SR71 Blackbird Mildenhall 1984 (No Music & Higher Quality)

[@abmqa]

I was there also. I was assigned to Det 4, 9th SRW the sr71 detachment. I worked the unit's air show food booth. We sold chicken fajitas. They were very popular! It was a beautiful day

[@davebellamy4867]

SR71 and bird song. Absolutely gorgeous. It looks like quite a sultry day there with hazy sun and yellowish sky. I was likely there. Went there multiple times in the 1980s.

[@chrisbeard5794]

The SR-71 always have and always will be my favorite aircraft seen it 2 years ago at the air and space museum in Virginia and seeing it in person brought a tear to my eye knowing that she will never fly again, those J58 engines were music to my ears. R.I.P Kelly Johnson.

[@abmqa]

Chris, same here. I actually worked with the sr71 as an Elint analyst while in the air force and stationed at Raf Mildenhall. It's in my top 3 as far as favorite assignments while in the AF. 1982 - 1985.

[@tutts999]

I can remember watching it at Mildenhall in 84. The best thing I have ever seen at an airshow.

[@bowfisher456]

TONE 007 I was in RAF Little Rizzington at the time in 84. I saw the SR 71 at Andrews AFB

[@MyASMaRk]

I attended that airshow with my dad and grandad; I was just five years old and I hated the noise, particularly the SR-71. However, as I grew older I loved attending the local airshow at Mildenhall and I've had a fascination and love of flight and flying ever since. Such a shame that the mighty Mildenhall Airshow got cancelled; the ways of the world and spiralling costs have killed off so many good airshows in the past 20 years. It was fun whilst it lasted!

[@bobl78]

don´t know about the UK but in Germany it was the Ramstein desaster that cancelled all shows forever. As a child I remember having been to one classic show a few years before the Ramstein accident..

[@HazelS71]

It makes me sad knowing i will never be able to see the almighty blackbird cruising through the sky

[@MrSilverfish12]

Dont worry. Eventually something new will be declassified.

[@SwissMadeMax]

Same here. A true beauty in the sky. So aggressive looking, but without any weapons... Simply forever futuristic old plane...

[@kenbass346]

U wouldn't kno if it was anyway

[@neilrobinson5115]

Mores the point the Air Fete!!!!,British air shows are crap now,I was there that year as a 13 year old air cadet,brilliant day.

[@TMoore-h5b]

Yes I have said that very same thing.

[@marksavage7165]

Wow those were the days! Absolutely loved the SR71. I bet i attended that air show as well.

[@moz7173]

Cool as Fck. I remember as a 13 year old (1984) at a boarding school called Culford in Bury St Edmunds, running away into a nearby field to see if we could catch the black pencil plane with the balloon at the back coming into land from a distance at Mildenhall - that's where my fascination for flying started :)

[@abmqa]

That's awesome 👌 I lived in Bury St. Edmunds when I was stationed at RAF Mildenhall. I worked was assigned to the SR-71 unit, ELINT. I remember that I could hear the plane taking off from my home. I knew when missions were scheduled, so I would deliberately listen for the take off. If the plane didn't fly, that meant no mission. No mission meant no work for me 😁. It didn't happen too often, but when it did I was glad. Not to make sympathy for me, but whenever we had a mission, I was usually at work 24 to 36 hours straight, depending on the mission. There were usually 2 missions per week, and we were short staffed. So, I was just always at work 🙄 But I loved it! 😍 The group people who I worked with were top notch 👌 super smart. It was also my first introduction to the computer world. Btw I managed to remember the address of the house that I lived in, 18 Phillip Road Bury St Edmunds. I used to hang out, and played on the dart team for the Queens Head pub in Bury. Oh the memories.....

[@RedRoosterParty]

I was at that airshow and it may have been the first time I saw the Blackbird fly. I am delighted to find this video documentation.

[@markwilliamwestonwilson1503]

I was there and it was amazing , it is something you never forget

[@DG-ie5ip]

Stationed at Lakenheath down the road with F-111F USAF (462X0 Weapons Loader) and worked so many exercises with 12 hr shifts (cold war period). But it was worth it especially being at this Air show at Mildenhall. Miss the pints of British lager and 3 TV stations to watch at the time. Suffolk was very nice and safe to live at the time.

[@keithcornell692]

every time i watch someones videos of mildenhall airfete i can not help but smell the burgers cooking and the ice cold budweiser

[@Aussie1276]

The sound of the duel Pratt-Whitney J58 engines roaring...such a sweet sound that never gets old

[@davebellamy4867]

I think this is the first time I've seen the 1984 one on video. Pretty sure I was there with ny Dad and a schoolmate or two, practically every year in the 80s.

[@cliffwhite2812]

I was there that day and still remember the enormous length of that afterburner tail on the starboard engine.

