Cool SR-71 story

Fascinating aircraft. When we lived on Okinawa, the SR71 took off most days. When it returned they parked at the end of the runway for an extended time. A friend's father worked in recon and brought some 9-in diameter cases (maybe 15 in wide) that supposedly the film was packed in for the SR71.

Also most days a fleet of KC-135s took off heading out to refuel the loaded B-52's out of Guam going to Vietnam.
 
That must have been an awesome site to see that thing take off. What an amazing aircraft and even more amazing how long ago it was conceived /built
 
thanks for sharing.

it's insane how long ago that thing was designed/built, and yet still looks sort of "futuristic"
 
Saw an SR-71 at the new Air&Space out by Dullas last summer:



Such an awesome place! My face hurt from smiling so much at all the historic aircraft on display.
 
Thanks for posting. That was a great story. :popcorn

"What started out for us as a 10.5-hour, round-robin mission, California to the Soviet Union and back, turned into a 21-day marathon"
 
House of Wax said:
That must have been an awesome site to see that thing take off. What an amazing aircraft and even more amazing how long ago it was conceived /built
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It was. They climbed at very steep angle We were told it was to be high enough before getting to where they were going. China was just about 600 miles but we never knew where they went.
 
A bunch of us in Korea ( up in the DMZ area ) would make sure the beacons were working when the U2 would fly over into North Korea with one bang ( Sonic Boom ), then a few mins later a double bang would be heard.......SR-71 from Kadena Air Base okinawa was making it's pass over the country and saying "Smile" you on Candid Camera. They try so hard to shot it down but it was too late for them ti even try.
 
It was fun to be a controller when it was flying back in the day. One moment it look like it was on a scope, then the next one moment it was gone...........
 
I was always amazed at how much fuel they leaked on the ground and had to be refueled shortly after take off. That was one bad a** plane.

Dave
 
Old Pirate said:
It was fun to be a controller when it was flying back in the day. One moment it look like it was on a scope, then the next one moment it was gone...........
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Mi Hermano !

I personally saw things on USAF Radar Station Scopes Exactly Like You Described - in 1967 :)
Here the paint, - then it's off the scope - only amazingly fast things can do that...

Love this story House - on a good note, Beale AFB is about 10 miles from where I live...

On another good note - my Dear Father during the War with Japan, deployed from Beale to the PI....

Thanks so much for this !!!
Dan F
 
I lived on Okinawa as a kid. We lived on Machinato. I went to grade school there for a year then went to Naha for my next grade. We should have never given it back to the Japanese. We won it fair and square. Spilled a ton of blood just to give it back.
 
Thanks for posting that. Growing up in the 70s and 80s, my friend and I built models of the SR71 and U2 and had promo photos all over our bedroom walls. Good times.

Great story.

(Sent from my mobile device.)
 
The fun part was when taking off, it was slow because if it was dropping the hammer everyone's window ( Car, Building even one's eyeglasses ) would be blown away for about 5 miles. All I know is this baby can do Mach 5 and climb over 150,000 ft like if it was nothing. One bad ass plane.
 
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