Ace Sez #5 - (18 January 2006)

SR-71 Tales and Other Stories

One of the greatest triumphs of Kelly Johnson and the Lockheed “Skunk Works” was undoubtedly the SR-71, a needle-nosed, Mach 3+, Strategic Reconnaissance (hence the designation) ship only recently retired after a decades-long career of global snooping.  The following are some of the unique tales accruing to the aircraft and its highly-trained crews who nicknamed it “The Sled”. 
 

      In his book," Sled Driver," SR- 71/ Blackbird pilot Brian Shul writes:

      "I'll always remember a certain radio exchange that occurred one day

      as Walt (my backseater) and I were screaming across Southern

      California 13 miles high. We were monitoring various radio

      transmissions from other aircraft as we entered Los Angeles airspace."
 

      "Though they didn't really control us, they did monitor our movement

      cross their scope.  I heard a Cessna ask for a readout of its groundspeed.

      "90 knots" Center replied.

      Moments later, a Twin Beech required the same. "120 knots," Center

      answered.

      "We weren't the only ones proud of our groundspeed that day as almost

      instantly an F-18 smugly transmitted, "Ah, Center, Dusty 52 requests

      groundspeed readout."

      "There was a slight pause, then the response, 525 knots on the ground, Dusty".

      "Another silent pause. As I was thinking to myself how ripe a situation

      this was, I heard a familiar click of a radio transmission coming from

      my backseater. It was at that precise moment I realized Walt and I had

      become a real crew, for we were both thinking in unison. "Center,

      Aspen 20, you got a groundspeed readout for us?"

      There was a longer than normal pause.... "Aspen, I show 1,742 knots"

      "No further inquiries were heard on that frequency"

  +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

      In another famous SR-71 story, Los Angeles Center reported receiving a

      request for clearance to FL 600    (60,000 ft). The incredulous controller,

      with some disdain in his voice, asked, "How do you plan to get up to

      60,000 feet?

      The pilot (obviously a sled driver), responded, "We don't plan to go

      up to it, we plan to go down to it." He was cleared...

     +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

      There's a story about the military pilot calling for a priority

      landing, because his single-engine jet fighter was running "a bit

      peaked". Air Traffic Control told the fighter jock that he was number

      two, behind a B-52 that had one engine shut down. "Ah", the fighter

      pilot remarked, "The dreaded Seven-Engine approach".

      +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

      A student became lost during a solo cross-country flight. While

      attempting to locate the aircraft on radar, ATC asked, "What was your

      last known position?"

      Student: "When I was number one for takeoff".

     +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

      Taxiing down the tarmac, the DC10 abruptly stopped, turned around and

      returned to the gate. After an hour-long wait, it finally took off.

      A concerned passenger asked the flight attendant, "What, exactly, was

      the problem?"

      "The pilot was bothered by a noise he heard in the engine," explained

      the flight attendant.

      "It took us a while to find a new pilot."

     +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

      "TWA 2341, for noise abatement turn right 45 Degrees.."

      "Center, we are at 35,000 feet. How much noise can we make up here?"

      "Sir, have you ever heard the noise a 747 makes when it hits a 727?".

     +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

©  Henry N. Oldham 18January 2006