Blair Bunting:
There was once a time when men flew a jet that tore the air apart, nearly revealing the physics that had served only to hold it together. It was an aircraft that screamed as quietly as the night, flying for almost ten years before it was even known to exist. To many, it is considered the greatest aircraft innovation ever gave us; it is the SR-71 Blackbird.
I was not among those fortunate to see it fly, my viewership of this spectical (sic) is, and will always be, limited to History Channel documentaries with the sound cranked to 11. However, I could not help but feel the sense of awe when stepping out of the van at Beal Air Force Base and the PA officer saying, “here is your SR-71, Mr. Bunting.”
Even after all of these years, it is still the most magnificent airplane I’ve ever seen. I remember the day it buzzed the city of Vancouver to promote the local airshow. I was literally standing in awe, mouth agape, as it flew by.
Agreed. In this day an age, I doubt they’ll ever be able to build as awesome an airplane as the SR-71. I think the Skunkworks is history, and the way stuff is designed by Congressional fiat and red tape microscopic oversight now, nothing like it will ever appear again.
You can walk up and touch one at the Air Force Armament Museum in Destin Florida. We went on a vacation there and I almost swerved across the median when we drove by and I saw it just sitting out by the parking lot.
http://www.sr-71.org/photogallery/blackbird/17959/
Kelly Johnson = genius.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelly_Johnson_(engineer)#Aircraft_contributions
I saw the MD-21 variant of the A-12 at the Museum of Flight near Seattle almost 20 years ago. The “M” stands for the M-21 variant of the A-12 “mother” itself, and the “D” is for the D-21 reconnaissance “daughter” drone that was launched from the mother aircraft.
I recently saw an oddball A-12 on display outside the California Science Center in LA. Dual-cockpit trainer variant. The only one ever made.
(FYI: The A-12 was the precursor to the SR-71 and looks nearly identical.)
It’ll be an all-drone Air Force post-F-35.
No need for hypersonic manned spy planes any more.
Just small stealthy drones.
I know exactly the moment you’re talking about. Expo ’86 in Vancouver. I had seen the SR-71 arrive at Abbotsford for the airshow on the Friday before. Incredible aircraft. Someone’s got a video of that performance on YouTube. Doesn’t do it justice, but you get the idea. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXvujY_wXiI
That’s it! Imagine that thing flying through/over downtown Vancouver. 🙂
I was at Expo 86 the Monday after the airshow when it left. It buzzed much of the Lower Mainland, then flew right over False Creek at less than 1000 feet. Just spectacular. I’ve been to lots of airshows, and there’s nothing like it.
I’ve seen a couple – close up and flying – once at Oshkosh shortly after they were declassified but before mothballs, the other at the Intrepid museum in NYC. The Oshkosh experience was spectacular. They trucked in support stuff and after it sat on the apron for a while surrounded by yellow tape, the AF guys had to walk the runway before it took off, looking with fine-tooth combs to make certain there were no stray pieces of gravel which could be sucked up on takeoff. I’d seen some pretty cool stuff at Oshkosh, but that took the cake.
This is one of my favorite SR-71 stories. It’s made the rounds, but it’s good nonetheless:
http://politicalears.com/2016/01/awesome-sr-71-blackbird-pilot-trolls-arrogant-fighter-pilot-with-ground-speed-check/
Actually, the Blackbird was the third iteration of the Lockheed A-12 Oxcart which was operated by the CIA for countless spy missions … the Air Force wanted one of their own.
Truly magnificent piece of aerospace engineering!
You need another “(sic)” after “Beal”. It’s supposed to be “Beale”.