Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings; Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth of sun-split clouds,-and done a hundred things You have not dreamed of-wheeled and soared and swung High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there, I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung My eager craft through footless halls of air.... Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace Where never lark nor ever eagle flew- And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod The high untrespassed sanctity of space, Put out my hand, and touched the face of God -High Flight-
It’s called “The L.A. Speed Check Story” by the late Brian Shull Rest in peace ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Lg73GKm7GgI.htmlsi=HIwUYZK4YdaTuxJr
Was there not a similar story of a military stealth aircraft that was scheduled the next day to overfly controlled air space, at a scheduled time but that information was leaked to an area controller …… so when the precise crossing time was due to the second the controller advised the military pilot they had him on radar, right then and there …… the implication being that stealthing gear did not work 😂😂😂
Listened to another pilot and he said this isn't true... when they fly over the states they are on a totally different frequency that nobody would have heard... also they fly above controlled air space... he said it's a nice story though. they are 17 miles above the ground.
Many, many years ago I did a training tour at MIA center and we handled SR-71 out of Homestead AFB during the Niagara operations. We could see them on "raw" radar, but no data attached. Being new, I ask the pilot for his altitude, I git a very quick "unable" back over the radio. I learned that on departure we ask them to "report leaving FL600", at which point the data function went blank. Same thing on arrival. They would call us on the way back and response would be "report descending below FL600". At FL600 they would turn everything back on we the data function would display again. All happened very quick.
Was at the south end of Lockheed when the SR-71 made it's salute to Kelly Johnson before flying the record flight to DC the next day to get put in the Smithsonian. Emotional day for a lot of people watching. Haven't seen a pull up like that since the U-2 days at Lockheed in the 60s.
I have only ever heard one SR-71 Pilot ever tell the truth about the top speed, to summarize he said "There is two top speeds, the public top speed and then the declassified top speed, and both are way slower than what we were capable of."
There is a story Shaul told during the Lebanon mission where he pushed it up then flew over Italy and they took a shot. Pushed it up again and missed the turn to go into England cuz they were going so fast.
