[BarryRX]

This is an expanded excerpt from Brian Schul's book Sled Driver : Flying the World's Fastest Jet. I've seen this before, but love it every time I come across it posted somewhere.

There were a lot of things we couldn't do in an SR-71, but we were the fastest guys on the block and loved reminding our fellow aviators of this fact. People often asked us if, because of this fact, it was fun to fly the jet. Fun would not be the first word I would use to describe flying this plane. Intense, maybe. Even cerebral. But there was one day in our Sled experience when we would have to say that it was pure fun to be the fastest guys out there, at least for a moment.

It occurred when Walt and I were flying our final training sortie. We needed 100 hours in the jet to complete our training and attain Mission Ready status. Somewhere over Colorado we had passed the century mark. We had made the turn in Arizona and the jet was performing flawlessly. My gauges were wired in the front seat and we were starting to feel pretty good about ourselves, not only because we would soon be flying real missions but because we had gained a great deal of confidence in the plane in the past ten months. Ripping across the barren deserts 80,000 feet below us, I could already see the coast of California from the Arizona border. I was, finally, after many humbling months of simulators and study, ahead of the jet.

I was beginning to feel a bit sorry for Walter in the back seat. There he was, with no really good view of the incredible sights before us, tasked with monitoring four different radios. This was good practice for him for when we began flying real missions, when a priority transmission from headquarters could be vital. It had been difficult, too, for me to relinquish control of the radios, as during my entire flying career I had controlled my own transmissions. But it was part of the division of duties in this plane and I had adjusted to it. I still insisted on talking on the radio while we were on the ground, however. Walt was so good at many things, but he couldn't match my expertise at sounding smooth on the radios, a skill that had been honed sharply with years in fighter squadrons where the slightest radio miscue was grounds for beheading. He understood that and allowed me that luxury.

Just to get a sense of what Walt had to contend with, I pulled the radio toggle switches and monitored the frequencies along with him. The predominant radio chatter was from Los Angeles Center, far below us, controlling daily traffic in their sector. While they had us on their scope (albeit briefly), we were in uncontrolled airspace and normally would not talk to them unless we needed to descend into their airspace.

We listened as the shaky voice of a lone Cessna pilot asked Center for a readout of his ground speed. Center replied: "November Charlie 175, I'm showing you at ninety knots on the ground."

Now the thing to understand about Center controllers, was that whether they were talking to a rookie pilot in a Cessna, or to Air Force One, they always spoke in the exact same, calm, deep, professional, tone that made one feel important. I referred to it as the " Houston Center voice." I have always felt that after years of seeing documentaries on this country's space program and listening to the calm and distinct voice of the Houston controllers, that all other controllers since then wanted to sound like that, and that they basically did. And it didn't matter what sector of the country we would be flying in, it always seemed like the same guy was talking. Over the years that tone of voice had become somewhat of a comforting sound to pilots everywhere. Conversely, over the years, pilots always wanted to ensure that, when transmitting, they sounded like Chuck Yeager, or at least like John Wayne. Better to die than sound bad on the radios.

Just moments after the Cessna's inquiry, a Twin Beech piped up on frequency, in a rather superior tone, asking for his ground speed. "I have you at one hundred and twenty-five knots of ground speed." Boy, I thought, the Beechcraft really must think he is dazzling his Cessna brethren. Then out of the blue, a navy F-18 pilot out of NAS Lemoore came up on frequency. You knew right away it was a Navy jock because he sounded very cool on the radios. "Center, Dusty 52 ground speed check". Before Center could reply, I'm thinking to myself, hey, Dusty 52 has a ground speed indicator in that million-dollar cockpit, so why is he asking Center for a readout? Then I got it, ol' Dusty here is making sure that every bug smasher from Mount Whitney to the Mojave knows what true speed is. He's the fastest dude in the valley today, and he just wants everyone to know how much fun he is having in his new Hornet. And the reply, always with that same, calm, voice, with more distinct alliteration than emotion: "Dusty 52, Center, we have you at 620 on the ground."

And I thought to myself, is this a ripe situation, or what? As my hand instinctively reached for the mic button, I had to remind myself that Walt was in control of the radios. Still, I thought, it must be done - in mere seconds we'll be out of the sector and the opportunity will be lost. That Hornet must die, and die now. I thought about all of our Sim training and how important it was that we developed well as a crew and knew that to jump in on the radios now would destroy the integrity of all that we had worked toward becoming. I was torn.

Somewhere, 13 miles above Arizona, there was a pilot screaming inside his space helmet. Then, I heard it. The click of the mic button from the back seat. That was the very moment that I knew Walter and I had become a crew. Very professionally, and with no emotion, Walter spoke: "Los Angeles Center, Aspen 20, can you give us a ground speed check?" There was no hesitation, and the replay came as if was an everyday request. "Aspen 20, I show you at one thousand eight hundred and forty-two knots, across the ground."

