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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 ต.ค. 2024
- SR-71 pilot: BC Thomas; KC-135Q boom operator: George Lester.
SR-71 rendezvous with a KC-135Q for a quick, practice contact in "tanker manual" configuration followed by a disconnect, in preparation for a normal contact and subsequent refueling.
![โรงเรียนดัดสันดาน นักเรียนเถื่อน..!! [โรงเรียนไดเม่]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/vRKPeXn4Fl4/mqdefault.jpg)
Oh God!!!! HOLLY MOLLY!!!
You are *BC Thomas* as in *PILOT of SR 71* !!!!????!!!!!!
I listened to your interview on 10% podcast just a few days ago (I am on a VERY DEEP Dive about everything SR71 - books, documentaries and interviews and anything I can get my hands on). Just got another SR71 book today.
I could not imagine I would run into an actual PILOT of SR71!!!!
Wow!!!!! My Respects Sir.
Thank you!
This was my favorite plane as a child and now as an adult. What a beautiful, mysterious plane. Hats off to Kelly Johnson and his engineers.
And to the pilots who strapped in and flew them.
Thanks!
And the alien who crashed his civilization’s version of a Toyota Corolla near Roswell so we could adapt some of the tech.
My father used to refuel them in the Q model some of you boomers out there know who he is?”Killer Cain”
its like seeing a unicorn
A big black beautiful unicorn.
With 3 horns
And can transform
No this is even better
@@Red_Zacianrager!
The camera zooming in on a random patch of land, then all of a sudden your brain just clicks and notices the blackbird gradually getting larger in the view. Man, so badass.
There's an SR-71 on display at the Los Angeles Science Center in Exposition Park. I've spent 30 minutes gawking at it every time we've gone there. It's absolutely magnificent.
I have gawked at the airplane also!
I have had this view numerous times as I was a crew chief on the "Q's" that passed gas to the blackbirds flying over the zone in the late 1960's and early 1970's. Beale Bandits rocked!
Thank you for delivering a well-maintained aircraft. No operational mission was ever canceled or aborted for lack of tanker support! Thank you for your service!
I was crew chief on Balls 117 and Balls 112 Q’s 1977 to 1982 at Beale. What the video didn’t show was how much the SR71 flexed during flight. It looked almost like it was made out of rubber. The pilot had an orange pressure suit on. When the 71 got full, the fuel could be seen coming out of the seams on top of the wings. Then he would go off to the wing tip for a bit before he disappeared as he instantly turned into a speck in the sky.
Aspen 30 is the call sign that Shull uses in his famous “L.A. Speed Check” story and it sounds like him on the radio. Great clip, and thanks for posting it!! We’re lucky to see it!
Brian Shut was not the pilot for this flight, I was. The call sign "Aspen-30" was used for training flights stateside. The call signs of operational reconnaissance missions flown overseas were assigned to us by higher headquarters.
@@bcthomas2h90 Wow. I’m so sorry, and I just put two and two together. I had been on a slight binge watch of Blackbird videos, I’m a huge fan of your aircraft and your work, and I thank you from the very deepest part of my being for your service to our country.
My father flew S-3 Vikings in the Navy and also commanded the aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy later in his career. I was a born lover of anything that turned JP into noise. As I child in 1983, I once stayed at a bed and breakfast in Mildenhall, and it turned out that the wake up call each morning was the Blackbird swooping over the cottage on takeoff. Got to see it land once as we waited to catch our MAC flight home. They are some of my most vivid memories, and I will never forget them. I’ve been able to see the aircraft on display aboard USS Intrepid, at The Pima Air Museum, and at The Boeing Museum of Flight. I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of this epic machine.
Can you explain the refueling personnel talking about you momentarily using burner on one side during refueling? Looks like it takes quite a bit of rudder to counter it.
Sorry again for the confusion, but thanks again for the video.
I thought during refueling Blackbird pilots never spoke? Only the boom operator and the refueling plane.
I can only imagine how hard it must have been to maintain precision at such speed, such altitude, and behind the wake of such a big aircraft. You obviously had "the right stuff". Thank you for posting this video, sir!
Thank you.
No doubt! These guys make it look 'easy' but I am sure it takes a ton of skill.
I would be worried about causing the SR-71 to stall trying to follow a subsonic aircraft, haha
Yap!!!
