SR-71 Story

[Dan B]

	Quote: Originally Posted by felkinsr
	Great Story! I was fortunate enough to be stationed at Kadena AFB Okinawa in 1977 and sit in the front seat for 1 minute. The smell of Kerosene in the hanger is a life long memory. -RF

Wasn't Okinawa where the SR 71 was known as "Habu" for the snake?

The smell of kerosene repulses some people, I still love the smell!

Dan

[felkinsr]

Yes - we knew them as Habu's, perhaps just a local name for the black snake.

We were very accustomed to going lights out on the flight line - we would line up on the access roads in the pitch blackness with the SR whine and wait patiently for the afterburner rings.

Hellofa free show!

-RF

[CSpaced]

	Quote: Originally Posted by felkinsr
	Yes - we knew them as Habu's, perhaps just a local name for the black snake. We were very accustomed to going lights out on the flight line - we would line up on the access roads in the pitch blackness with the SR whine and wait patiently for the afterburner rings. Hellofa free show! -RF

Man thats awesome....tell me you got pictures?...

[micp]

I have some very nice pictures of nightime takeoffs with full afterburner. I will scan and post them this weekend. I was standing with a group on the end of the runway at Beale AFB and you could feel the thrust in your chest. It was an experience I will never forget.

[CSpaced]

Awesome! Can't wait for them pics!

[felkinsr]

Hey Micp - There is no way to explain that vibrating preasure is there?

On a side note; I farmed out in Chandler as a kid circa 1963 (no child labor laws for family). How built up is it now? Do you fly near Queen Creek?


-RF

[micp]

I fly at the AZ model aviators field out in East Mesa, right on the Maricopa/Pinal County line. The whole area is growing like crazy. If you ever make it out this way you probably won't recognize it. I don't know if you remember the small town of Maricopa but it has exceeded 35k, 5-6 years ago it was less than 1k.

I attribute the feeling in my chest to the amazing thrust from the SR-71. We were standing within about 300 yards of the plane as it rotated.

My dorm room was 7 miles from the flightline and we could hear the SR take off from there.

[selleri]

I ogled this one at Duxford Incredible machines.

[Ltdave]

21 april 1986...

i signed into the 9th Combat Support Group orderly room at Beale AFB...

21 april 1991...

i headed out down Hwy 65 enroute to a new duty station in Oklahoma...

i was assigned to the Base Visual Information Services at Beale as a Graphics Arts Specialist and as a Still Photographic Specialist...

i used to work in the CBPO building once a week in the SCIF doing briefing slides from the missions flown by the SR-71 and U-2 and i used to run up to the DOX office in bldg 1080 and do some pre-mission work (that as far as i know) is still classified...

i put in about 250-300 hours working at the museum (part of the renovation team in '89-90) and humped the PRC-10 and M-60 for the Opfor guys during the hospital Red Flag down in the 3 bridges area. ALL of that was a blast...

now, MY opinion of Major Shul is a bit different than everyone elses here. i shot many Officer Official Portraits and came into contact with nearly EVERY officer on base. in one word ARROGANT but i guess thats because he was a fighter jock before he came to the Grown Up command, STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND...

just my thoughts. it IS a super plane no matter how you slice it...

[CSpaced]

Welcome to FlyingGiants Ltdave! I'll bet you have a few good stories to tell

[Hibrass]

http://www.dreamlandresort.com/trip_..._928/index.htm

A interesting story about an A12 from a completely different perspective...

Enjoy!

[Al Lewis]

I had the extreme honor of working for Buck Adams while at the 28th Bomb Wing at Ellsworth AFB. I was his Historian and also worked for Joe Kinego and a few of the other old squadron commanders of the Beale unit. Buck held the world air speed record in the SR-71 and was one of the nicest down to earth guys you'd ever want to meet. His wife Bell was an amazing lady. Those guys all loved the B-1B after switching over but always dreamed of their days in the Blackbird.