spy plane

The story of the Catholic priest who got an SR-71 VIP ride and flew at Mach 3.52 breaking the Blackbird Speed Record – The Aviation Geek Club

The actual unofficial top speed of the SR-71 Blackbird is Mach 3.52. This happened because of the urgings of a Catholic priest! CLICK HERE to see The Aviation Geek Club contributor Linda Sheffield’s T-shirt designs! Linda has a personal relationship with the SR-71 because her father Butch Sheffield flew the Blackbird from test flight in 1965 until …

The story of the Catholic priest who got an SR-71 VIP ride and flew at Mach 3.52 breaking the Blackbird Speed Record – The Aviation Geek Club Read More »

Lockheed Martin Skunk Works tests U-2 new advanced capabilities in first flight of the Dragon Lady’s Avionics Tech Refresh program – The Aviation Geek Club

Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, in partnership with the US Air Force, completed the first flight of the U-2 Dragon Lady’s Avionics Tech Refresh (ATR) program. Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, in partnership with the US Air Force (USAF), completed the first flight of the U-2 Dragon Lady’s Avionics Tech Refresh (ATR) program at Palmdale, California. The …

Lockheed Martin Skunk Works tests U-2 new advanced capabilities in first flight of the Dragon Lady’s Avionics Tech Refresh program – The Aviation Geek Club Read More »

Legendary “Sled Driver” Brian Shul tells the story behind his famed SR-71 Blackbird Ground Speed Check – The Aviation Geek Club

“‘Center, Aspen 20, you got a ground speed readout for us?’ There was a longer than normal pause … ‘Aspen, I show 1,942 knots,’” “Sled Driver” Brian Shul, SR-71 Blackbird pilot. As every aviation geek knows, legendary “Sled Driver” Brian Shul passed away in the night of May 20, 2023 in Reno, Nevada, at age …

Legendary “Sled Driver” Brian Shul tells the story behind his famed SR-71 Blackbird Ground Speed Check – The Aviation Geek Club Read More »

In the early 1960s Soviet Union sold titanium to the US believing they needed it for Pizza Ovens but instead they used it to build the iconic SR-71 Blackbird Mach 3+ spy plane – The Aviation Geek Club

After all, they fraudulently possibly told their comrades that the United States was a lazy country that probably couldn’t even cook for itself. CLICK HERE to buy unique SR-71 Blackbird T-Shirts! The SR-71, unofficially known as the “Blackbird,” was a long-range, Mach 3+, strategic reconnaissance aircraft developed from the Lockheed A-12 and YF-12A aircraft. The first …

In the early 1960s Soviet Union sold titanium to the US believing they needed it for Pizza Ovens but instead they used it to build the iconic SR-71 Blackbird Mach 3+ spy plane – The Aviation Geek Club Read More »

KC-97 Navigator tells the story of when his tanker refueled the then top-secret U-2 planes flying spy missions over Soviet Union – The Aviation Geek Club

I was talking our first “hookup” down to us– asked his altitude “classified”, airspeed “classified” and finally “rate of descent”- got that and with my watch estimated he was at 80-85000 feet. This was 1956!! A cargo version of the B-29, the C-97 Stratofreighter first flew in November 1944. Boeing introduced the tanker version, KC-97 …

KC-97 Navigator tells the story of when his tanker refueled the then top-secret U-2 planes flying spy missions over Soviet Union – The Aviation Geek Club Read More »

The story of the U-2 pilot that took part in O Club parties wearing fake bad teeth to joke about the ozone level effect on U-2 drivers – The Aviation Geek Club

Buddy Brown (Buddy is not a nickname it’s his real name) was one of a handful of men in the entire world to be picked to fly the U-2 and then the SR-71. CLICK HERE to buy unique SR-71 Blackbird merchandise for your HABU collection. Built in complete secrecy by Kelly Johnson and the Lockheed Skunk …

The story of the U-2 pilot that took part in O Club parties wearing fake bad teeth to joke about the ozone level effect on U-2 drivers – The Aviation Geek Club Read More »

Two little Dents placed on the Nose of the Blackbird prevented Surface-to-air Missiles from Scoring any Hit on the SR-71. Here’s how. – The Aviation Geek Club

They aren’t dents, they were put there on purpose for the more advanced ECM systems the SR-71 Blackbird got in the ‘70’s and ‘80’s. CLICK HERE to buy unique SR-71 Blackbird merchandise for your HABU collection. During its career, the SR-71 Blackbird gathered intelligence in some of the world’s most hostile environments. Throughout its nearly 24-year …

Two little Dents placed on the Nose of the Blackbird prevented Surface-to-air Missiles from Scoring any Hit on the SR-71. Here’s how. – The Aviation Geek Club Read More »

Here’s why SR-71 Blackbird Mach 3 spy plane’s titanium parts made in summer corroded while those made in winter didn’t – The Aviation Geek Club

The SR-71 Blackbird airframes were built almost entirely of titanium and other exotic alloys to withstand heat generated by sustained high-speed flight. CLICK HERE to buy unique SR-71 Blackbird merchandise for your HABU collection. The SR-71, unofficially known as the “Blackbird,” is a long-range, advanced, strategic reconnaissance aircraft developed from the Lockheed A-12 and YF-12A aircraft. …

Here’s why SR-71 Blackbird Mach 3 spy plane’s titanium parts made in summer corroded while those made in winter didn’t – The Aviation Geek Club Read More »

Blackbird pilots explain why flying the SR-71 with just one engine in full afterburner was Blackbird aircrews’ most dangerous operation – The Aviation Geek Club

Taken on Nov. 1, 1981 by US Air Force (USAF) Scene Camera Operator Ken Hackman, the interesting photos in this post feature an SR-71 Blackbird flying with just one engine in full afterburner, using just one rudder. CLICK HERE to buy unique SR-71 Blackbird merchandise for your HABU collection. The SR-71 spy plane was the world’s …

Blackbird pilots explain why flying the SR-71 with just one engine in full afterburner was Blackbird aircrews’ most dangerous operation – The Aviation Geek Club Read More »

‘The SR-71 limiting speed as configured would be about Mach 3.55 so long as you don’t exceed 427C.’ Former Blackbird pilot gives some interesting details about SR-71 top speed. – The Aviation Geek Club

Linda Sheffield Miller Grew up at Beale Air Force Base, California. I am a Habubrat. Graduated from North Dakota State University. Former Public School Substitute Teacher, (all subjects all grades). Member of the DAR (Daughters of the Revolutionary War). I am interested in History, especially the history of SR-71. Married, Mother of three wonderful daughters …

‘The SR-71 limiting speed as configured would be about Mach 3.55 so long as you don’t exceed 427C.’ Former Blackbird pilot gives some interesting details about SR-71 top speed. – The Aviation Geek Club Read More »

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