4 ms·

SR-71 stories are legendary. Here's another classic from the same site: https://theaviationgeekclub.com/sr-71-blackbird-pilot-tells-story-behind-famed-ground-s

SR-71 stories are legendary. Here's another classic from the same site: https://theaviationgeekclub.com/sr-71-blackbird-pilot-tells-story-behind-famed-ground-speed-check/ https://theaviationgeekclub.com/sr-71-blackbird-pilot-tells-...

cperciva 5y ago
My favourite SR-71 story involves asking ATC for clearance for FL600. ATC gives clearance with some skepticism, since most planes can't climb that high... only to be informed that the SR-71 would be descending to FL600.
- TimMeade 5y ago
  Here is the pilot telling the story. I think it's the same pilot as top story as back seater is Walter. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AyHH9G9et0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AyHH9G9et0
  - TimMeade 5y ago
    Another great story different pilot: Buzzing the tower. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTJYNq4GQAE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTJYNq4GQAE
belter 5y ago
"The Day the Swedish Air Force Saab 37 Viggen Saved the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird" https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27164816 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27164816
- macintux 5y ago
  Thanks. Here's a text version: https://theaviationist.com/2018/11/29/that-time-a-crippled-sr-71-blackbird-was-intercepted-by-four-swedish-viggens-after-violating-swedens-airspace/ https://theaviationist.com/2018/11/29/that-time-a-crippled-s...
- randomswede 5y ago
  The JA37 Viggen is probably one of the few planes that managed to get a missile lock on the SR-71. This was mainly to try to push the northern flight path (over Norway, then onwards over Russia) to pass north of Sweden, instead of crossing Sweden. Take a route of JA37, ascending on full afterburner at about 45 degrees, coordinating with fighter control (military ATC, also trained to assist fighters during air-to-air combat), so as to enable the missile targeting systems when the SR-71 would be in an optimal position in the cone. Most probably, the SR-71 would've been safe even if the missiles had been fired, but the goal was never to take it down, just to make them shift the overflight pattern to no longer be in Swedish airspace.
  - belter 5y ago
    Note the story is not about Sweden trying to shoot down the SR-71 ...But about saving it from the Russian jets.
    - randomswede 5y ago
      I am aware. The JA37 has thus been one of the extremely few models in a position to both escort an SR-71 to safety and get a missile lock on it (although would with almost certainty have been unable to shoot it down).
bjornsing 5y ago
Here’s a really crazy one: http://www.chuckyeager.org/news/sr-71-disintegrated-pilot-free-fell-space-lived-tell/ http://www.chuckyeager.org/news/sr-71-disintegrated-pilot-fr...
heldergg 5y ago
A more enjoyable version (transcript from the book): http://b.johnwurth.com/aspen-20/ http://b.johnwurth.com/aspen-20/
trhway 5y ago
my friend served at a USSR air defense radar station near sea border and he describes SR-71 crossing his radar screen like a small frog leaping - i.e. it would move significantly while the radar antenna were making the full turn.
ranger_danger 5y ago
apparently some air traffic controllers disagree with this story being possible: https://old.reddit.com/r/videos/comments/fbt4rq/la_speed_check/fj6fxfe/ https://old.reddit.com/r/videos/comments/fbt4rq/la_speed_che...
- tzs 5y ago
  The dude on Reddit says: > They could hear ATC but not other aircraft, because civilian aircraft are on VHF frequencies, military on UHF, and anybody above 60,000 feet (like the SR-71's) were on a separate, center-wide UHF frequency so they wouldn't have to switch frequencies constantly. So the SR-71 and F-18 pilots couldn't have heard those other aircraft requesting groundspeed, or heard each other for that matter. The SR-71 had at least 5 radios, according to the flight manual [1]. • COMNAV-50 UHF. It had two of these, one in the front cockpit and one in the aft cockpit. • AN/ARC-186(V). This one covers the civilian aircraft frequencies (and a bit more such as the 2 meter ham band). • 618-T HF. This covered AM and SSB on 2-30 MHz in 1 KHz increments. • AN/ARC-190(V). Another HF radio, covering 2-30 MHz in 100 Hz increments. It was a spy plane. Listening in on other aircraft and ATC would help it carry out its mission, so of course it is going to have plenty of radios. [1] https://www.sr-71.org/blackbird/manual/ https://www.sr-71.org/blackbird/manual/
  - ranger_danger 5y ago
    Yea there doesn't seem to be one generally believed consensus. The ATC guys may simply be wrong about not having access to VHF. It could be that it depends on the mission as to whether or not they would be using them. But they could also be right that an SR wouldn't be asking for speed checks or that ATC can't see their real speed in some way. I don't know.
    - GekkePrutser 5y ago
      He makes some other good points too though about not being able to see speeds that high and them being classified. It is a cool story though, kinda hope it's true but it does sound a bit too epic to be true.

cperciva 5y ago

My favourite SR-71 story involves asking ATC for clearance for FL600. ATC gives clearance with some skepticism, since most planes can't climb that high... only to be informed that the SR-71 would be descending to FL600.

