spy plane

British Secret U-2 operations and the RAF pilots who flew the Dragon Lady on CIA’s behalf during the Cold War

British Secret U-2 operations and the RAF pilots who flew the Dragon Lady on CIA’s behalf during the Cold War

British U-2 operations Although known through authors like Chris Pocock and Paul Lashmar, for many years the UK government consistently… Read More

3 weeks ago

The story of the Catholic priest who got an SR-71 VIP ride and flew at Mach 3.52 breaking the Blackbird Speed Record

The actual unofficial top speed of the SR-71 Blackbird is Mach 3.52. This happened because of the urgings of a… Read More

2 months ago

Lockheed Martin Skunk Works tests U-2 new advanced capabilities in first flight of the Dragon Lady’s Avionics Tech Refresh program

Lockheed Martin Skunk Works completed the first flight of the U-2 Dragon Lady's (ATR) program. Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, in… Read More

2 months ago

Legendary “Sled Driver” Brian Shul tells the story behind his famed SR-71 Blackbird Ground Speed Check

“‘Center, Aspen 20, you got a ground speed readout for us?’ There was a longer than normal pause … ‘Aspen,… Read More

3 months ago

In the early 1960s Soviet Union sold titanium to the US believing they needed it for Pizza Ovens but instead they used it to build the iconic SR-71 Blackbird Mach 3+ spy plane

After all, they fraudulently possibly told their comrades that the United States was a lazy country that probably couldn’t even… Read More

6 months ago

KC-97 Navigator tells the story of when his tanker refueled the then top-secret U-2 planes flying spy missions over Soviet Union

I was talking our first "hookup" down to us-- asked his altitude "classified", airspeed "classified" and finally "rate of descent"-… Read More

10 months ago

The story of the U-2 pilot that took part in O Club parties wearing fake bad teeth to joke about the ozone level effect on U-2 drivers

Buddy Brown (Buddy is not a nickname it’s his real name) was one of a handful of men in the… Read More

10 months ago

Two little Dents placed on the Nose of the Blackbird prevented Surface-to-air Missiles from Scoring any Hit on the SR-71. Here’s how.

They aren’t dents, they were put there on purpose for the more advanced ECM systems the SR-71 Blackbird got in… Read More

10 months ago

Here’s why SR-71 Blackbird Mach 3 spy plane’s titanium parts made in summer corroded while those made in winter didn’t

The SR-71 Blackbird airframes were built almost entirely of titanium and other exotic alloys to withstand heat generated by sustained… Read More

11 months ago

Blackbird pilots explain why flying the SR-71 with just one engine in full afterburner was Blackbird aircrews’ most dangerous operation

Taken on Nov. 1, 1981 by US Air Force (USAF) Scene Camera Operator Ken Hackman, the interesting photos in this… Read More

12 months ago

‘The SR-71 limiting speed as configured would be about Mach 3.55 so long as you don’t exceed 427C.’ Former Blackbird pilot gives some interesting details about SR-71 top speed.

Today there are many rumors about just how fast the SR-71 could go. The speed limit for the Blackbird ironically… Read More

1 year ago

U-2 Vs SR-71: former USAF Avionics Technician explains why the Dragon Lady still flies spy missions while the Blackbird had been retired

While the U-2 is still in active service today, the US Air Force (USAF) retired its fleet of SR-71s on… Read More

1 year ago

SR-71 pilot tells the story of when he and his RSO were able to save their Blackbird after it had an engine explosion above 60,000 feet and Mach 2.5

Blackbird pilot Ben Bowles and RSO Butch Sheffield were presented the Air Force “Well Done” award when they saved SR-71… Read More

1 year ago

SR-71 Pilot tells the story of when He and his RSO were almost forced to ditch their Blackbird Mach 3 Spy Plane after an Engine Fire

‘The “dash one” stated that an SR-71 should never be landed gear up. That’s a brilliant directive,’ Gil Bertelson, SR-71… Read More

2 years ago

‘The SR-71 could attain Mach 3.5 but at that speed serious damage to the aircraft might occur,’ former Blackbird Pilot says

When talking about SR-71 probably the most frequently asked Blackbird question is-how fast does it really fly? The SR-71, the… Read More

2 years ago

Here’s why the SR-71 Leaked Fuel (and why some Blackbird Spy Planes donated to Museums still Leak JP7)

The SR-71 Blackbird used a special blend of fuel called JP7 which has a high flashpoint to prevent it from… Read More

2 years ago

Did you know the SR-71 Blackbird Crew Members Survival Kit included a very rare Aluminum Gun (the Gun was made in Aluminum to keep it Lightweight)?

SR-71 Blackbird Mach 3 + spy plane crew members carried some interesting gear while flying over Soviet-controlled airspace in the… Read More

2 years ago
Show more Posts