Who Wants To Hear An SR-71 Story?

[L84Cabo]

If you haven't heard this before...SR-71 Pilot, Maury Rosenberg, tells the story of when he buzzed the tower at Sacramento Metro. It's pretty funny.

And if you've never heard the "speed check" story, by Major Brian Shul, it's a classic.

Read More

 

[clearconscience]

I've watched the Brian Shul video a few times. It's a good one.

There's something special about a SR-71.
It's unlike any other aircraft

 

[rick benjamin]

It's been said it leaked fuel till it got hot enough for the fittings to expand and seal the leaks.

 

[IOM]

It's true they do leak right after takeoff until they heat up...

I watched them takeoff and land on several occasion's, you can get an idea of their mission distance based on how many tankers take from the local field over hours... Just before takeoff, all air traffic gets quiet, a sweeper rushes down the runway clearing any FOD followed shortly by an Air Police vehicle with the SR71 coming out if its hangar for take off, it's only on the runway for seconds and starts the run, with burners on full and about 1/3rd down the runway it noses up and rockets off at a very steep angle visibly leaking, the pilots blackout from the G force and the computer is controlling the plane, once they achieve a certain altitude and the pilot has taken over, they generally have to refuel... The the mission commences... It slows down a couple hundered iles out to start cooling down on a[[roach and then the entire runway is in reverse in the order. The Pilots are lifted out of the plane via cherry picker..

 

[clearconscience]

I thought is was the elevation pressure that got them to stop leaking

 

[AMT]

It is estimated that when it is in flight on mission that the plane actually expands about 18" because of the heat-expansion.

You should see how much liquid is pouring from it when it lands.....

 

[shooter777]

Hell yeah , I have family that live up the hill from Beale AFB. Hwy 20 takes you right up into the heart of Nevada County.
When I was a young boy my mother mistakenly drove past a guard post on Beale off HMT Smartsville Rd. Got chased by two guards with M16s and escorted off base. Gotta watch out for those cows on the whoop de whoops on that road

 

[mrblond]

Saw one going north on i5 several years ago on a few flatbed trucks. cant mistake the fuselage and those engines were MASSIVE

when I was in highschool one of my teachers had a kid in the AF. said he went to visit him and he got to see one take off. said he made 2 passes over the base then shot straight up

 

[Diamondback]

Ahem. Habus DO NOT leak... they MARK THEIR TERRITORY.