I think it was the forty-two knots that I liked the best, so accurate and proud was Center to deliver that information without hesitation, and you just knew he was smiling. But the precise point at which I knew that Walt and I were going to be really good friends for a long time was when he keyed the mic once again to say, in his most fighter-pilot-like voice: "Ah, Center, much thanks, we're showing closer to nineteen hundred on the money."

For a moment Walter was a god. And we finally heard a little crack in the armor of the Houston Center voice, when L.A.came back with, "Roger that Aspen, Your equipment is probably more accurate than ours. You boys have a good one."

It all had lasted for just moments, but in that short, memorable sprint across the southwest, the Navy had been flamed, all mortal airplanes on freq were forced to bow before the King of Speed, and more importantly, Walter and I had crossed the threshold of being a crew. A fine day's work. We never heard another transmission on that frequency all the way to the coast.

For just one day, it truly was fun being the fastest guys out there.

[dbussone]

All I can say is WOW! Thanks for sharing.

[TheVillageChicken]

The SR-71 could not get off the ground without the help of two 401 cu in Buick engines. The start cart was amazing.....and loud.

[Hankg42]

I love it! I'm going to share it with my boss, who is ex-Air Force.

[Chi-Town]

A picture shows how unbelievable this aircraft was from 50 years ago.

[Mr Jamie]

Thank you very much for sharing that excerpt --- It was awesome !!!

The Blackbird has always been my favorite Aircraft !!!

[chuckinca]

You can see one in person at Castle Air Museum in Atwater, CA.


Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird | Castle Air Museum, Atwater & Merced

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[TheVillageChicken]

Saw these bad boys taking off and landing lots of times at RAF Mildenhall, UK.

[John_W]

There is one technical aspect that would put a damper on his story. Civilian aircraft communicate on VHF and military use UHF. The Cessna and the Twin Beech pilot would hear each other but not the military pilots and like-wise for the military pilots not hearing the civilian aircraft. They all would hear the controller since he is broadcasting on both UHF and VHF.

The other unique feature is the controller is giving ground speed. His radar measures the distance the aircraft travels between sweeps and calculates the ground speed. The pilot's onboard airspeed indicator could be reading much different considering the effects of wind. The Cessna at 90 knots might have 125 on his airspeed indicator, so the ground speed lets him know he has a 35 knot headwind. Something important if he pushing his fuel limits. The same factors would apply for a tailwind, a different Cessna traveling in the opposite direction with an airspeed of 125 knots would indicate a ground speed of 160. Two identical aircraft both flying with the same airspeed yet arrive at their destinations in a much different length of time.

This is what the controller sees on his screen. Each aircraft is displayed with a tag, you would never see this many at one time. This indicator has every sector displayed. You would filter out the other aircraft that were above or below your sector or along side your sector. This would be a supervisor's view showing everything combined.

The aircraft's altitude is not calculated by the radar like speed, it's part of the aircraft's transponder being sent back to the ground. Each aircraft is given a discreet transponder code and once the pilot dials in the code, the radar's computer pickups the code and the tag is attached. Aircraft without an operating transponder would only show as a primary target, which is just a little blip with no tag. However, in most congested areas flying without a transponder is not allowed.

[Sandtrap328]

I saw the SR-71 take off from Nellis AFB in Nevada once. It was absolutely amazing the angle of takeoff and the speed it was going.

There is one on display at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Virginia near Dulles airport.

[JoMar]

In July, at the EAA "show in Oshkosh, there was a presentation by 4 SR71 pilots, 1 Back seater and I group commander.....the story's they shared were both hilarious and informational....special breed.

[l2ridehd]

Awesome. And the radio comments were not actually completely accurate. You can hear what the controllers are saying and you can broadcast in both, although not supposed to unless absolutely required. But that was a requirement in their case.

I saw the SR-71 at Nellis as well. Fantastic airplane. I was an F-111 driver. My awesome moments were to bet those navy jocks that I could be at 50K before them. And I was always up there waiting. Got a few Mirimar tee shirts from those bets.

Because the F-111 was designed to carry nukes and go in at tree top, go vertical to 50,000, drop then get out of Dodge, it's vertical rate of climb speed was spectacular. But then they invented the cruise missile and it was obsolete. Retrofitted with many different missile systems, but it's primary design criteria was for a different mission.

But yes I would say it was fun. Loved every minute of it.

[rp001]

Wasn't the f111 nicknamed "thunder thud"? A good friend of mine, phantom pilot, from our Vietnam days said both the f111 and the f104 s had the glide path of a garage door. I never had the pleasure of either, as I was a ground pounder. Takes a special breed of craziness to fly any of those jets.

[l2ridehd]

Other than a glider, the power off drop rate of decent was not good on any military plane. And when loaded with fuel and ordnance you better be ready to make a lot of fast decisions if your hit and have a flame out. I am not even sure which was the worst, but can promise you they were all bad.

[Chi-Town]

This must have been something to see live:

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=N31eEXjNAUU