TimMeade 5y ago
Here is the pilot telling the story. I think it's the same pilot as top story as back seater is Walter. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AyHH9G9et0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AyHH9G9et0
- TimMeade 5y ago
  Another great story different pilot: Buzzing the tower. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTJYNq4GQAE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTJYNq4GQAE

belter 5y ago

"The Day the Swedish Air Force Saab 37 Viggen Saved the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird" https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27164816 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27164816

macintux 5y ago
Thanks. Here's a text version: https://theaviationist.com/2018/11/29/that-time-a-crippled-sr-71-blackbird-was-intercepted-by-four-swedish-viggens-after-violating-swedens-airspace/ https://theaviationist.com/2018/11/29/that-time-a-crippled-s...
randomswede 5y ago
The JA37 Viggen is probably one of the few planes that managed to get a missile lock on the SR-71. This was mainly to try to push the northern flight path (over Norway, then onwards over Russia) to pass north of Sweden, instead of crossing Sweden. Take a route of JA37, ascending on full afterburner at about 45 degrees, coordinating with fighter control (military ATC, also trained to assist fighters during air-to-air combat), so as to enable the missile targeting systems when the SR-71 would be in an optimal position in the cone. Most probably, the SR-71 would've been safe even if the missiles had been fired, but the goal was never to take it down, just to make them shift the overflight pattern to no longer be in Swedish airspace.
- belter 5y ago
  Note the story is not about Sweden trying to shoot down the SR-71 ...But about saving it from the Russian jets.
  - randomswede 5y ago
    I am aware. The JA37 has thus been one of the extremely few models in a position to both escort an SR-71 to safety and get a missile lock on it (although would with almost certainty have been unable to shoot it down).

bjornsing 5y ago

Here’s a really crazy one: http://www.chuckyeager.org/news/sr-71-disintegrated-pilot-free-fell-space-lived-tell/ http://www.chuckyeager.org/news/sr-71-disintegrated-pilot-fr...

heldergg 5y ago

A more enjoyable version (transcript from the book): http://b.johnwurth.com/aspen-20/ http://b.johnwurth.com/aspen-20/

trhway 5y ago

my friend served at a USSR air defense radar station near sea border and he describes SR-71 crossing his radar screen like a small frog leaping - i.e. it would move significantly while the radar antenna were making the full turn.

ranger_danger 5y ago

apparently some air traffic controllers disagree with this story being possible: https://old.reddit.com/r/videos/comments/fbt4rq/la_speed_check/fj6fxfe/ https://old.reddit.com/r/videos/comments/fbt4rq/la_speed_che...

tzs 5y ago
The dude on Reddit says: > They could hear ATC but not other aircraft, because civilian aircraft are on VHF frequencies, military on UHF, and anybody above 60,000 feet (like the SR-71's) were on a separate, center-wide UHF frequency so they wouldn't have to switch frequencies constantly. So the SR-71 and F-18 pilots couldn't have heard those other aircraft requesting groundspeed, or heard each other for that matter. The SR-71 had at least 5 radios, according to the flight manual [1]. • COMNAV-50 UHF. It had two of these, one in the front cockpit and one in the aft cockpit. • AN/ARC-186(V). This one covers the civilian aircraft frequencies (and a bit more such as the 2 meter ham band). • 618-T HF. This covered AM and SSB on 2-30 MHz in 1 KHz increments. • AN/ARC-190(V). Another HF radio, covering 2-30 MHz in 100 Hz increments. It was a spy plane. Listening in on other aircraft and ATC would help it carry out its mission, so of course it is going to have plenty of radios. [1] https://www.sr-71.org/blackbird/manual/ https://www.sr-71.org/blackbird/manual/
- ranger_danger 5y ago
  Yea there doesn't seem to be one generally believed consensus. The ATC guys may simply be wrong about not having access to VHF. It could be that it depends on the mission as to whether or not they would be using them. But they could also be right that an SR wouldn't be asking for speed checks or that ATC can't see their real speed in some way. I don't know.
  - GekkePrutser 5y ago
    He makes some other good points too though about not being able to see speeds that high and them being classified. It is a cool story though, kinda hope it's true but it does sound a bit too epic to be true.