@@joyl7842 that thing might be the fastest operational aircraft that has crew in it but that doesn't mean it would fall out of sky as soon as it's flying slow. I'd say it would still float around 200kts easily. Tankers fly faster than that.
Just to be the boom operator and see that magic bird approaching from afar must have been a lifetime memory.
I'm sure it was, and each and every boom operator was excellent and professional. They had an important job and did it well in all kinds of weather, turbulence, and strange lighting conditions, day or night.
@@bcthomas2h90 Thank you for your service. The term 'Earning one's wings has a deeper meaning for the Blackbird.
The call sign 'Aspen three zero' is the same as Major Shul used in his 'Speed Check' story. I wonder if that was the Blackbird's common call sign on public radio channels.
A couple more lifetime memories were to be had by both the controller and the Naval pilot described in his story. Perhaps it is embellished. But just imagining the Naval pilot's reaction remains thoroughly entertaining.
Man refueling in mid air, what a game changer this was to combat. Awesome video of this elusive bird.
This bird could only shot high res photos 📷
It pushed the envelope closer to the edge no doubt. Circumnavigate they would
The most beautiful airplane anyone can ever imagine. She looks just as awesome in flight. Love the SR-71 Blackbird!!
That pilot has a skill level that is un-matched!!! It's like he parked the SR-71 right where it needed to be!!!
Thanks!
We recently went to see a Blackbird at The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. It was incredibly intimidating to see up close.
easily one of the coolest videos i’ve ever watched, from it looking like they r in space at first glance, to the SR-71 approaching the KC, it’s fascinating
Thanks!
Lt Col Thomas (at the time)! Thank you for posting this. My comment is several years late, but better late than never. I worked in the simulator at Beale while you were flying the SR-71. You even took me on a T-38 flight one time. Those are great memories, the USAF! I hope you're still well and best wishes!
Thanks for your comment. I remember taking the simulator folks for an incentive flight in the T-38--what was your most memorable part of the flight? I remember everyone seemed to enjoy the experience!
@@bcthomas2h90 We buzzed Mt. Lassen which of course blew my mind. And you allowed me quite a bit of stick time. We flew inverted at one point. Won't lie, nearly barfed up breakfast. I still have photographs from that day. The experience was one of the most memorable of my life and I'll always appreciate it. You and Maj Morgan were always incredibly good with the enlisted folks.
Did I also show you a vertical aileron roll and zero-g?
@@bcthomas2h90 Zero-g yes, I forgot about that! I let my camera float! The vertical aileron roll, I know what it is but I honestly don't remember! Forty years being a long time, but I do remember much of that day pretty well. You said going supersonic burns up the fuel, so we went for a fun and long flight.
We have an SR-71 on static display at the Pima Air Museum not far from where I live now. I heard a few years ago that the flight simulator had been moved to Dallas
What a gorgeous bird. Thanks, BC for your service. I'll bet you wish these were still flying, but have fond memories of when you did fly them.
Yes, I wish I could fly one again and I do have very fond memories of my career flying that magnificent aircraft!
That is the most beautiful aircraft I have ever seen. Outstanding.
I agree!!
Blackbird had to seriously dumb down to granny low for the refuel.
*the lowest speed on the fastest plane...*
IKR? I have read that the SR-71 was barely above stall speed and the tanker was flying at almost max speed during these refuelings.
We have a SR -71A version in our Air Zoo Aerospace & Science Museum. Just looking at it sends chills up and down the spine. An absolute marvel of technology that was way ahead of its time, and thank God Kelly Johnson worked for us. Thanks for posting, BC, and thank-you for your service.
Thank you. I attended the SR-71 Symposium at the AirZoo in October 2019 along with about 20 others associated with the SR-71. It is a great display; however, we all felt that the airplane should be in Air Force markings instead of NASA, since it was an Air Force asset far longer than it flew for NASA.
@@bcthomas2h90 Agree 100% It was one thing I've wondered about. I guess that certain egos must be stroked. Just very glad we got it. I live just about a mile west from the Zoo and get down there at least once a year. First stop is always the SR-71 to 'chill the spine'. It's still hard to try and comprehend going a mile every 2 seconds. I knew Preston and Sue Parrish who co-founded the Zoo. Great people. Sue's pink P-40 is another favorite.
