Story from an SR-71 pilot

[runzwithsizorz]

Originally posted by: paulxcook

One moonless night, while flying a routine training mission over the Pacific, I wondered what the sky would look like from 84,000 feet if the cockpit lighting were dark. While heading home on a straight course, I slowly turned down all of the lighting, reducing the glare and revealing the night sky. Within seconds, I turned the lights back up, fearful that the jet would know and somehow punish me. But my desire to see the sky overruled my caution, I dimmed the lighting again. To my amazement, I saw a bright light outside my window. As my eyes adjusted to the view, I realized that the brilliance was the broad expanse of the Milky Way, now a gleaming stripe across the sky. Where dark spaces in the sky had usually existed, there were now dense clusters of sparkling stars. Shooting stars flashed across the canvas every few seconds. It was like a fireworks display with no sound. I knew I had to get my eyes back on the instruments, and reluctantly I brought my attention back inside. To my surprise, with the cockp lighting still off, I could see every gauge, lit by starlight. In the plane's mirrors, I could see the eerie shine of my gold spacesuit incandescently illuminated in a celestial glow. I stole one last glance out the window. Despite our speed, we seemed still before the heavens, humbled in the radiance of a much greater power. For those few moments, I felt a part of something far more significant than anything we were doing in the plane. The sharp sound of Walt's voice on the radio brought me back to the tasks at hand as I prepared for our descent.

It's depressing to realize I will never, ever be able to see this, no matter how bad I want to.

Actually, some of us older folk HAVE. In the desert, or mountains, many years ago when the air was so much cleaner, ahhhh the memories.

 

[legoman666]

Originally posted by: runzwithsizorz

Originally posted by: paulxcook

One moonless night, while flying a routine training mission over the Pacific, I wondered what the sky would look like from 84,000 feet if the cockpit lighting were dark. While heading home on a straight course, I slowly turned down all of the lighting, reducing the glare and revealing the night sky. Within seconds, I turned the lights back up, fearful that the jet would know and somehow punish me. But my desire to see the sky overruled my caution, I dimmed the lighting again. To my amazement, I saw a bright light outside my window. As my eyes adjusted to the view, I realized that the brilliance was the broad expanse of the Milky Way, now a gleaming stripe across the sky. Where dark spaces in the sky had usually existed, there were now dense clusters of sparkling stars. Shooting stars flashed across the canvas every few seconds. It was like a fireworks display with no sound. I knew I had to get my eyes back on the instruments, and reluctantly I brought my attention back inside. To my surprise, with the cockp lighting still off, I could see every gauge, lit by starlight. In the plane's mirrors, I could see the eerie shine of my gold spacesuit incandescently illuminated in a celestial glow. I stole one last glance out the window. Despite our speed, we seemed still before the heavens, humbled in the radiance of a much greater power. For those few moments, I felt a part of something far more significant than anything we were doing in the plane. The sharp sound of Walt's voice on the radio brought me back to the tasks at hand as I prepared for our descent.

It's depressing to realize I will never, ever be able to see this, no matter how bad I want to.

Actually, some of us older folk HAVE. In the desert, or mountains, many years ago when the air was so much cleaner, ahhhh the memories.

Indeed. I am only 20 now and was probably 16 at the time, but in the middle of no where in west virginia I was able to see the milky way. Good stuff.

 

[runzwithsizorz]

Originally posted by: Brovane

Originally posted by: TehMac
Yeah the first Maiden Flight of the SR-71 was in 1964.

Or am I confused?

The specific quote was operational missions. The SR-71 first flew in 1964 but didn't achieve operational status with Air Force until 1966.

Although the predecessor A-12 first flew in 1962, the first flight of an SR-71 took place on 22 December 1964, at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California. The first SR-71 to enter service was delivered to the 4200th (later, 9th) Strategic Reconnaissance Wing at Beale Air Force Base, California, in January 1966. The United States Air Force Strategic Air Command had SR-71 Blackbirds in service from 1966 through 1991.

The SR-71 and A-12 are two slightly different aircraft. The A-12 is a single seater originally created for the CIA. The SR-71 is a two-seater modification of the A-12 created for the Air Force. While similar they are different.

GB

According to the info written on the box of my Revel SR-71 model plane that I built in '68, it had a crew of three.

