SR71

Discussion in 'New Roundtable' started by shane0911, May 8, 2018.

  1. shane0911

    shane0911 Helping lost idiots find their village

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    If you have 5 min it's a good listen



    You air force dudes will like it
     
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  2. COTiger

    COTiger 2010 Bowl Pick 'Em Champ

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    Blackbird story.
    I was a young airman stationed at Reese AFB outside of Lubbock Texas from 1967 - 69. Being a young airman, I was given an additional duty of being a security police augmentee. I learned the details from a buddy who worked in the control tower after the fact. A SR71 declared an inflight emergency somewhere over the western US. His onboard navigation equipment told him Reese was the best base to make an emergency landing. They landed safely and we got called up. The crusty old E-7 said "Boys, this isn't an exercise. This is the real deal. SAC is on their way in a KC-135. This is no longer a training base." That was affirmed when they gave us live ammo and a pistol to boot. They emptied a maintenance hanger, bought all of the wrapping paper the Commissary had and made that hanger a fortress. I learned later that they lost an engine and had to land at our base. After getting the engine changed and the prefllight checks completed they were ready for takeoff. They did, but then returned and made a low level pass over the runway and then stood that black bird on it's tail and went off into the wild blue yonder. Hell of a sight.
     
  3. COTiger

    COTiger 2010 Bowl Pick 'Em Champ

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    I found it kind of odd that Shul only retired as an O-4. Being good enough to fly the blackbird should have resulted in resulting in retiring as an O-5 as a minimum.
     
  4. shane0911

    shane0911 Helping lost idiots find their village

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    I thought the same
     
  5. el005639

    el005639 Founding Member

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    While stationed in Okinawa we would sometimes hang out in a small beach area toward the end of Kadena airbase run way. The black birds would take off there at night on there way over Korea or Russia. Man they would literally take off vertically... frickin awesome sight.
     
  6. mctiger

    mctiger RIP, and thanks for the music Staff Member

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    I've watched that video before. But I'd heard the story even before that, and thought it was an urban legend. I really hope its true.
     
  7. watson1880

    watson1880 Founding Member

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    More stories. About an hour
     
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  8. shane0911

    shane0911 Helping lost idiots find their village

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    I believe him, dude seems legit although @COTiger brings up an excellent point, why is a Major flying the SR-71 ? Seems like something that would be out of his range but then again, don't see many past 0-4 in the shape it would take to fly one of these beast. Hard to say really.

    I believe him.
     
  9. COTiger

    COTiger 2010 Bowl Pick 'Em Champ

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    I watched that video that @watson1880 posted. That tells me all I need to know. He overcame a bunch of physical obstacles to return to the cockpit. All he was interested in was flying. He didn't give a shit about rank.
     
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  10. COTiger

    COTiger 2010 Bowl Pick 'Em Champ

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    I did a little more Google research on the emergency landing. It happened in February 1969 and involved tail number 967. What surprised me was that the blackbird was on the ground at Reese 4 days. i don't remember it being that long.
     

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