SR-71 Transcontinental Speed Record 20th Anniversary

Betty Wheaton interviews SR-71 pilots who discuss missions and provide an open-cockpit tour of the SR-71 at the 20th Anniversary celebration of the transcontinental speed record. The event was held at Blackbird Air Park in Palmdale, CA. Produced by Jarel and Betty Wheaton for Peninsula Seniors pvseniors.org/_...

[@TranceParadise]

This movie is GOLD. Platinum GOLD, actaully.

[@gabrielbennett5162]

My late grandpa, Vic Horton, flew many YF-12 and SR-71 missions out of Edwards for NASA in the 70s and 80s. He always used to scoff at the "official" speed and altitude records and say, "Aww, they weren't even pushing her!" Reportedly, he and other NASA pilots gave a classified briefing to the USAF crews at Beale in the early 80s about what the Blackbird could do when it was "pushed."

[@katumus]

These PeninsulaSrsFideos interviews are best that there really are, wins almost every commercially made documentary from companies like BBC, National Geographic etc. That because you get so much nice small details from the problem solving and the procedures of the different situations etc. Like in this video, you got to learn the landing gear assembly and the tire pressure by design and the wheels lifetime etc. Just such tidbits that makes huge impact to learn about military aviation and its history in USA. Kudos for everyone who are responsible to make those seminars and especially for those who are producing these videos and interviews!

[@oceantrolls7332]

I have listened to a few interviews of these esteemed pilots who were privileged to fly the SR-71 and from each one of them, I learnt some new and amazing fact about the SR-71! Amazing. Thank you Sir(s) for your service. Wow!

[@BKetch]

I love how the pilots seem like such humble people and really wouldnt seem like a fighter jock. And they are all super smart too!

[@beelwillis4025]

Excellent Segments! These Gentlemen gave our country a service that cannot be adequately repaid... THANK YOU Miss Betty for your Hard and Professional Work!

[@taofledermaus]

That was a VERY enjoyable video! Thank you!

[@funshootin1]

what is so amazing to remember is this stuff was dreamed up in the 50s to the 60s and done with slide rules ..just imagine what the skunk works, phantom works , and darpa is working on today.

[@michaljaskowski1309]

Your chanel is a real treasure island. Thank you so much for doing an excelent job!

[@robertkerr3059]

I even feel lucky being able to be able to hear these dedicated men and woman share there passion

[@jameswilliams7847]

love this bird, get to go to the blackbird reunion when i can with my bf chuck, each time is a great memory , chuck and me both have paver bricks in the park for what our fathers did with /for the blackbird program, skyz the limit

[@Dave-hs1wd]

Sr-71 pilots, I'm so jealous! I've always been fascinated by this plane when I saw it as a kid. Such an amazing aircraft. I love watching interviews of the crew and history of the aircraft. I wish I could have the opportunity to fly in the blackbird and go Mach 3!! I just imagine all the "faster" planes that have been developed since. I would love to work on them! Cheers

[@Sailbadthesinner666]

Ed Yeilding woke me up in Oxnard, California, the morning he set the L.A> to D.C. speed record in the -71. As I was used to being awakened by the STS Orbiter returning to Edwards AFB in the early days, I switched on the TV expecting to see news coverage of the shuttle landing. There was no coverage as it wasn't flying and I was mystified. The next day I read about the speed record and I realized what had caused the double shock wave that was my alarm clock.

[@rhampton1914]

This is very Educational. Enjoyed a lot. Thanks for sharing.

[@Lensman864]

These are great videos! Just superb work Betty.

[@mikeabel9467]

Great stuff from the pilots at end, wish I was there and could meet them

[@TomCatSuperD]

An amazing aircraft and crews who flew it and maintained it. Never forget!!!

[@brettmurray9080]

travelled all the way from Australia to see the SR 71 at Hill Air force base in Ogden. . . .Brilliant. Thanks to all those concerned in production of this most informative presentation. Brett

[@Lensman864]

I'm very lucky to have one just a 20 minute drive away at the Imperial War Museum Duxford (UK).