[@Bobbyburns98]

Lived at mildy from 84-88. Got to see this plane almost everyday. We lived offbase right next to the end of the flight line. My old man flew RC's and got to meet the pilots for the SR, even got a neat skunkworks book for me. Can't believe they are closing that base down. First Chicksands, now Mildenhall. What's next Eilson or Offutt

[@shaungoddard2407]

I was there with my father and son, I can still hear those engines...my god !!!

[@IslandAmazing]

I'm in the crowd somewhere. Awesome memories!

[@ricksanchez9232]

What an airplane, thank you Kelly Johnson and Lockheed.

[@cowslinger64]

I was there as well.. What an amazing aircraft. The airshow there was spectacular.

[@STEEPPOW]

I love when you see the exhaust shut off when you know they turn the afterburners on. That pass with the burners was extraordinary.

[@ianmrae1]

Thank you for posting this. I was at this airshow as an 11 year old and remember it well. My Grandma lived 3 miles from RAF Mildenhall and we would often clearly hear the SR-71 taking off from her house. Amazing.

[@hongdongjji5361]

awesome, what a blast from the past. Lived at RAFM and anytime we heard this everyone ran out to see it. DET4 guys were always nice to answer questions, and we always enjoyed Air Fete. Man, did I enjoy living overseas back then, what a time.

[@mattbates6887]

I remember that particular year at Mildenhall 1984, when the SR71 pushed on one afterburner. A picture of it appeared on the front cover of Aircraft magazine, glad I was there to see it! What always amused me was how far it flew out to turn around, a couple of miles easily. That was a very warm afternoon, lovely weather for a fabulous airshow! From what I remember, Mildenhall airshow attracted around 200,000 visitors over the weekend, and the traffic queues getting into the base were huge. Great video BTW, brings back some very happy memories.

[@abmqa]

Same here, they were really showing off that day. The when they shut down both engines and then, at low level reignited them, then shot straight up, with full afterburner, is really very special 👌 👏 as for the day, twas exactly as you described.

[@vahdati1978]

Lived by Mickey's Tea Bar bout 3 years, 3 Air Shows. Still at my age, no better people or memories.

[@abmqa]

Wow Mickeys, forgot about that place, right off the roundabout?

[@mikedavis3016]

Great to that I am the only person who has both worked on this aircraft (Avionics) as well as being a Weather Forecaster and briefer (cross trained) while at Beale AFB in the 70s. I also had the privilege to distance running with Keith Branham (Pilot & Intelligence Officer. Mike Davis

[@rmb689]

i would watch the SR-71 fly every 3 days in Okinawa back in 87-88. Great memories

[@abmqa]

Yup, just about twice a week, like in the UK.

[@bradwindhorst7010]

What an awesome piece of engineering. Only got better the faster it went. Coolest plane to date in my opinion.

[@robertfeeley9738]

Those wings are never dead

[@deanwallis6962]

Good video I love mildenhall it was the best show the service men and women were so nice .Everybody from kids to the a Grow up enjoyed it And the burger were 10/10🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@abmqa]

Ahh this was recorded from outside of the base. Do you remember all of the plane watchers who used to sit out there and take note of planes tail numbers? We used to call it kgb corner

[@JIMJAMSC]

30 years in aviation and was able to cross off most of my "must see" planes but never the Blackbird. Got to touch the SC B-2 at KCAE. Saw a F-117 at a airshow and saw a U-2 from 10 grand up looking down on her on a ramp in S Fla. The SR is really the last one I really want to see even if only static.

[@abmqa]

I worked with the sr71 when I was in the Air Force. I had a reenlistment ceremony in front of one and of course I sat in the cockpit. Had a U2 parked in the hangar I worked in. Got to sit in the cockpit of a F117 and a F4c. I was very fortunate in my Air Force career to be around awesome technology. RC135, C130, C141, and the C-5 to name a few aircraft that I have flown on

[@kelvin1441]

Amazing! It was a privilege to have seen it fly and display.

[@joequillun7790]

In 1978, LRAFB sent me there TDY. I wanted to see this plane, but it never was out in the day. Only heard it at nite. They did have an armed guard around a J-58, in the shop, roped off, and covered in a tarp.

[@cowslinger64]

I was there for this as well. What a magnificent aircraft.

[@Wonkabar007]

Fantastic!

[@brutonano9521]

I was an AE on Tomcats, (VF-41). But, the SR-71 was power. Those engines were an engineering marvel.

[@jangelbrich7056]

Still magic after 10 years of upload!

[@sgtdug276]

Kelly Johnson was a genius

[@davebellamy4867]

Was this the first year that the SR-71 flew during the actual show? I recall 1981 or 1982 when it was in the static park, then flew off after the show ended, maybe 6pm+ after many people had left for home.

[@JAME51000]

Wow i was there when i was a kid does anyone remember all the car alarms going off when it went over.

