Brian Shul

1994 interview with former SR-71 Pilot and Author Brian Shul with the late Tom Snyder from The Museum Of Flight in Seattle. The interview is joined in progress.

[@larryegilman1]

The more of these presentations of Major Shul I watch, the more sad I become that we have lost such an incredible human being.

[@martymilner6714]

I was saddened to hear te passing of Maj. Shul earlier this year. I still enjoy watching his motivational talks on KZbin. Thank you for your service, Brian. May your spirit soar as fast and as high as the aircraft that you cherished.

[@michaelloder5150]

Brian is AWSOME.... what a true Gentleman

[@rickburke6074]

Mr. Shul is a quality individual. Proud to have him serve! Thank you Mr. Shul.

[@albertschultz7151]

Many thanks Mr Shul for sharing your memories and experiences with us mortals.

[@mikeywid4954]

Thank you N2Eternity for this video. I've been fascinated by Brian Shul's story and the SR-71 for many years.

[@vanPoll]

Just imagine what great courage it takes to have a biography like Brian Shul... This guy can eat nails.

[@linanicolia1363]

the word resilient comes to mind. A real survivor who could thrive after his recovery. Well done.

[@butthead1536]

And crap brass tacks!!!!

[@thegamingguru7482]

This guy is incredible. Humble and Funny, Too. My father who is 83 was a pilot for Lockheed Martin in the late 50's and early 60's. He know a few men who flew the SR-71. So Cool. Love to see him speak.. it's on my bucket list!

[@saint27573]

What a great guy you can tell he enjoys life .

[@atkinsb142]

Such a great interview! Love to listen to Brian speak. Very inspiring!

[@iwishyouwould1781]

"We show you 1,992 knots across the ground"

[@terraholdingco]

"Ahh, LA Center, were showing more like 2000..."

[@lesterbeedell9725]

One of my favourite stories!

[@scoop4363]

. . . Walter and I became a crew . . . . Chokes me up every time I listen to L.A. Speed Check.

[@aaronanstett8987]

Were showing a little closer to 2000

[@hvydutytow]

It’s the Navy, and the Navy must die!..

[@dmac5x1]

Brian Shul, an American inspriration and hero !

[@strangersound]

The guy is super humble, but he's full on beast mode. :)

[@ZenZaBill]

Go find his talk given at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory -- probably the best one I've seen of most of what's online. From flight school to Viet Nam to the hospital and getting flight qualified again. Then, the road to the SR. Talk about drive, initiative, and perseverance!

[@mrbigw100]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/eIqWn4Wqh9iXgcksi=I9vt3dwwWhxav9Iu this is another talk Brian did a couple months before he died with his back seater Walter

[@alanjohnson3977]

Thank you for your Service.

[@highpointsights]

an american Hero!! I've watched (different versions) at least a half dozen times. Watched it yesterday!!! Might tomorrow!!!

[@leeholland2996]

What an amazing story and an amazing man. True Patriot. God Bless

[@timotot123]

Absolute legend in my eyes!

[@email4664]

Would have loved to hear what Mr Shul's favourite aircraft was on the floor in the museum. I loved his bit of information on the Corsair.

[@MegaJohnhammond]

There should be a national holiday for this guy

[@madchaos4912]

Miss Tom Snyder love Brian Shul.

[@keithgeisen]

Now this is a proud American and rightfully so. Your gift from God allowed you experience the lords handy work. Well done sir now enjoy another 60 walking on one of God’s blue marbles and continue to capture all the glorious pictures.

[@eolafan100]

He is what America should be!

[@garymorgan9163]

Rest in Peace Brian

[@rmb689]

Great interview

[@josipvrandecic2472]

Unic fantastic person !

[@AvengerII]

@8:25 -- Technically, Tom is right -- the plane IS a member of the Blackbird family but it's not an SR-71. It's a derivative of the A-12, the ORIGINAL Blackbird. That plane with the drone mounted on the back is known as the M-21. They modified two A-12s into M-21 aircraft. (They reversed the numbers to disguise the plane's identity -- clever, no?) These planes had a second seat where a specialist controlled launches of a triple-sonic ramjet-powered drone called the D-21. "M" for mother aircraft; "D" for daughter. Anyhow, only two M-21's were built and one of them was destroyed in a fatal accident when a D-21 pitched down and crashed into the M-21. The M-21 pitched up and literally broke its back. The Blackbirds were NEVER built to maneuver aggressively (I think I heard they had a 3-G limit in horizontal turns?) and if you raised the angle of attack TOO high the aircraft ran a serious danger of snapping its back which happened during 1 or 2 accidents at least. The neck was literally held onto the rear fuselage by a few bolts. The surviving M-21 was put into storage with the A-12s when the A-12 program ended in 1968. It was bailed to the museum it's at in the 1990s and that's when they mounted a D-21 (stored out in the open for years with nobody knowing WHAT the D-21 was used really used for!) on its back. This particular M-21 actually flew as a chase plane for its sister craft when that M-21 had its fatal accident. The pilot of the M-21 in the accident survived. The drone launch officer unfortunately drowned in the water because there were oxygen valves on his flight seat that weren't sealed off properly and he took in water before they could get to him. Same thing nearly happened to astronaut Gus Grissom, btw, when his Mercury capsule sank after his suborbital flight.

