Tales from the cockpit of a SR-71.

[Whatusername]

Really cool article about the Blackbird.

Man they just don't make them like they used to...

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20130701-tales-from-the-blackbird-cockpit

 

[flyingbum]

That airplane is one bad mama jamma!

 

[jwp_145]

There is an AMAZING book called "Sled Driver" that I've always wanted to buy... there are excerpts online. Except the book costs around $3,000... yes thousand. Search for the story excerpt that's online and you also will be thinking of where to find a spare 3k.

 

[Hacker15e]

You mean someone other than Brian Schul flew the Blackbird??

 

[msmspilot]

There is an AMAZING book called "Sled Driver" that I've always wanted to buy... there are excerpts online. Except the book costs around $3,000... yes thousand. Search for the story excerpt that's online and you also will be thinking of where to find a spare 3k.

Amazon has a couple of used copies at about $170. And at least one of those is from a Goodwill store. Get the book cheap and support a good cause!

 

[smack300]

Cool article. Didn't realize it was 149F inside the window of the plane. That's insane.

 

[Hefner]

jwp_145 check your PM's.

 

[Area 5150]

The Wings of a Mexican blackbird, will spread like a eagle for you!!!!

That's some FYI, for ya!

 

[jwp_145]

You mean someone other than Brian Schul flew the Blackbird??

There's a guy in CVG who everyone swears flew the Blackbird... when I mentioned Brian SHul and his book they just started laughing.
That's also the impression I get when I talk to guy about the author of "Viper Pilot"... they say he is a bit sensationalistic.

 

[chrisreedrules]

There's a guy in CVG who everyone swears flew the Blackbird... when I mentioned Brian SHul and his book they just started laughing.
That's also the impression I get when I talk to guy about the author of "Viper Pilot"... they say he is a bit sensationalistic.

...to say the least

 

[KDoersom]

There was a gentleman at my airport that flew the sled. He wouldn't talk a kit it much until he really got to know you. I asked him how it was to fly and his response was as long as everything was working it wasn't bad. He then went on to say when you lose the inertial navigation system at Mach 3 it's a real (insert proper term here).

He was working on a book as well. Don't know if he will ever get it done and published or not. He also flew the B-58 Hustler which I think is one of the coolest planes ever.

 

[WildcatPilot]

There's a guy in CVG who everyone swears flew the Blackbird...

http://www.wkyt.com/home/headlines/136465323.html

 

[///AMG]

He then went on to say when you lose the inertial navigation system at Mach 3 it's a real (insert proper term here).

Probably a lot more than losing navigational data, the biggest deal with an INS dump (at least if the sled was anything like my steed) is that you lose your aircraft's primary attitude reference. It is annoying in the 300-700 kt range (and not fun at all in IMC), I can only imagine that would be pretty sketchy at eleventy million feet at thousands of mph, especially with an airplane that seemed to have had a pretty small operating envelope at its typical cruise altitude/airspeeds.

 

[Hacker15e]

I believe the SR-71 had an AHRS as an attitude reference, not the INS.

 

[///AMG]

I believe the SR-71 had an AHRS as an attitude reference, not the INS.

nevermind then

 

[jafra98]

Cool article. Didn't realize it was 149F inside the window of the plane. That's insane.

I guess the plane will be grounded in PHX all the time................

 

[Springer]

You mean someone other than Brian Schul flew the Blackbird??

I had to chuckle at that. IP that gave me my local checkout at Bergstrom went on to fly it. Most unassuming guy you could meet. He currently holds the transcontinental speed record (LAX-DCA) and parked it at the Dulles museum. I suspect the record will not be broken for a long time if ever.

 

[Whatusername]

...flew the B-58 Hustler which I think is one of the coolest planes ever.

So he flew the first supersonic bomber? That guy is the man!

 

[dustoff17]

I believe the SR-71 had an AHRS as an attitude reference, not the INS.

Why could it not have both?

 

[Hacker15e]

Why could it not have both?

I do not believe that INS technology was good enough in the 50s for that to be the case.