[@TomCatSuperD]

I highly value each air show at which I viewed the mighty SR-71 Blackbird in flight. Many thousands were in attendance at Wright - Patterson AFB, Dayton Ohio as a Blackbird arrived for permanent display at National Museum of The United States Air Force, astounding and sad to watch its final flight. By the way, the only remaining YF-12 version of the Blackbirds is on display there.

[@Bluenose352]

I saw that very same SR-71 at Oshkosh 1989. That was my first time seeing one in flight.

[@sorrygeorge7038]

+TAstronomy. Wud there be a solution in Today's tech that could've improved/stopped the auto-fuel leakage design?

[@davebellamy4867]

I saw the YF-12 there in 1983 in the hangar whilst on holiday in the USA. The Valkyrie and Streak Eagle were outside at that time. Luckily, I also used to go to Mildenhall airshow most years in the 80s. One of the best shows anywhere. Great days.

[@Ian-hv1dc]

The 2 Blackbird hangars are still on base.

[@abmqa]

Wow, nice to know. I worked in the hangar on the gate side of the flight line, where the unit commanders was. The other hangar housed the plane and maintenance unit.

[@slicer819]

I was there, thanks for posting a great memory aid!

[@wattsmichaele]

We had a visit at Barksdale AFB in about 1981…several sonic booms….incredible…story reported was it had tech problems and had to land here for whatever….God knows what we have in inventory now…

[@HeidiLandRover]

Mildenhall was the best airshow hands down.

[@allgood6760]

Awesome... thank you👍🇳🇿

[@vinceyreay]

I was there on that day.

[@MarcGaglione-qh2ht]

The most beautiful bird ever

[@Polemarchus404]

Upvoted because of no music

[@davebellamy4867]

Wonderful original footage. How much did your video gear weigh back in 1984? We used to see the guys weighed down with video cameras, huge battery packs and separate full sized video recorders with a curly telephone type cable from the camera to the recorder, teetering on a stepladder in the hot sunshine. Well, 40 years later, it WAS worth it.

[@MsTamaStar]

That plane was so badass!! Thanks for sharing!

[@loisknott3763]

Perfect filming of a beautiful.aircraft

[@stephengamble9388]

Never got to see this. Fairford mid 80s it was reassigned over the Irish Sea. Hooked up with a tanker. Passed over beyond visual range. Bugger.

[@jc76mb]

my father did the A-10 demo that year.he had a copy of that show from tv but its an old vhs tape,and wouldnt play in the States anyways cause the speeds are different.would like to get it somehow. thanks for posting.other than him,and the RedArrows,the Blackbird was my favorite memory of that show

[@moz7173]

A10's regularly interrupted German classes.

[@Radio478]

Was there

[@cam0racer]

I was there for this. Loudest plane I have ever heard.

[@abmqa]

I remember standing on the flight line and watching this plane taking off and feeling it vibrate in my heart ❤️ so strongly 💪! My favorite thing was to see evenly spaced rings of flame in the afterburner!

[@supersonic1246]

What a marvelous aircraft ... ? Grets from Germany😐

[@miguelangelback2047]

Killmonger expression: It,s Beatiful! 🤩

[@generalbaillie]

I was there there too 😎👍🏻

[@jdeleur5713]

I was there as a little boy with my grandfather. Thank you for sharing this memory :) Was this the same year that two spitfires crashed? Greetings from the Netherlands.

[@peterschiller2451]

01:04 to 01:13 Amazing.

[@dischargedarrowgetback4322]

The SR-71 is said to be unable to make small turns, but looking at the remaining footage, it appears to be turning within a mile. The true turning radius of the SR-71 may have been kept secret.

[@EricHathaway]

Love you dad

[@billford5553]

This is in the UK yes

[@lbanks1soldier]

Man what a howler

[@debbaz7476]

Superb 😀

[@ErnstMartin-l7i]

627 Mass 1982-1986

[@mandh14]

Awesome job! Thanks :-)

[@aollerton]

Hi Jonathan I think I have some of the A10 that day, may take a while to locate but if I find it I will post - please be patient - Alan

[@TR6Telos]

I think Major Jim Jiggins flew this display, and the aircraft was overstressed and was retired.

[@earlgallup5223]

Sweet

[@10percenttrue]

Allan, this is immense. I have an interview with legendary SR pilot, BC Thomas, and was wondering if I can use your footage? I don't monetise my channel, so no money in it for me, but will credit you in full. Thanks in advance for your consideration!

[@Radio478]

Frightening the sh out of me

[@superStarr808]

7 Mig 31s disliked this video.

[@mile5328]

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[@MrTangent]

She’s a slow, ungainly lumbering giant of a plane, but no finer cargo plane existed. Just had to be patient!

[@vladislavsheer7094]

!!!

[@ibrahimbocoglu8608]

YOURS SİNCERELY YOURS