The Thrill of Flying the SR-71

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Ble_PE

Ble_PE

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This is a pretty awesome article written by a guy who used to pilot the SR-71. That was an amazing plane. I hate that it's no longer in service and it's sad that we haven't replaced it with something better.

The SR-71 was an expensive aircraft to operate. The most significant cost was tanker support, and in 1990, confronted with budget cutbacks, the Air Force retired the SR-71.The Blackbird had outrun nearly 4,000 missiles, not once taking a scratch from enemy fire.
On her final flight, the Blackbird, destined for the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum , sped from Los Angeles to Washington in 64 minutes, averaging 2,145 mph and setting four speed records.
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Capt Worley PE said:
Ble_PE said:
I hate that it's no longer in service and it's sad that we haven't replaced it with something better.
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I bet they have ;)
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I bet they haven't. The shuttle program got axed... no replacement has been funded. F-22 got axed. Stealth got axed. Did I miss anything? :screwloose:

Side note: the dad of one of my acquaintances (not a friend b/c he's a douche and a half) was an early Stealth test pilot. If you ever, EVER saw early footage of a Stealth Fighter or Bomber, he was the pilot.

 
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What an awesome article. I can't imagine what those sort of speeds do to the human body.

 
We're not actively fighting against a high tech nation so what's the use of ridiculously badass planes?

 
I would imagine they'll all be suprceded by remotely piloted drones before too long.

 
Great article. This was always my favorite jet, probably from too many X-Men comics as a kid. But very cool, I check it out every time I go to the Air Force museum.

 
I'd like to get a copy of that Sled Driver book, but there are only 150 copies left, they are all signed by the authors, and they cost $427. That's a little much for a book.

 
Kelly Johnson's book was pretty good, wil. I think it was called Skunkworks or something.

I have a really good F-117 book that has fantastic coverage of the Have Blue developement, but I can't remember who wrote it.

 
it was a cool plane, but with satellites that can read license tags I guess its no longer a necessity

 
Satellites aren't always right over where you need to be, and their schedules can be known, though.

I believe even a few U2s are flying again in a recce role. U2s or TR-1s, I never could keep the designations of those two straight.

 
^I think there was a recent article about the U2 being put back to work over Afghanistan.

 
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They have a plane called the aroura comming out but its in its infancy or so they say but the future will be pilotless aircraft, the aroura is suppositly capable of traveling 4000 miles per hour and can drop a bomb on a target of opprotunity around the world in no time. Piloted air craft like that are going to be a thing of the past because the enviornmental factors to keep a human alive add a ton of weigth. Satalites are all over the place. Also the F-22 was not axed, they have a whole wing of them in anchorage. Would be cool to fly one of thoes or work on the design team.

 
rppearso said:
They have a plane called the aroura comming out but its in its infancy or so they say but the future will be pilotless aircraft, the aroura is suppositly capable of traveling 4000 miles per hour and can drop a bomb on a target of opprotunity around the world in no time. Piloted air craft like that are going to be a thing of the past because the enviornmental factors to keep a human alive add a ton of weigth. Satalites are all over the place. Also the F-22 was not axed, they have a whole wing of them in anchorage. Would be cool to fly one of thoes or work on the design team.
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Dude... the F-22 was axed. Its funding was killed by the senate last year. Do you honestly think once the program was killed that all of the built jets were recycled?

 
The F-22 deserved the axe. The program had been ruined by the politics behind it, resulting in a plane that was far more expensive than expected and delivered way later than scheduled. I was involved peripherally with that program and it was a mess.

 
Cool! Two F-22s from Guam (I presume) just buzzed our coastline at maybe 500 feet - low enough and close enough for me to get a very good look at them from my office windows. They are not nearly as loud as the F-18s that usually fly around here.

 

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