To see one of my favorite planes in action again. Makes me really wish I was born sooner.
Here I am in 2021, watching one of the greatest, and if I remember correctly, the most futuristic plane of its era, watching it get a drink. I can't imagine what it was like to fly that plane Sir, but I would love to hear about it if you ever get around to sharing. I still hope to see one of these in person someday. Thank you so much for sharing just a little snippet of what your life was like back then, even if it is just a job for you, it reminds me of myself as a kid, reading books about these planes growing up, and wishing I could've been an adult to fly one. Here's hoping my next life can be as entertaining as yours, and fly my own plane.
Wishing you well Pilot, I bet you and that boom operator have a ton of amazing stories.
Best Regards
DK
Thank you! And I guarantee that it was never just a job for any of us! Here is a link for more about the SR-71 and my involvement in the program: th-cam.com/users/results?search_query=b+c+thomas+sr-71
Agreed. I was born 2 yrs after its last operational flight, such a bummer I will never get to see one (and hear one) in the air. Still in 2022 this plane to me is an engineering marvel and still feels like it came out of the future
@@FlyingStuff ya it’s crazy and it’s from the 60s what else they got hiding in the back
That's amazing. I've read Kelly Johnsons autobiography and that airplane is a series of engineering miracles.
holy cow this one is also beautiful
refueling at that height is honestly just incredible wow
BC, we used to work together. I was a crew chief on Okinawa, 1980-1981. I have a similar refuel video. Also, a launch and recovery of one of your missions in Okinawa.
I would like to see any video you may have of those times. Thanks for always giving me a great airplane to fly!
Did you find the other video?
David Kristy did you find the videos
@@bcthomas2h90 it's on his channel if you'd still like to know
@@imthatguypal_ it's on his channel if you'd still like to know
Spectacular
Thank you for posting Mr. Thomas. It's always a pleasure to see the Habu moving instead of in static display. Kelly Johnson and company made a fine aircraft.
They certainly did!!
Why is this so incredible to see
Fastest bird built and still the undisputed champion of the world
Second fastest. It's dad or son or whatever term they use as a joke the archangel aka the a12 is slightly faster and can fly higher but was discharged due to not being as stealthy as sr71 which was the main purpose. But in terms of hey let's see who gets to New York first starting line is golden gate bridge in San Francisco soon as we pass after burners turn on and wish the best man luck to the finish line under the Brooklyn bridge. The winner would be a12 the only thing faster THAT WE KNOW OF than sr71. But the sr71 would be harder to detect. But still. As for speed and height. I'd bet my life on the a12.
Plus it's facts not theory. Literally stated at the only museum with the fastest bomber which was this crazy white futuristic star wars looking air crafts and being the only one to exist ugh hate that I can't remember the name. There was an accident where I think an f16 or something got to close and big ol accident happened during a fly by show or something but it's the only remaining one. That we know of of course. Right next to the fastest most stealth aircraft ever to fly the black bird sr71
And right next to that almost identical but not really once you pay close to detail will be the archangel a12. Not the stealthiest or whatever purpose you want it to be but it doesn't matter what categoty you'd want it in . It's simply the fastest aircraft to ever fly the skies of the world. Also the only thing faster and capable of flying higher than sr71. But again..That we KNOW OF
Fo damn sho we outta have mach 5 or more out there by now. These three legend aircraft sitting next to each other to be seen is on my bucket list as was the largest aircraft ever the Antonov 225 but sadly was destroyed in the Ukraine war so it will never happen. I need to see these 3 before the aftermath of ww3 blows them up too. Hopefully not but still.
Very cool! I did aerial refueling for 20+ years with big planes and big windows. The SR71 window is small, and the pilot is in a space suit, quite a challenge.
If only Full Service at my gas station was this kickass.
Absolutely incredible video sir. Flying and especially refueling the SR-71 must have been quite the experience!!!
It definitely was quite the experience--thank you for your comment.
BC Thomas No problem and thank you for posting the video!!!
Amazing skills
@@bcthomas2h90 were the steak meals tasty? SR-71 pilots always mention the pre-flight steak and eggs meals...