[@TairnKA]

RIP Brian Shul

[@MasterX767]

I calculated a missile trajectory evasion by the SR-71 and I got speeds around MACH 8!!! The top speeds are still classified. Although this aircraft was for reconnaissance, it could easily be converted into a thermonuclear bomber.

[@williamsimmons152]

MasterX767 idiots like you just keep the world goin around.

[@MasterX767]

@broomsterm Good Points! Although, you are not taking other, "Still Top Secret" hardware into consideration. My analysis included the adjustable engine cones to control air flow and the super coolers for the air. The incoming airflow was almost freezing temperatures. The United States has had SSTOL technology for almost 80 years. Just ask The Soviets. We used to taunt them with this plane. Imagine what our sciences have today. FREEDOM BABY!

[@wingcommanderbob8268]

@@MasterX767 Maybe you should tell Reaction Engines Limited that the precooler they've been developing for the last 10 years to stop an air-breathing engine melting from the temperature of the incoming airflow was completely pointless, then, because clearly you have to be correct that the tech for this has existed for over 50 years. Or maybe your math is fucked.

[@MasterX767]

@@wingcommanderbob8268 Just look at the speed of a Soviet SAM at the time the Lybian's were using. Using triangulation calculations of speed, angles and the Pythagorean Therom. Duh,... I'm not surprised that the British company is having failures. They need to figure this out on their own. Even the reporter on that Reaction Engine knows we have the goods and mentions it. NOW! BACK TO YOUR HOLE!

[@wingcommanderbob8268]

@@MasterX767 Air-breathing jet aircraft and solid-fuel rockets have very different performance... doing Mach 8 is completely possible for a surface-to-air missile for a short time because it does not NEED the air around it to keep moving, it can just power on through it. Compression heating's a bitch; the SABRE is looking at having to cool down 1000°C intake air enough to be useable in the engine without reducing it to slag, and that is at "only" Mach 5.5. Missiles such as the Sprint ABM don't have to care if the air outside is being turned into plasma upon contact at Mach 10 because they can just use heat-resistant ceramics. Mach 8 would require Space Shuttle-esque external ceramic cladding to survive, something the Blackbird never had. Even ignoring that, theoretically somewhere above Mach 3.8 the shockwave off the SR-71's nose would enter the engines and (regardless of the inlet cone) cause a compressor stall anyway, preventing any further gain in speed. At Mach 3.5 the windshield supports were already losing structural integrity because of that compression heating, though, so I doubt anyone was ever insane enough to actually test that. R:e Libyan missiles, you may have forgotten that a SAM's motor burns out incredibly quickly, leaving it to coast on the residual kinetic energy. Even if a missile is doing two times a Blackbird's speed a few seconds after launch, if the Blackbird turns directly away from the missile then air resistance will win out long before it gets anywhere close. This is a cross-country race, not a sprint (pun intended). Edit: I don't know how much more I need to spell it out for you. It is physically impossible for an SR-71 to reach the speeds you for some reason think it can. Its engines couldn't get it that fast even if you ignore the fact the heat would cause it to lose structural integrity and disintegrate long before then. I do not think you are even attempting to argue this in good faith.

[@TR6Telos]

Used to watch the SR71 coming ito Mildenhall in the 80s, would go around to cool off before landing. Was replaced by the Aurora around 90, but it has not been detected recently. Dead, replaced, or dead secret?

[@AvengerII]

I don't think the Aurora ever went into operation. And the codename "Aurora" was really used for the B-2. There were stories about hypersonic planes in development at Lockheed in the 1980s and even an item about it in at least one book published about Lockheed in the 1980s that I saw. I think whatever they were doing proved to impractical to use in service and that it got shelved for the time being. I have doubts the engine technology is there for sustained hypersonic flight and they have demonstrated problems with it at least as far back as the X-15 and the way the second X-15 got toasted on its ultimate speed flight. They were trying to reach Mach 8 in stages but the plane got charred to a crisp at just under Mach 7! The SR-71 was brought back into service for a few years but NASA used it for at least 5 years after the USAF retirement. There's definitely a feeling among the intelligence community that they retired it TOO EARLY the first time. They could have used it during the first Gulf War for sure. After 2000? It's questionable the worth but during the first Gulf War there were intelligence deficiencies identified and the SR-71 would have been a very useful asset to have in reserve. The USAF wanted to get rid of the plane for probably 15 years prior to the original retirement and they got their wish the second time!

[@TR6Telos]

@@AvengerII I knew a worker at Macrihanish Scotland who remembers the Aurora landing and departing there at night, and a mil radar op in UK who would be briefed before the Aurora would show up on the scope, years ago.

[@rbjanitorialprod]

The best

[@intrepid_wandering]

Man, people on television from decades ago were so much more articulate and intelligible than today. Hella disappointing.

[@kathleenirish]

Who the hell thumb’s downed this!!? Shame on you

[@robertlafnear7034]

R.I.P. Major Shul 🤥

[@nigelmay6870]

And then a tr 3b comes on the air and asks for a speed check..

[@qbeard1]

Air breathing is key.....we have other modes.

[@TheNyarcangel]

Aspen 3-zero ground check?

[@hvydutytow]

TheNyarcangel “Aspen 30 we show you at 199twooo across the ground. “

[@kirioes]

@@hvydutytow “i think we’re showin a lil closer to uh...2000