[@beckytorres2711]

Such great stories, thank you so much

[@crankcasy]

Thank you Betty loved this video.

[@gecko3674]

such incredible people and stories

[@stripervince1]

I was there at plant 42 on sierra hwy in palmdale and saw this with about 200 others

[@kukko83]

Very interesting interviews, thank you!

[@mikeabel9467]

Awesome video, thanks for the upload

[@Q8_BoRashed]

Amazing! Thank you for this.

[@3ducs]

I was living in the DC area at that time and heard the sonic boom. On another day I saw the space shuttle on top of it's 747 transport as it did it's Beltway loop on the way to the Air and Space Museum, eras coming to a close.

[@kettle_of_chris]

God Bless these guys! There's a direct connection between their service, and wars prevented. At the very least they prevented conflicts, and every day they kept the peace. And of course the SR is a beautiful plane... But i gotta be honest - I'd rather fly an F15, F16 or a Typhoon. Here's why: First: cockpit window. Like the first gentleman said it's doesn't have very good forward viability. In my estimation that takes about 60% of the fun out of flying. But I understand why it's designed that way. Second: No amount of money or alcohol would get me into one that "suit" the SR pilots have to wear. If it were any more restrictive it'd be a share rental in San Francisco. Third: Maneuverability. Flying at Mach 3 will get old real quick (for me) if it takes 44 zip codes to turn heading 270, from 250. No barrel rolls? No Mach Loop in Scotland? No 6 G turns? When I think about that, I almost feel sorry for the SR guys. And lastly, the sad reality that you can't fly Mach 3 below 10,000 feet. I mean you could try it, but the wings would probably be ripped to shreds. Or at least the vertical stabilizers...I know their not actually vertical. At 80,000 feet - according to another SR pilot I saw on an old episode of DC "Wings" - the only sensation of speed you get is by looking at the distance indicator ticking away. So in other words you're hauling ass and the only way you'd know is by looking at an LCD display. zzzzzzzz Anyway I would take the thrill of 600 knots at 1500 feet, over Mach 3 at 80,000 feet any day. Nevertheless I will always bow to an SR pilot. God bless you all!

[@tatersalad9416]

"Eagle on top a mountain looking for prey" Love it.

[@retiredafce3373]

Hill AFB has the only SR-71C called "THE BASTARD". It was combined with a nose of an SR-71 and body of a YF-12.

[@clearingbaffles]

Retired AF CE is that the one made into the second trainer when the B model was going in for depot maintenance? I thought the nose was from a trainer/simulator?

[@mosshark]

This is great.

[@JIMJAMSC]

I live in SC and wondering which is the best example of a Sr-71? Prefer it be indoors and not on a stand, hanging and maybe one you can climb stairs and look into.

[@sgtokie]

Great story

[@SuperScottCrawford]

was originally designated rs-71 until lyndon johnson announced it as sr-71.

[@QuM3]

***** I thought it was Nixon that messed it up

[@SuperScottCrawford]

it was pre-nixon. lyndon johnson introduced it on feb. 29, 1964 as the sr-71 which made lockheed change the name. all that trouble just because he said something wrong. it makes me think of the f-117 stealth. why it isn't a b-117 when it clearly is a bomber only is beyond me.

[@SuperScottCrawford]

***** yeah, thanks. yeah, i like hearing about our history, too. esp. if it pertains to military or space. this was actually a very informative video. kudos to the hostess by asking simple questions and then zipping it. plus they edited out a lot of dead time. btw, did you happen to see the other videos that were available on this channel? i gotta say, looks pretty good. lol - all the thumbnails show a senior citizen. that's cool cuz we get to hear straight form the people that were there

[@SuperScottCrawford]

really? i humbly suggest that you should try and document his stories. sit down with him, turn on the phone camera and have him tell you about his life and adventures. don't wait until it's too late! for you and future generations of your family.