@@an1skh4n Yes, the preflight meal of steak and eggs was very tasty. It was prepared by the same people who maintained our pressure suits. I was a time to meet the SR-71 crew chief and the mobile crew to discuss anything relevant about the mission about to be flown.
Such a beautiful aircraft
Thanks so much for posting this! I was stationed at Chicksands where we provided mission support for flights out of Mildenhall.
Every so often I come across that amazes me. This is one, incredible.
Yes, you are correct--flying that aircraft was absolutely amazing!!
If I’m remembering correctly the 135Q was specifically to refuel the SR-71 as the Blackbird ran on different fuel than most aircraft.
That is correct--it was JP-7 as opposed to the usual Air Force fuel, JP-4. The tanker could use (burn) JP-7, but not for takeoff, approach, or landing.
@@bcthomas2h90 Thanks dude👍didn’t know about the tanker using JP-7 but not for takeoff, approach or landing always assumed that the tanker just couldn’t use it themselves. I wonder if being a boom operator or fuel system operator on the Q was a special qualification? Q qualified kind of thing. I guess managing the two different types of fuel could get a bit complicated.
Yes, only specifically qualified boom operators refueled the SR-71, either in the KC-135Q or later, the KC-10. The actual fuel tank management in the tanker was done by the pilot-not-flying, usually the copilot. The boom operator for this flight was George Lester, a very good friend of mine. His facebook page is: facebook.com/george.l.lester.1 @@princeoftonga He would answer any questions you might have about refueling. Tell him I sent you.
@@bcthomas2h90 Thanks so much.
All the best.
Damn that job must be so amazing and at the same time terrifying but all in all, refuelling at that height is just a jaw dropping moment.
My now 84 y.o. father flew TDY on SAC aircraft as a AF Security Service air crewmember during Linebacker II out of McConnell AFB, KS. According to his documentation he flew onboard a "special equipment" electronic reconnaissance and airborne radio relay communications aircraft which was a KC-135Q. Their job was to orbit for hours high over North Vietnam (Hanoi) while the "B-52Ds" bombed from lower high altitudes & the SR-71 flew selected ISR targets at much higher altitudes over the same area at the same time. I ask my dad did he mean to say a EC or a RC-135? No it was a "KC-135Q". We had JP7 onboard the "135Q" for Blackbird ISR and some regular JP fuel if someone else needed it in a emergency. However they were not part of the "Young Tigers" the primary refueling aircraft... he said his "135Q" served as a huge communication relay platform linked "in real time" between Blackbird ISR missions and only GOD knows... he never has told me... he did say their "135Q" had a nearly 2 mile special cable antenna that extended way out behind the boom while in flight. I'm sure by now all USAFSS Task Force Alpha activity over Hanoi are no longer classified Top Secret.
That’s an amazing story!
@@josie4065 if you ever get a chance read up on USAFSS, NSA/CIA activities during the Vietnam War especially during Linebacker. My father was a Russian voice Intercept/cryptographer and is still fluent to this day.
Growing up in Suffolk England during the Cold War, we would occasionally see a Det 4/9th SRW SR-71 flying back home to RAF Mildenhall from our school playground. I often wondered where they had been!
From Det 4, RAF Mildenhall, we usually flew to the Soviet Union, the Baltic Sea, East Germany, Eastern Europe, and/or the Middle East.
I was wondering...
Here I am , watching this video in 2019 , from Brazil ...
I mean , this truly unique aircraft looks futuristic, even nowadays.
I really appreciate if you , Sr. BC , read my comment, because You Had the best experience that I could imagine.
I don't have words to Express how much I love Lockheed's Aircrafts , especially SR-71 Blackbird
I wish I could see one of this flying around . But it's definitely impossible for me , because I live in Brazil and ... there's a little number of those ' fellas ' in the World ...
But , I'm blessed to watch this video .
Thanks for sharing with us this amazing bird.
And please , if you read my comment, give me a feedback. I'll fell the happiest guy on Earth.
Thanks BC.
Send me a message if you have facebook. I am listed as "Bredette BC Thomas"
@@bcthomas2h90 I sent you a message on Facebook too :) My name on Facebook is Lucas Cavalcante :D
This is digital gold.
Thanks!
Man that thing looks wicked.
Such an insane footage...