 

[T9D]

Fantastic story. Amazing what they did for the time. Shoot even amazing for now.

 

[Anubis]

Originally posted by: legoman666

Originally posted by: runzwithsizorz

Originally posted by: paulxcook

One moonless night, while flying a routine training mission over the Pacific, I wondered what the sky would look like from 84,000 feet if the cockpit lighting were dark. While heading home on a straight course, I slowly turned down all of the lighting, reducing the glare and revealing the night sky. Within seconds, I turned the lights back up, fearful that the jet would know and somehow punish me. But my desire to see the sky overruled my caution, I dimmed the lighting again. To my amazement, I saw a bright light outside my window. As my eyes adjusted to the view, I realized that the brilliance was the broad expanse of the Milky Way, now a gleaming stripe across the sky. Where dark spaces in the sky had usually existed, there were now dense clusters of sparkling stars. Shooting stars flashed across the canvas every few seconds. It was like a fireworks display with no sound. I knew I had to get my eyes back on the instruments, and reluctantly I brought my attention back inside. To my surprise, with the cockp lighting still off, I could see every gauge, lit by starlight. In the plane's mirrors, I could see the eerie shine of my gold spacesuit incandescently illuminated in a celestial glow. I stole one last glance out the window. Despite our speed, we seemed still before the heavens, humbled in the radiance of a much greater power. For those few moments, I felt a part of something far more significant than anything we were doing in the plane. The sharp sound of Walt's voice on the radio brought me back to the tasks at hand as I prepared for our descent.

It's depressing to realize I will never, ever be able to see this, no matter how bad I want to.

Actually, some of us older folk HAVE. In the desert, or mountains, many years ago when the air was so much cleaner, ahhhh the memories.

Indeed. I am only 20 now and was probably 16 at the time, but in the middle of no where in west virginia I was able to see the milky way. Good stuff.

yes you can see it from the ground however im willing to bet seeing it from 84000 feet is a bit different

 

[mh47g]

Originally posted by: runzwithsizorz

Originally posted by: Brovane

Originally posted by: TehMac
Yeah the first Maiden Flight of the SR-71 was in 1964.

Or am I confused?

The specific quote was operational missions. The SR-71 first flew in 1964 but didn't achieve operational status with Air Force until 1966.

Although the predecessor A-12 first flew in 1962, the first flight of an SR-71 took place on 22 December 1964, at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California. The first SR-71 to enter service was delivered to the 4200th (later, 9th) Strategic Reconnaissance Wing at Beale Air Force Base, California, in January 1966. The United States Air Force Strategic Air Command had SR-71 Blackbirds in service from 1966 through 1991.

The SR-71 and A-12 are two slightly different aircraft. The A-12 is a single seater originally created for the CIA. The SR-71 is a two-seater modification of the A-12 created for the Air Force. While similar they are different.

GB

According to the info written on the box of my Revel SR-71 model plane that I built in '68, it had a crew of three.

Wiki says 2. 3/4ths down the page...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SR-71_Blackbird

 

[TerryMathews]

Originally posted by: mh47g

Originally posted by: runzwithsizorz

Originally posted by: Brovane

Originally posted by: TehMac
Yeah the first Maiden Flight of the SR-71 was in 1964.

Or am I confused?

The specific quote was operational missions. The SR-71 first flew in 1964 but didn't achieve operational status with Air Force until 1966.

Although the predecessor A-12 first flew in 1962, the first flight of an SR-71 took place on 22 December 1964, at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California. The first SR-71 to enter service was delivered to the 4200th (later, 9th) Strategic Reconnaissance Wing at Beale Air Force Base, California, in January 1966. The United States Air Force Strategic Air Command had SR-71 Blackbirds in service from 1966 through 1991.

The SR-71 and A-12 are two slightly different aircraft. The A-12 is a single seater originally created for the CIA. The SR-71 is a two-seater modification of the A-12 created for the Air Force. While similar they are different.

GB

According to the info written on the box of my Revel SR-71 model plane that I built in '68, it had a crew of three.

Wiki says 2. 3/4ths down the page...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SR-71_Blackbird

I can confirm two, can provide pics if needed. I live ~15 minutes from the USAF Museum in Dayton, OH where they have a SR-71 and the SR-71C/converted A-12 that holds the speed record.

