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Well, if you do not mind Engineer, here are some especially dedicated to the glory of the Blackbird

In his book, "Sled Driver", SR-71 Blackbird pilot Brian Shul writes:

"I'll always remember a certain radio exchange that occurred one day as Walt (my back-seater) and I were screaming across Southern California 13 miles high.

We were monitoring various radio transmissions from other aircraft as we entered Los Angeles airspace. Though they didn't really control us, they did monitor our movement across their scope.

I heard a Cessna ask for a readout of its ground speed. "90 knots"
Center replied.

Moments later, a Twin Beech required the same. "120 knots", Center answered.

We weren't the only ones proud of our ground speed that day as almost instantly an F-18 smugly transmitted, "Ah, Center, Dusty 52 requests ground speed readout."

There was a slight pause, then the response, "525 knots on the ground, Dusty." Another silent pause. As I was thinking to myself how ripe a situation this was, I heard a familiar click of a radio transmission coming from my back-seater. It was at that precise moment I realized Walt and I had become a real crew, for we were both thinking in unison.

"Center, Aspen 20, you got a ground speed readout for us?"

There was a longer than normal pause.... "Aspen, I show 1,742 knots" (That's about 2004.658 mph for those who don't know).
No further inquiries were heard on that frequency.


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In another famous SR-71 story, Los Angeles Center reported receiving a request for clearance to FL 600 (60,000 ft). The incredulous controller, with some disdain in his voice, asked, "How do you plan to get up to 60,000 feet? The pilot (obviously a sled driver), responded, "We don't plan to go up to it; we plan to go down to it."

He was cleared.

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There's a story about the military pilot calling for a priority landing because his single-engine jet fighter was running "a bit peaked."

Air Traffic Control told the fighter jock that he was number two behind a B-52 that had one engine shut down.

"Ah," the fighter jock remarked, "the dreaded seven-engine approach."

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- This is Ghost Rider requesting a fly-by. - Negative Ghost Rider. The pattern is full.

I wish they would take that plane off sabbatical.. I grew up near Edwards Air Force Base and remember seeing them flying by from time to time. The looked amazing in the air.

Lucky you, I only had the chance to see it in static

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- This is Ghost Rider requesting a fly-by. - Negative Ghost Rider. The pattern is full.

Great quotes.

Sled Driver is a book I've wanted to read for about the last 10 years, but I've never managed to get hold of a copy...... and the current $495 asking price is too much to justify.

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Driver8

Site Moderator

Actually the price at Amazon.com is $548.82, did you manage to get a discount D8?

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- This is Ghost Rider requesting a fly-by. - Negative Ghost Rider. The pattern is full.

You can get the Limited Edition box set version from the Sled Driver website for $495. Either way, still waaaaay too much for a book.

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Driver8

Site Moderator

You get a patch too!

Here is a $300 copy;
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Sled-D ... 0929823089

No problem at all, the more the merrier!

Ian

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Navitimer World, Callistino.
Omega Speedmaster Moon, Hamilton 992B, Steinhart BS LEII #2, B&R 01-92 Heritage

This bird is an amazing achievement and one that has not been rivaled since, especially given that it came about in the '60's. Well I should say it has not been rivaled that we know of. Good "funnies" on it too F14-Tomcat, especially coming down to 60,000, you just know those guys looking at their scoped had to being double and triple takes to make sure they were reading them right.

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In case anyone is interested, I contacted Brian Shul the author of this book and was forwarded to a contact at his publisher. They have released a new edition of Sled Driver though it has not been distributed, it is very much like the Limited Edition. It's $195. If you would like I can provide contact info, just let me know.

Yes, please Justin.

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- This is Ghost Rider requesting a fly-by. - Negative Ghost Rider. The pattern is full.