank out toward the west. So bad ass.

 

[the nail at the foul line]

One of the best stories is when the tower called to the Cessna which was moving 90 knots and then some bigger plane was moving 120 knots. Then some F-18 pilot had to jump in. He was moving 620 knots. Then SR71 navigator called the tower, and the tower came back with your moving 1942 knots, and the navigator responded it was closer to 2000. Made the F-18 pilot feel small.

 

[Cawood86]

Had one of those land at my base once. They didn't let you near that thing. Quickly moved into a hanger and blacked out all the windows. Pretty cool though.

 

[_ukcat]

Thanks for link, man he a bad ass. What a story!

 

[BCD]

I had the pleasure of listening to him speak at an air show convention in Las Vegas. Very inspiring story. Amazing he was able to take the photos he did with all the secrecy surrounding the blackbird.
I wanted to purchase one of his books but it must have been made with SR71 parts....it was stupid expensive.

His story about the speed check is pretty legendary:

SR 71 Speed Check

 

[Creed Bratton]

According to Wiki an Unmanned Arial Vehicle, the SR-72, is being developed by Lockheed and scheduled for flight in 2025.

 

[_Mav_]

 

[the nail at the foul line]

According to Wiki an Unmanned Arial Vehicle, the SR-72, is being developed by Lockheed and scheduled for flight in 2025.

Do people really think the fastest plane ever was from the 1960s? Seriously. Promise you they have better things.

 

[Creed Bratton]

Do people really think the fastest plane ever was from the 1960s? Seriously. Promise you they have better things.

According to some stories the SR-72 will fly at Mach 6 or roughly 3,600 MPH. Being unmanned they don't have to worry about G-force and other factors like they do a manned flight.

 

[_Mav_]

According to some stories the SR-72 will fly at Mach 6 or roughly 3,600 MPH.

My AR-15 shoots rounds 5 times faster than that…or so I’ve heard.

 

[IdaCat]

My AR-15 shoots rounds 5 times faster than that…or so I’ve heard.

Only if it has wicked looking furniture. Otherwise, it's just intermediate powered with no significance.

They don't make all this shit look bad ass for nothing. Speed!

 

[AustinTXCat]

@IdaCat : Ponder, if you will, the amount of hard-core, old school aeronautical engineering that went into this project. Brother, we're talking literally slide-rule and punch-card era. Stuff I understand, but can no way call myself intimately familiar, let alone expertise. We're talking cutting-edge stuff for those days.

Excellent post.

 

[CastleRubric]

man - that IS a badboy jet right there

i think they were based out of Beale AFB CA (9th Recon Wing?) when active

Looks ljke a dragster

 

[FearThe Blue]

If you're down in Acuna
and you ain't up to being alone . . . .

 

[rbs]

That presentation/video is exceptional ... a much watch IMO.

 

[AustinTXCat]

Amazing.

Crazy Fact: The SR-71 Blackbird Outran 4,000 Missiles

While no SR-71 was ever shot down, political infighting and funding issues finally grounded the speedy Blackbird.

www.19fortyfive.com

 

[Spica Orbit]

@IdaCat : Ponder, if you will, the amount of hard-core, old school aeronautical engineering that went into this project. Brother, we're talking literally slide-rule and punch-card era. Stuff I understand, but can no way call myself intimately familiar, let alone expertise. We're talking cutting-edge stuff for those days.

Excellent post.

---
Two words: Kelly Johnson.

Architect of Air

 

[Lamar Card]

---
Two words: Kelly Johnson.

Architect of Air

Remember Kelly Kapowski? Saved By The Bell's Tiffani Thiessen is still a total babe

TIFFANI Thiessen is still completely gorgeous decades after Saved By The Bell rocked the 90s.

www.dailystar.co.uk

 

[entropy13]

Do people really think the fastest plane ever was from the 1960s? Seriously. Promise you they have better things.

^This.

There's a plane often referred to as Aurora for which there's evidence. Its engines detonate methane slush as fuel to reach speeds supposedly up to Mach 8. There've been some odd looking "donuts on a rope" contrails and seismic records indicating this.

Then there's the supposed TR-3b Black Manta.

 

[the nail at the foul line]

^This.

There's a plane often referred to as Aurora for which there's evidence. Its engines detonate methane slush as fuel to reach speeds supposedly up to Mach 8. There've been some odd looking "donuts on a rope" contrails and seismic records indicating this.

Then there's the supposed TR-3b Blank

Saw a flying triangle in 2021. Silent.

 

[chroix]

I saw an SR71 hit it’s afterburners at a flyover at an air show at Scott AFB. Just completely raw power. Still one of the most impressive things I’ve seen almost 40 years later.

 

[the nail at the foul line]

I saw an SR71 hit it’s afterburners at a flyover at an air show at Scott AFB. Just completely raw power. Still one of the most impressive things I’ve seen almost 40 years later.

Was probably in Kansas City 4 minutes later.

 

[BC_Wader]

Cool thread. Watched The Right Stuff for the umteenth time yesterday. Googled Yeager afterwards. That man flew 360 different aircraft over a 70 year career of flying. No telling how many top secret aircraft he piloted. He's an American treasure.

 

[the nail at the foul line]

https://thechive.com/military/r-i-p-legendary-sr-71-blackbird-pilotbrian-shul/

 

[SAECATFAN]

Straight to Arlington, I hope. What a hero.

 

[PhDcat2018]

Straight to Arlington, I hope. What a hero.

Absolutely has to be!

 

[chroix]