LA Speed Story - SR-71 Crew trolls Navy and civil aviators

Who doesn't like an SR-71 story. This one is fantastic by Brian Schul and its almost as good as the SR-71 giving the French Air force Clearance after Operation El Dorado canyon.



oppositelock.kinja.com...

This one is an oldie but a goodie. I love it every time.

a reply to: Zaphod58

What about the apocryphal one about the SR-71 crew that asked for a speed/altitude check and were accidentally given the readings for ...something else... by the ATC?

I actually really enjoyed that.

"Yeah, we're reading about 2k Knots"

Lmfao. In my next life I am joining the Air Force.

a reply to: Barnalby

Is that actually true or just another fable/crossed wires??
I remember reading about U2 pilots seeing drones up at their altitude that they had never seen before.

a reply to: Woody510

Yeah, I've heard of those stories from Iraq in 2003, and honestly, I'd be more surprised if we DIDN'T have at least a couple black drones with U-2-like performance.

The version of the SR-71 speed check story that I've seen involved something whose altitude/ground speed were more in like with Isinglass or the X-25C.

of course there is high altitude drones, look at the RQ-180. And if any U-2 crew saw a secret project they would probably have been opened to keep a lid on it.

but then again stuff does ooze out from time to time.

a reply to: penroc3

From what I remember reading the U2 pilots were just told to ignore them even though they had US markings. I'm more inclined to think it was the RQ170 they saw.

That story has been told repeatedly here on ATS and it still never gets old. Nice to hear from the voice of the guy who did it.

Great find Fred.

a reply to: Woody510

The RQ-170 isn't designed for high altitude.

a reply to: Woody510

Probably a dark star derivative

a reply to: Zaphod58

Oh is it not my bad. Jog my memory Bass was the dark star Lockheeds drone that was unstable and crashed then totally disappeared?

a reply to: FredT

He's got the set up and punchline down at this point and it's even funnier.

a reply to: FredT



Thats HILARIOUS!

I suppose if you are in the slickest, meanest looking, most insane aircraft ever built, you get a free pass to really put your mark on the space you are in! Told the story like a champ too!

a reply to: FredT

Im no aircraft or airforce geek , but that was good.

a reply to: FredT

Thanks so much for sharing this, its boring at work here and i spend all day reading up about SR-71, A-12, U2, the amazing stories of different pilots, how pilots know they are locked (complicated but very interesting) and the U2 incident over Russia and the troubles it brought Eisenhower at the Paris Summit. I love the Nasa cover-up idea, it looked so silly with that painting on even with the picture in black & white. I could not find if they still give pilots that Suicide-pill or if they stopped using that as Gary Powers clearly refuse to take it, and with good reason!
Mesmerizing stories to say the least.

I never knew there was a plane that preceded the SR-71 let alone that it was even faster then its predecessor, not very surprising as it was a lot lighter with only one pilot and very inappropriately called the oxcart, i much more prefer the unofficial Lockheed name "Cygnus" for the A-12. Boy must have that been a busy job in that cockpit.
Now to start the search for that framed pic of a cool afterburner using A-12 flying off into the horizon to hang on the wall.

a reply to: FredT
Excellent! it's good to start your morning with coffee and a great story!

a reply to: FredT

Love that story...

Here's another SR71 old story...

SR-71

originally posted by: kelbtalfenek
a reply to: FredT

Love that story...

Here's another SR71 old story...

SR-71

Thats another fantastic one for sure!!!!

Dark Star was pretty iffy with stability control and after the incident it was rebuilt but in the end was mothballed.Lot of stuff went into the Rq170 and 180 probably.Dark Star survivors (3) are now in museums.