 

[TehMac]

Originally posted by: Savij

As inconceivable as it may sound, I once discarded the plane. Literally. My first encounter with the SR-71 came when I was 10 years old in the form of molded black plastic in a Revell kit. Cementing together the long fuselage parts proved tricky, and my finished product looked less than menacing. Glue,oozing from the seams, discolored the black plastic. It seemed ungainly alongside the fighter planes in my collection, and I threw it away.

...

In 1962, the first Blackbird successfully flew, and in 1966, the same year I graduated from high school, the Air Force began flying operational SR-71 missions....

BS

Yeah, I don't get that. He must have slipped up somewhere; how could he have gotten a plastic kit of it before Corn Pone announced it in frickin 1964?

 

[TehMac]

bump.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: AlienCraft

Originally posted by: 91TTZ

Originally posted by: WingZero94
Man, This is great!

One day, high above Arizona, we were monitoring the radio traffic of all the mortal airplanes below us. First, a Cessna pilot asked the air traffic controllers to check his ground speed. 'Ninety knots,' ATC replied. A twin Bonanza soon made the same request. 'One-twenty on the ground,' was the reply. To our surprise, a navy F-18 came over the radio with a ground speed check. I knew exactly what he was doing. Of course, he had a ground speed indicator in his cockpit, but he wanted to let all the bug-smashers in the valley know what real speed was 'Dusty 52, we show you at 525 on the ground,' ATC responded. The situation was too ripe. I heard the click of Walter's mike button in the rear seat. In his most innocent voice, Walter startled the controller by asking for a ground speed check from 81,000 feet, clearly above controlled airspace. In a cool, professional voice, the controller replied, 'Aspen 20, I show you at 1,742 knots on the ground.' We did not hear another transmission on that frequency all the way to the coast.

While funny, the story hardly sounds believable. Sounds like chain email material.

If you knew the pilots I know, you would find it plausible.
Pilots are a competitive lot. in general.

Having read General Chuck Yeager's autobiography I definitely agree. That guy was amazing. I highly recommend that book. It is a fun read.

 

[broon]

One of my squadron commanders was a former SR-71 pilot. I got to hear a few stories too. I don't doubt these.

 

[LegendKiller]

Originally posted by: runzwithsizorz

Originally posted by: paulxcook

One moonless night, while flying a routine training mission over the Pacific, I wondered what the sky would look like from 84,000 feet if the cockpit lighting were dark. While heading home on a straight course, I slowly turned down all of the lighting, reducing the glare and revealing the night sky. Within seconds, I turned the lights back up, fearful that the jet would know and somehow punish me. But my desire to see the sky overruled my caution, I dimmed the lighting again. To my amazement, I saw a bright light outside my window. As my eyes adjusted to the view, I realized that the brilliance was the broad expanse of the Milky Way, now a gleaming stripe across the sky. Where dark spaces in the sky had usually existed, there were now dense clusters of sparkling stars. Shooting stars flashed across the canvas every few seconds. It was like a fireworks display with no sound. I knew I had to get my eyes back on the instruments, and reluctantly I brought my attention back inside. To my surprise, with the cockp lighting still off, I could see every gauge, lit by starlight. In the plane's mirrors, I could see the eerie shine of my gold spacesuit incandescently illuminated in a celestial glow. I stole one last glance out the window. Despite our speed, we seemed still before the heavens, humbled in the radiance of a much greater power. For those few moments, I felt a part of something far more significant than anything we were doing in the plane. The sharp sound of Walt's voice on the radio brought me back to the tasks at hand as I prepared for our descent.

It's depressing to realize I will never, ever be able to see this, no matter how bad I want to.

Actually, some of us older folk HAVE. In the desert, or mountains, many years ago when the air was so much cleaner, ahhhh the memories.

Bullcrap. You can still see it. I was at Rainy Lake last summer camping/fishing with my brother, dad, and a friend, and I saw the Milky Way completely.

It has almost nothing to do with cleaner air and everything to do with light pollution.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Yeager: An Autobiography by Chuck Yeager

Great read. Highly recommended!

 

[MrWizzard]

I :heart: SR-71

My grandpa would tell me stories when I was little about it. He helped build it. I think it's one of my favorite if not favorite jets.