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SR-71 pilot, photographer and storyteller Brian Shul dies at 75
- daltonlp 3y agoIf you like SR-71 nerdery, clear your calendar for a few hours to read these: https://authors.library.caltech.edu/105515/ https://authors.library.caltech.edu/105515/ "As flight testing increased to the higher Mach numbers, new problems arose. One, which today may be considered simple with our modern computer techniques, concerned the remote gearbox. The gearbox mounts started to exhibit heavy wear and cracks, and the long drive shaft between the engine and the gearbox started to show twisting and heavy spline wear. After much slide-ruling, we finally decided that the location of the gearbox relative to the engine was unknown during high Mach number transients. We resorted to the simple test of putting styluses on the engine and mounting a scratch plate on the gearbox. We found, to our astonishment, that the gearbox moved about 4 inches relative to the engine. This was much more than the shaft between the engine and the gearbox could take. The problem was solved by providing a new shaft containing a double universal joint."
- sundvor 3y agoHe died just having finished a passionate speech about the SR-71. What a legend he was. RIP, Brian, you'll be greatly missed. https://theaviationgeekclub.com/sr-71-pilot-brian-shul-famous-for-his-ground-speed-check-story-passed-away-while-giving-a-speech-about-the-blackbird/ https://theaviationgeekclub.com/sr-71-pilot-brian-shul-famou...
- H8crilA 3y agoA small part of me, and I suspect of many people, yearns for the insanity of such major power competition, as it leads to the funding of new, outrageous projects. Without it, all we get is boring, sensible, long-term investment. Where is my 21st-century SR-71?
- mhh__ 3y agoNoticed all this hubbub about AI yet?
- irjustin 3y agowebb?
- dotancohen 3y agoBy the double "B" I assume that you mean James and not World Wide? In my opinion, both qualify.
- walrus01 3y ago> Where is my 21st-century SR-71? Flying during night time only from Groom Lake, most likely.
- foobarian 3y agoReusable spacecraft IMO. Starship hopefully soon.
- ISL 3y agoChina's quantum-encrypted communication network. The US probably has one, too, but the Chinese publication rate on the subject for the last decade or so has been remarkable.
- evgen 3y agoObKingofSpeed: https://www.thesr71blackbird.com/Aircraft/Stories/sr-71-blackbird-speed-check-story https://www.thesr71blackbird.com/Aircraft/Stories/sr-71-blac...
- adityaathalye 3y agoI absolutely love the wry, tongue-in-cheek, laconic writing style. As a fan of the SR, you almost know what's coming, and you know you're enjoying the ride till the mic drops.
- andyjohnson0 3y agoNever gets old.
- atonse 3y agoAs soon I saw the article I wondered “maybe this was the guy that wrote that amazing SR-71 speed check story” RIP, what a life, what a character!
- _boffin_ 3y agoCheck out his book “Sled Driver” as that story comes from there and is only a single amazing story out of many from that book.
- ubermonkey 3y agoalas, it's been OOP for a long time, and copies are seriously expensive.
- stragies 3y agoRest in peace. A life well lived, it would seem. He'll always be an inspiration for many people, myself included.
- dobladov 3y agoJust a week ago, I finished reading "Skunk Works: A Personal Memoir of My Years at Lockheed", what an incredible book about the SR-71 and other edge cutting planes, not only from the engineering and pioneer perspective, it also shows the perspective of some of the pilots and how risky and difficult their missions were. Completely worth the read. https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/101438 https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/101438
- wingspar 3y agoIt's been a while, but very good book. Loved the "Have Blue" (F-117 precursor) testing. Model on a pole. Tech not getting any radar return and thought it fell off the pole. Bird lands on the model, and they get a return... https://theaviationgeekclub.com/the-story-behind-the-photo-of-the-have-blue-model-that-lockheed-placed-on-a-pole-to-test-the-rcs-of-the-stealth-demonstrator-that-led-to-the-f-117/ https://theaviationgeekclub.com/the-story-behind-the-photo-o...
- iknownothow 3y agoI don't know much about him apart from him being an amazing story teller. I've listened to this story told by him about 25 times. I hope y'all enjoy it too. It's called the LA speed check story. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lg73GKm7GgI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lg73GKm7GgI
- Lio 3y agoThat's such a great story. He reads it like a David Saderis monologue, always brings a smile to my face. It reminds me of the US airmen stationed near where we lived when I was growing up in the UK. EDIT: From one of the other linked stories: > I was flying the SR-71 out of RAF Mildenhall, England... OK that definitely brings a smile to my face. :D
- pcdoodle 3y agoEnjoyed that!
- luke_s 3y agoOn of my favorite stories of Brian Shul is “What was the slowest you ever flew the Blackbird?” If you have 5 min, it's well worth reading https://www.thesr71blackbird.com/Aircraft/Stories/sr-71-blackbird-the-slowest-flyby https://www.thesr71blackbird.com/Aircraft/Stories/sr-71-blac...