Sir, there's like a myth in South Korea that people lived near North Korea heard loud BANGs from the sky at 1970-80s. Do you think it was the Blackbirds? or Have you ever flown over Korea?
You're such a Legend! Thanks for sharing your videos!
Thank you! Yes, we flew regularly over Korea, especially the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone), looking for anything which might indicate or warn of troop movements from the North, or other potential war preparations. Wherever we flew at Mach 3, anyone on the ground nearby certainly heard a loud sonic boom.
I was in with George!!! I knew Doug Soifer and Dan House when the were in the 135 at Minot with me.
Wow, he came up to that tanker quick! 🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾
Yes, in general, we practiced getting our fuel as soon as possible. I would have about 100 mph above the tanker's speed until the point where the video starts, then slow to match the tanker's speed as I was sliding into the "observation position," which was aft of the right wing of the KC-135Q. Then with everything stabilized, fly in to the pre-contact position, then to the contact position.
@@bcthomas2h90 Amazing video Sir! I was an US Army combat camera, but never had the privilege to document something like this. It would’ve been awesome to do. 🫡🫡🫡
@@Elfrontu_1972 Thank you very much---it was an honor to fly that aircraft and to perform its mission!
Absolutely Incredible.
I saw a video much like this, possibly even this exact one, when I was a kid. My mother was Public Affairs with the 940th and showed me this (after it had been declassified.) Just plopped in an unmarked VHS and said "watch this, it's really cool."
That’s awesome. Props to your mother for that!
This video is just... INSANE...
thank you for posting this, has been my favorite aircraft since i was a kid. What an out of this world experience it must be to see that beast fly
It was!!
Must of been a crazy feeling controlling something that fast. Can only think of what kinda secret Planes are flying about up there nowadays. This thing was getting developed so long ago now and still looks so amazing.
So cool to see you fly up to get a drink from below. Where were you flying above
I believe it was an air refueling track over Idaho.
Cool vid of the training mission. Thank you for your service Sir.
Thank you!
What an incredible view @BC Thomas where were they stationed around the world? I recently watched a video of the last sr-71 leaving Kadena.
Home base was Beale AFB, California. There were 2 other operational bases: Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan; and Royal Air Force Mildenhall in Suffolk, England.
This is fantastic
How do they do that in bad weather? At night. That's mind-blowing
Watching this video, I was wondering what requirements a pilot must have to fly this aircraft. I think that the tests to qualify must be very difficult! Thank you.
Thank you--The application process was extensive and the training program was the longest and most demanding of any other aircraft.
Saw you comment on another SR-71 video and knew you had to have some cool videos yourself. I was not wrong!
If you don't mind sharing, what's the process of getting this audio and video? I've always wondered how you get your hands on it so you can share it on youtube.
Very cool insight--not something many get to see first hand. Thanks for sharing!!
An acquaintance downloaded the video from the boom operator and posted it on TH-cam. There may be a way to download it from TH-cam, but I haven't done it;
Supposedly they are very hard to fly slow enough to refuel. Crazy.
It wasn't all that easy---flying formation so close that we were actually touching another aircraft for 20 minutes while our gross weight doubled.
That's a pretty futuristic looking plane for it to be old and retired.
The Angry General, imagine how futuristic it looked when it was brand new, as opposed to other jets of the time!
@@jeffduncan9140 I heard it was top secret and developed at Area 51. Whoever spreaded word about it their lives and careers were threatened.
@@Angry.General1461 that wouldn't be surprising if people were threatened.
Hey BC, were you 1 of 86 operational blackbird pilots? Amazing life man. Hope retirement is treating you well.
Yes I was. It was a very exciting, memorable, and fulfilled time. Retirement is OK, just OK.
@@bcthomas2h90 I just read your article in Jalopnik about the emergency landings in Norway and the General. What a story man. Very cool (in hindsight I guess, probably not at the time). Haha!
@@SmackedInATL I never had a bad time flying the SR-71! It was all good.
wow. amazing
@00:29 the approach is very satisfying
What a view!
Amazing
B. Shul's back seater is having butterscotch pudding while re-fueling..
Well, I'm impressed.
I would be worried about causing the SR-71 to stall trying to follow a subsonic aircraft, haha
The tanker aircraft flew at its maximum speed usually, so that the SR-71 had a good margin between refueling speed and stall.
