Highest Rated Comments
JCacho165 karma
In addition to giving information about the aircraft's origin and functions, the men also described a planned 1997 pilot proficiency flight and flyover of the Oshkosh AirVenture event, where Smith and Meyer were to fly in support of the 50th anniversary of the Air Force. The men were descending near Lake Michigan and accompanied by Jim Smolka in an F/A-18.
While the SR-71 was refueling the boom operator on the tanker radioed that the Blackbird was "leaking quite a bit of fuel," Rogers said. "It turned out that a small fuel line with a lot of pressure - that if it had been lit by the afterburner, it might not have been a good day."
The flight was aborted and the men landed in Milwaukee. The left engine needed replacement and a C-130 was sent to Dryden to retrieve the new engine as well as equipment and personnel needed to repair the aircraft. Former Dryden Center Director Kenneth Szalai said it was a testament to the aircraft's popularity that 5,000 people attended a ground run of the SR-71 engine and more than 20,000 witnessed the aircraft's takeoff from Milwaukee when it headed back to Dryden.
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/news/X-Press/SR-71_spotlight.html#.VEgpTPldUrU
JCacho390 karma
Fuck it, I'm downvoting all the other posts to help this one reach the top.
View HistoryShare Link