22 years ago, the last flight of the SR-71.

[Reever]

Re: 22 years ago, the last flight of the SR-71.

The only inside info that I have ever heard about the SR was from my uncle that I spoke about in another thread. He was stationed at Elmendorf AFB but went to remote sites in the Aleutian islands. He was a computer programmer. He became good friends with some of the radar operators at some of these sites. The numbers he heard were above 3,000 mph in a climb. For what it's worth? BS?

[Jan]

Re: 22 years ago, the last flight of the SR-71.

Given that air racing is the thing here at AAFO, it's interesting the no one has mentioned the coup Skip managed to pull off n flying Jeannie alongside an SR for a photoshoot that officially "never happened".

J

[Air Boss]

Re: 22 years ago, the last flight of the SR-71.

Given that air racing is the thing here at AAFO, it's interesting the no one has mentioned the coup Skip managed to pull off n flying Jeannie alongside an SR for a photoshoot that officially "never happened".

J

Good one! That would have been special!

[RAD2LTR]

Re: 22 years ago, the last flight of the SR-71.

Given that air racing is the thing here at AAFO, it's interesting the no one has mentioned the coup Skip managed to pull off n flying Jeannie alongside an SR for a photoshoot that officially "never happened".

J

You mean this one? Jeanie being flown by Skip, and 955 being flown by Darryl Greenamyer. Done on the return from Reno '78? I don't know who shot the pics, so I apologize for not giving photo credit.

Will

[wingman]

Re: 22 years ago, the last flight of the SR-71.

I thought we discussed that here recently. Maybe the AAFO collective memory is short. (or maybe it was on WIX).

Anyway, just go to Skip's personal website -- I think the site is still up. He has a wonderful and sometimes hilarious minute by minute account of the whole mission. He even talks about the power levels he ran and how long he ran them. That run was a real testament to the Rolls Royce Merlin and to Dave Zeuschel. I hope the website is still around. Skip has a bunch of F-105 over North Vietnam stories there too.

Skip is a really good writer...

Neal

[wingman]

Re: 22 years ago, the last flight of the SR-71.

Not Darryl and not connected to Reno. I think it was more connected to a planned 3 Km record attempt with Jeannie.

The photos were shot by someone in one of the T-38s Skip was impersonating. The whole flight was a shell game with T-38s and Jeannie changing places and moving around to hide from Palmdale the real nature of the mission.

Only a couple of photos survived. Most were presumably destroyed by Lockheed or the USAF. It all really is a great story.

Told by Skip, though, which should be kept in mind. Skip is a great storyteller, but sometimes...

Neal