Those birds leaked fuel at takeoff, then when they got up to speed, heat expanded the components enough to seal up .the designers had to allow this
That is freaking amazing. That thing took a different fuel than other planes yes?
Yes. It was called JP7 fuel and the SR-71 was the only aircraft to use it.
@@bcthomas2h90 Do you recall what the flash point was for JP-7? I assume well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit due to the leakage. Based at Ramstein 1976-1979. I would have loved to see this bird fly. I have seen the static at Pima Air and Space.
@@stevedietrich8936 The flash point of JP-7 is around 550 degrees F. This is significant because the average skin temperature of the SR-71 flying at Mach 3 is 620 degrees F, and the skin of the airplane are the fuel tanks (no insulated bladders). The fuel temperature can be around 350 degrees F, but the fuel tanks were pressurized with nitrogen, which would eliminate a spontaneous combustion within the tanks.
@@bcthomas2h90 Thanks Sir. Amazing job that you guys had. Best Wishes.
@@stevedietrich8936 Thanks!
Wow
Good morning 😊❤
I realize the hose is at a pretty high pressure to deliver the fuel, but the nozzle was only in contact for a few seconds, so it looked to me like they couldn’t deliver enough fuel to make it worth while.😎
The first contact was just for training--it was a "manual boom latching," which is a degraded mode of refueling. The syllabus called for a certain number of this type of contact. The second contact (not shown) was a normal boom configuration contact and it was the one that delivered the full offload of 80,000 lbs of fuel.
No small talk during fuelling of SR 71.
*SR71 Blackbird* was special, so was its fuel JP7 and so it was with the fuel tanker airplanes KC135s. If they were fueling SR71 missions, they were given designation KC135Q. They had to had soecific plumbing because JP7 fuel was unique and unlike any other fuel. Infact , this fuel was specially invented for SR71 because of temperatures that aircraft body would reach (between 400-600 Fahrenheits- any ordinary fuel wiuld self ignite and explode). SR71s were the only aircrafts that used this fuel.
Only 35 Blackbirds were ever built and only about 85 pilot-RSO pairs ever flew these unique aircrafts.
The KC135Qs did mote than just suppling fuel for SR71s. They de ployed and reployed the crews and supllies too between Beale and thr Dets (Okinawa and in England) from where missions were flown.
From what I have read and watched, I gather that Getting fuel for SR71 was more stressfull than other aircrafts. There was also complete radio silence during missions (not sure about practice runs or how they woukd do refueling without communicating with the KC135Q).
No ordinary fuel for no ordinary aircraft.
One of thr SR71 pilots (I think it was Rich Graham) tells an anecdote that during his training to be a pilot for SR71, another pilot returened afer completinf a mission. Someone asked “how did it igo?” And the pilot responded:
“Well we got our fuel”.
Rich says that told him that how stressful it was for SR71 pilots to fuel midair.
This aricraft defied everything. No wonder it did. The man behind it was Kelly Johnson- No Ordinary Genius. He was the Feynman of aircraft engineering.
None other like Feynman. None other like Kelly Johnson.
Did the refueling pump have to overcome the pressure of the blanketing nitrogen, or is there a unique configuration for fuel blanketing during the refueling process?
The fuel pressure of the tanker's refueling pumps was much greater than the nitrogen-pressurized fuel tanks.
@@bcthomas2h90 Thanks!
This must be idle speed for this aircraft.
awsome vid and a hell of a sexy plane
Skunk works! 🎆
Aloha, my father was a kc-135 pilot. I vaguely remember watching a VHS tape with SR-71 on it when I was a child. I know this is kind of a shot in the dark but did you ever know George T Nistico? He was stationed at Castle Air Force Base in Atwater California
No I did not know your father. All KC-135 pilots who refueled the SR-71 were stationed at Beale AFB, CA.
BC Thomas Thank you for your Response. Not that it matters but here is a small side note he was the instructor pilot that crashed at Beale Air Force Base in 1985. I never knew much about the incident and now I am researching to find out as much information as I can once again thank you for your response
I left Beale in 1984, but I did hear of the accident. I am very sorry for your loss; I also flew KC-135s and know how difficult it was, especially compared to modern, commercial aircraft.
Evan Nistico I’m familiar with the accident.