[@katumus]

@@SuperScottCrawford Sorry to first answer for 3 year old post, but for the future purposes.... The F-117 was a political naming, just like the F/A-18 is not a F-18. When the US congress, aircraft manufacturers and then the USAF, USN etc are in the discussions to purchase a new aircrafts, there are different political requirements and allowances from the government side that what can be done and what can't be done. And to avoid the political problems, the product designation is changed to allow something to be purchased or overcome some legal jurisdictions and requirements. Why F-117 became as Fighter, instead as an Bomber. And why F-18 got the /A designator as well. There was similar thing with the F-22 to be a F/A-22. It got designation changed few times between its purchase decisions and settled finally to a F-22. It can sound little silly, but when the government decides something, there is a lot of different things done at the background, like what assets does the government have in different situations to solve problems, and if you rename a asset as something, you might be required to open it to different authorities and plans as a tool. Example, when the anti-personnel mines were denied by the Ottawa agreement, the participating countries made a simple change to the tactics to use the same weapons and renamed them differently. Example a pipe mine that you could operate by two ways, you attached it to something for area of effect and then pulled the trigger wire from it and attached to whatever you wanted tactically use to blow it up, like across path and when the wire got pulled or released, it blowed up. The Ottawa agreement disallows a mines from being used that gets triggered by the target himself (victim) as it means you are leaving explosives around the globe for decades even and then so on in future civilians etc can get killed by accidentally triggering those left around. That is the definition of "the mine". So the overcome was simple, every pipe mine was renamed as "pipe bomb" and is trained tactically only be used with its second mode, a pull mode. Now you attach the bombs on something, you pull the trigger wire out from it, but you don't leave it anywhere alone, but you will pull the wire across to location where is a soldier now with multiple wires and ready to pull them to trigger explosion. Now the Ottawa agreement was overcome by agreeing parties by renaming "anti-personnel mine" as "anti-personnel explosive" and not using them with self-trigger manner, but personnel blowing them up. And what does it really help? When the war happens, you can guarantee that every single agreeing party is going to use somewhat the "anti-personnel explosive" as an mine, instead as they agreed. The same thing is with the F-, B-, R- and A- designations, political to sell and to buy and to do business. Be it simple as a international political agreement to not use bombers against specific kind countries, but allowed to use fighters in operations. Just renaming the same aircraft designation, you can come around these limitations as you are not sending a bomber, but an fighter....

[@cotedazure]

Geez, apparently you have to be a rocket scientist just to fly the thing.... Can only imagine how smart the engineers were that designed this plane!

[@Andolini73]

These friggin old guys! Cut from a different cloth than me. It would suck being an engineer back then without all the tools we have now!

[@alexdacostausa9471]

TOP AIRCRAFT

[@Michael_Michaels]

It would be nice if they could reveal the max top speed ever achieved!

[@joshuareynolds6271]

@Mikevandoom I just watched another video where one if the pilots talks about a test pilot claiming to have hit Mach 3.4.

[@Michael_Michaels]

Joshua Reynolds I also read something about someone achieving Mach 3.5 but There's no certainty about the absolute top speed! I think it's still top secret, which doesn't make any sense, since the plane doesn't fly anymore!!

[@joshuareynolds6271]

+MikeVonDoom unless of course there a are still flying it... but I do agree, I can't understand why anybody just won't tell us how fast it truly is. It is definitely one of my most favorite aircraft.

[@K4rt80y]

+MikeVonDoom I've talked with several Sled drivers that said the inlet temps were the limiting factors. They all had personally seen 3.33-3.35 mach with temp, humidity and temperatures cooperating.

[@oddspaghetti4287]

+MikeVonDoom it's not secret it's just that if you push it over what it is rated for it breaks.

[@ronaldhiler7449]

Altitude not attitude

[@millicentsquirrelhole582]

'Sled driver cool' is.....phlegmatic and ahem...testicular.

[@michaelpapalucas]

USA the wing country.......

[@masskilla469]

HISTORY is something to admire and hold close to one's heart.