Tag: 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing
"We had no viable emergency airfields, and I did not want to be a no-notice, no–flight plan, single-engine emergency arrival at David Ben-Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, especially since the Israeli government had not been informed in advance about the mission," Jim Wilson, SR-71 pilot Throughout its nearly 24-year career, the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird Mach 3-strategic reconnaissance aircraft remained the world’s fastest and...
While the SR-71 was operational, several pilots flew the Blackbird faster than the official record but not during sanctioned record attempts Throughout its nearly 24-year career, the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird Mach 3-strategic reconnaissance aircraft remained the world’s fastest and highest-flying operational aircraft. From 80,000 feet, it could survey 100,000 square miles of Earth’s surface per hour. So it comes as no surprise if,...
"My call sign was 'Belmont 86' and my transmissions to approach control were something like this: 'Bodø Approach, Belmont 86, six-zero miles west, declaring an in-flight emergency, request straight-in approach to land on runway zero seven.' 'Belmont 86, say aircraft type, nature of emergency, souls-on-board, and fuel remaining.' 'Bodø Approach, Belmont 86, US Air Force Tactical, engine problem, 2...
"On take off, shortly after rotation and beyond the take off abort point, the SR-71 left engine surged, followed by progressive failure of the second stage turbine wheel..." The Blackbird pilot you see in the main image of this article is Colonel Thomas S. Pugh who with over 900 hours has been one of the high time SR-71 drivers. On Oct....
