Homepage SR-71 Near Losses: Blackbird emergency landings in West Germany and Norway

SR-71

SR-71 RSO recalls when his Blackbird had to divert to South Korea after Photographing all of the SA-2 SAM Sites in North Korea in One Mission
Cold War Era / Losses and Aviation Safety / Military Aviation / SR-71 Blackbird

SR-71 Near Losses: Blackbird emergency landings in West Germany and Norway

By 
Dario Leone
Oct 24 2026

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Read the Silver Star Recommendation for the SR-71 crew who flew their Blackbird at her fastest speed, at night, carrying an NSA ELINT recorder to collect SA-5 SAM radar signal
Cold War Era / Military Aviation / SR-71 Blackbird

SR-71 flying at Mach 3.2 evading two SA-2 SAMs Over Haiphong: The Phantom Link

Oct 18 2026
By 
Lee D. Blumenthal
Blackbird pilot tells why the SR-71 could fly at Mach 3.55 so long as 427C weren’t exceeded
Cold War Era / Military Aviation / SR-71 Blackbird / SR-71 Top Speed

“Above our Mach 3.2 limit:” SR-71 pilot recalls outrunning Gaddafi’s SAMs during BDA flight of Libya in support of Operation El Dorado Canyon

Oct 15 2026
By 
Dario Leone
Sponsored by: Key Publishing
When a Crippled SR-71 Overflew Hanoi at 41k feet under Mach 1 North Vietnamese didn’t shoot it down because they thought it was booby trapped with a nuclear weapon
Cold War Era / Military Aviation / SR-71 Blackbird / SR-71 Top Speed

Not designed to go faster than Mach 3.3: SR-71 pilot on Blackbird True Top Speed

Oct 14 2026
By 
Linda Sheffield Miller
Returning an SR-71 to flight: why the challenge is not restoring an aircraft but rebuilding a system
Cold War Era / Military Aviation / SR-71 Blackbird

Returning an SR-71 to flight: why the challenge is not restoring an aircraft but rebuilding a system

Oct 12 2026
By 
Francesco Jerace
Blackbird pilot explains why the SR-71 limiting speed was Mach 3.55
Cold War Era / Military Aviation / SR-71 Blackbird / SR-71 Top Speed

SR-71 pilot recalls flying at Mach 3.4+ over Murmansk (and tells why Blackbird limiting speed was Mach 3.55)

Oct 9 2026
By 
Linda Sheffield Miller
SR-71 Blackbird Tires were Silver and were Changed after 10 Takeoffs. Here’s why.
Cold War Era / Losses and Aviation Safety / Military Aviation / SR-71 Blackbird

SR-71 Blackbird Tires were Silver and were Changed after 10 Takeoffs. Here’s why.

Oct 4 2026
By 
Linda Sheffield Miller
YF-12 Blackbird pilot recalls shooting down QB-47 Target Drone
Cold War Era / Military Aviation / SR-71 Blackbird

YF-12 Blackbird pilot recalls shooting down QB-47 Target Drone

Oct 3 2026
By 
Dario Leone
Sponsored by: Key Publishing
U-2 Vs SR-71: former USAF Avionics Technician explains why the Dragon Lady still flies spy missions while the Blackbird had been retired
Cold War Era / Military Aviation / SR-71 Blackbird

SR-71 pilot recalls stealing jar with testicles of U-2 pilots’ passed away mascot and flying it at Mach 3+

Oct 1 2026
By 
Dario Leone
NASA Asks Former SR-71 Staffers To Help bring back to fly this Blackbird
Cold War Era / Military Aviation / SR-71 Blackbird

NASA Asks Former SR-71 Staffers To Help bring back to fly this Blackbird

Sep 29 2026
By 
Dario Leone
Legendary “Sled Driver” Brian Shul tells the story behind his famed SR-71 Blackbird Ground Speed Check
Cold War Era / Military Aviation / SR-71 Blackbird / SR-71 Top Speed

1.842 knots on the ground: SR-71 Blackbird pilot recalls famed Speed Check

Sep 27 2026
By 
Dario Leone
Sponsored by: Key Publishing
SR-71 Pilot recalls When He Buzzed the Tower of Sacramento Airport with the Afterburners Lit
Cold War Era / Military Aviation / SR-71 Blackbird

SR-71 Pilot recalls Buzzing Tower of Sacramento Airport with Afterburners Lit

Sep 26 2026
By 
Linda Sheffield Miller
SR-71 RSO recalls when he proposed NY ANG to convert from C-5 to Blackbird to save the SR-71 program
Cold War Era / Military Aviation / SR-71 Blackbird

SR-71 RSO recalls NY ANG almost converting from C-5 to Blackbird to save the SR-71 program

Sep 16 2026
By 
Linda Sheffield Miller
Author of SR-71 most stolen photo tells how he got the shot of the ultimate Blackbird super-low knife edge pass
Cold War Era / Military Aviation / SR-71 Blackbird / SR-71 Top Speed

SR-71 pilot recalls doing a Blackbird super low pass at a speed of 152 knots

Sep 12 2026
By 
Dario Leone
Sponsored by: Key Publishing
“NASA 831 do not light your AB!” EAA AirVenture Oshkosh announcer recalls NASA SR-71B having almost catastrophic fuel leak on mission to do flyby at EAA Oshkosh
Cold War Era / Military Aviation / SR-71 Blackbird

“NASA 831 do not light your AB!” EAA AirVenture Oshkosh announcer recalls NASA SR-71B having almost catastrophic fuel leak on mission to do flyby at EAA Oshkosh

Sep 9 2026
By 
Linda Sheffield Miller
That time SR-71 Blackbird crews had a “Secret” Party with Victor Pugachev and other Soviet Su-27 Pilots
Cold War Era / Military Aviation / SR-71 Blackbird

Blackbird Pilot recalls Secret Party SR-71 Crews had with Victor Pugachev and other Soviet Su-27 Pilots at Paris Air Show 1989

Sep 3 2026
By 
Dario Leone
The story of the A-12CB, the Oxcart Carrier Based Mach 3 Spy Plane that never was
Aircraft Carriers / Cold War Era / Military Aviation / SR-71 Blackbird

The A-12CB, the Blackbird Carrier Based Mach 3 Spy Plane that never was

Aug 30 2026
By 
Dario Leone
Sponsored by: Mortons Books
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