Amazing how he's one of my relatives
Cool :-)
Beaitiful
Talk about a RARE video...
The 11 dislikes failed the air refueling part of the program.
Maybe so, but I have no idea why someone would not like to see this video.
SR 71 requires different fuel to all other aircraft doesn't it?
Would make for an expensive aerial service station!
Yes it was the only aircraft in the world that burned JP-7 until 2010 when the Boeing X-51 Waverider reached Mach 5 an experimental unmanned aircraft which also uses JP-7
Not only was the fuel special but so were all of the other liquids such as hydraulic fluid....amazing what they built in the 50's
the KC-135Q model carried 2 kinds of gas and had a different fuel panel. source: flew them
Aspen 30 call sign was Brian Shul. And it sounds like him.
The callsign "Aspen 30" was the universal callsign for all SR-71 training missions. Brian was not the pilot of this particular flight, I was.
@@bcthomas2h90 good to know. Thx!
Looks like you've done this once or twice before...
Thanks, and you're right--I was in the SR-71 program for 11 years.
Or did the jets get their own call signs? I might be wrong on Brian.
The terrain looks like over northern nevada northern California possibly?
I don't know about this particular sortie because I did not know it was being filmed at the time, and saw the video only a few years ago. I recognize my voice as the SR-71 pilot. This was a training flight, owing to the call sign: "Aspen 30," and usually our first refueling was over Idaho, after taking off from Beale AFB, just north of Sacramento, California. So my guess is that it was over Idaho.
BC Thomas
Thank you for your service in that mighty bird .
How bout that astro navigation on board!
X-MEN confirmed!
Carried more fuel than it weighed dry.
Fan of black 🐦
Wow...don't see that very often...Shit Hot !!!
Didn't they have to refuel right after takeoffs
Not necessarily. Some of our reconnaissance missions were un-refueled, but most were refueled about 20 minutes after takeoff. The un-refueled missions were usually from Kadena Air Base, Okinawa and were flown to North Korea. Total flight time about 1 hour.
@@bcthomas2h90 cool,thanks for the information
Major Brian Shul used Aspen 30 as a call sign. Hoping that he was flying that magnificent plane that day
No, I was. "Aspen-30" was the callsign of all SR-71 training missions flown from Beale AFB.
@@bcthomas2h90 thank you for that information. Thank you for your service
What altitude is this at?
26,000 feet
What in the heck do you do in the blackbird after refueling? Hit the throttles, do a burn out and leave em in the dust?!?
After quickly completing the post refueling checklist, we would select maximum afterburner and start an acceleration to Mach 3 (~2,000 mph), attaining that speed in about 9 minutes.
BC Thomas loved the SR-71 since I was a small boy and still my favourite, at full throttle how long would it take to burn through its fuel? Also I’ve heard that after landing fuel would leak out and drip as the plane cooled down? I’m UK and have never had the privilege of seeing her fly and finally thank you for the video
Lucas Defeo It would leak anytime it wasn't going at high speeds
@@bcthomas2h90 What sort of G forces would you take on full afterburner?
@@an1skh4n The g-force was unrelenting: it was a firm acceleration pushing the aircraft forward, not stopping until the desired cruise speed was reached. That speed was usually Mach 3-Mach 3.2 or 1800-2200 mph. I took about 9 minutes to go from air refueling to cruise speed and altitude.
-Buenas. $200 de magna por favor.
-¿Checamos niveles de aceite, anticongelante, algún aditivo?
-No, gracias. Sólo chécame las llantas. A 35 libras por favor.
Nobody could outdo these guys for refuelling. Sometimes they would refuelling four times on one mission.
Hey there - I just wish to thank for the in depth interview you did at th-cam.com/users/10PercentTrueTalesfromtheCockpitvideos. It was such an interesting interview.
I was sorry to hear that you didn't get an opportunity to achieve all you wished to on the B-2 Spirit program and the hard time you were given by students later on as a Maths Teacher. Weren't they in awe of what you had achieved or have Planes become 'uncool' now? Best wishes BC! 🙂
Doesn't it us a different kind of fuel?
The SR-71 aircraft used JP-7 as fuel; the KC-135 used JP-4. The tanker had fuel tanks which carried both types of fuel, but they were isolated, so the different fuels would not be mixed together.
captain👋