All
← Back to Squawk list
Unseen Footage of the SR-71 at Edwards AFB
Our friend recently posted a long lost VHS video of the SR-71. Filmed between 1990 and 1995, it features some amazing footage of our fastest Mach 3+ jet ever to grace the skies. (avgeekery.com) More...
Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
I worked the SR-71'a at Beale AFB back in the mid 70's. I was in comm repair and would come in early in the am to preflight the jet and follow her out to the hammerhead in the launch truck. We had the most awesome view of he full AB take offs. Yup those were the days of good ole SAC command.
Thats about the time my brother Jim Shoffner was at Beale with the SR. We got a brief glance of the bird on our visit to Beale, What a machine!!
Absolutely! I was a Lockheed FSR at Beale about that time. Loved to watch those full AB take offs.
WB, did the SR-71s have an apu of any sort?
The reason I ask is because a turbine of some sort could be heard operating right up until the crew began the process of all systems shutdown and egress.
What an awesome beast of an airplane, and the NASA F16XL was a rare treat as well in this video!
The reason I ask is because a turbine of some sort could be heard operating right up until the crew began the process of all systems shutdown and egress.
What an awesome beast of an airplane, and the NASA F16XL was a rare treat as well in this video!
I don't know, but it looked like an F-18, not F-16. Twin verts and engines??
The first to taxi by was the NASA SR-71, the second to taxi by was an F-16 and the third to taxi by was an F-18.
Plus, the first to take off was the F-16 and the second was the F-18. So you were both right.
DDGo. the GD, NASA Dryden F16XL and go back and watch the video again, the F16XL is not only shown as a chase plane, but is also credited as one of the rare breed captured in the process.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Dynamics_F-16XL
When this historical series of videos was taken, "Filmed between 1990 and 1995", NASA was the sole operator of the aircraft during part of that time period.
"During 1989, the USAF retired the SR-71 largely for political reasons; several were briefly reactivated during the 1990s before their second retirement in 1998. NASA was the final operator of the Blackbird, who used it as a research platform, and was retired in 1999." Hence the "Other Awesome NASA Planes In The Video" quote below the trailer.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_SR-71_Blackbird
Just an FYI.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Dynamics_F-16XL
When this historical series of videos was taken, "Filmed between 1990 and 1995", NASA was the sole operator of the aircraft during part of that time period.
"During 1989, the USAF retired the SR-71 largely for political reasons; several were briefly reactivated during the 1990s before their second retirement in 1998. NASA was the final operator of the Blackbird, who used it as a research platform, and was retired in 1999." Hence the "Other Awesome NASA Planes In The Video" quote below the trailer.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_SR-71_Blackbird
Just an FYI.
I don't recall any apu on the SRs. What you may have heard were the various AC/cooling systems spinning down during the systems shutdown.