- phkahler 3y agoWhen he describes the appearance of the plane in the flyby, don't forget in your mind to picture 2 long trails of fire with Mach diamonds. It was a hazy day at full throttle after all!
- comeonbro 3y agoI don't know if this is justifiable but I've always considered that story a significant piece of web heritage as much as anything else. It's from a book that sold few enough copies that it's $400 on Amazon right now, as a measure, but it's a beloved piece of folklore that's been exclusively spread by people lovingly repeating it to each-other in conversation threads for the past 20 years. I'm struggling to come up with any other examples that have lasted as long that are as beloved. RIP
- rconti 3y agoThe book was $1000+ on eBay for quite some time, there was a bootleg very-poor-quality PDF that was passed around for a long time. He came to Hiller Aviation Museum to speak a few years ago, so I had to go. Turns out they had reprinted the book so it was only $150 or $200 or something, and I jumped at the chance to get a copy and get it autographed.
- g0xA52A2A 3y agoTake some time out of your day and watch this presentation[1]. Regardless if you have any interest in the SR-71 or not. I’m not a particularly sentimental person but hearing the following from Shul has stuck with me and feels like an appropriate reminder for today. > Life is short and it’s uncertain. It’s not one or the other it’s both. And because it is you can’t possibly miss the gift that each day is. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hFJMs15sVSY https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hFJMs15sVSY
- ambicapter 3y agoThis just makes me jealous that I don't have as amazing a job as flying fighter jets or military test pilot, honestly.
- okasaki 3y ago[flagged]
- adityaathalye 3y agoGrowing up nothing captured my imagination as much as the SR 71. Not rockets and astronauts, not fast cars, not other fighters or experimental aircraft (thanks, Dumpy Pocket book of aircraft and flight), not cool warships, not nuclear submarines... nothing. To be sure, they were all awe-inspiring, insanely cool machines that kid-me would nerd out on. I knew all the stats. But the SR was on its own pedestal in my head, apart from everything else. I can't explain why, but it was like that. Now-me continues to be as awe-struck, but for other reasons; having read/understood something of the engineering and project management and operational work that went into making and flying that never-before-was, never-will-be work of art. (edit: better words)
- atonse 3y agoI feel ya! Did you grow up in the US? If so, did you ever watch the show “wings” on the discovery channel? It used to be part of my after school lineup, right along with shows like saved by the bell. I used to argue with friends in the schoolyard about which jet was the best, between Migs, Sukhois, and the NATO jets. I miss that show. My first website (on tripod) was even about the SR-71 and the F-117.
- adityaathalye 3y ago"Wings"! It stirred faded memories. Our family got cable in the early 1990s in India. Discovery and National Geographic were staples. Quite possibly---though I can neither confirm nor deny---that is how I got proper wind of the Black Bird. I just saw that YouTube has the episode... and, looks like it features Brian Shul.
- atonse 3y agoThe Discovery channel was truly amazing in the 90s. So was TLC. They used to show actual surgeries on TLC and explain what they were doing. And the History channel too was great. They all had tons of great shows. I have a tough time seeing all the reality and alien conspiracy theory nonsense on there these days.
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- Dalewyn 3y agoHis SR-71 tales are a cornerstone of internet culture and aviation history, may he rest in peace and our sharing of his tales continue into eternity.
- TOMDM 3y agoI finally made my pilgrimage to see the Blackbird at the Smithsonian yesterday, the legendary story being the thing that first enamoured me with that incredible plane. The timing makes the trip all the more heavy. If anyone gets the chance I'd highly recommend visiting. Free entry and the amount of history packed into that hanger is truly surreal.
- quercusa 3y agoSeconded! The SR-71 is at the (newer, bigger) Udvar-Hazy center. The original location in Washington was showing its age last time I was there but also has some amazing, one-of-a-kind, artifacts.
- _boffin_ 3y agoIf anyone is in Cali and wants to see the blackbird, there’s one at March Air force base in SoCal.
- AlbertCory 3y agoReading this thread, I've picked up two new places to see one, and I've visited two already (Tucson and Seattle). A great, great man.
- ilovecurl 3y agoThere is a list of Blackbirds on display over at https://www.sr-71.org/blackbird/locations.php https://www.sr-71.org/blackbird/locations.php
- AlbertCory 3y agobtw, in Seattle I wanted to buy a Blackbird t-shirt. The closest they had was a Lockheed shirt, with Blackbird on the sleeve. I'm sure there must be one out there somewhere.
- Maultasche 3y agoI saw the one in Seattle and I was surprised at how small it was. I was envisioning it being quite a large aircraft.
- Maultasche 3y agoMy physics teacher in high school was a former SR-71 pilot and loved to tell brief stories of what is was like to fly over the Soviet Union in an SR-71. Most of his stories very short and usually ended in "I can't tell you any more than that because it's classified". I could tell that there was so much he wanted to tell, but couldn't. I saw his name mentioned in an article about an SR-71 that had to make an emergency landing in Norway, so I bet he'd have some really interesting things to say if it weren't mostly classified.