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Rare photos of the SR-71 Blackbird show its amazing history
The SR-71 Blackbird is, without a doubt, the most advanced airplane ever built in relation to the technology available at the time. It broke all aviation records, it flew incredible missions, and it became the stuff of legend. (sploid.gizmodo.com) Más...Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
I must have been there about the same time. I was stationed at Hanza and used to go down to Kadena to watch them and the C5's.
I was there from April 82 to April 84.
I live close to Beale and actually got to see the SR71 a couple of times. I heard it at night more often. It's engines had a very distinct sound.
The first time I ever saw one was while I was playing golf at Peachtree CC in Marysville. It was mid morning with low clouds. I heard a fairly quiet jet and looked up as one flew directly overhead at a couple thousand feet through a break in the cloud cover. I was stunned.
Then in '89 I went to the Beale Air show and was lucky enough to have one take off right past my car as I was driving to a parking place. I remember that they would not taxi them up to the crowd and stopped way out at the end of the runway.....then again I went to the SR-71 retirement ceremony just a few short months later - this time they taxied the jet up to the crowd. I remember that I could feel the heat coming from it.
Regarding exhaust color - I didn't notice any when it went by during take-off. I was lucky enough to be behind a Concorde in (If I recall correctly) Tampa Florida when it took off and the exhaust was a yellowish green color.
Then I remember taking off from Orly and seeing an AF Concorde on the ground. Landed later in NY at the same Concorde was on the ground again. It had passed over us.
Then in '89 I went to the Beale Air show and was lucky enough to have one take off right past my car as I was driving to a parking place. I remember that they would not taxi them up to the crowd and stopped way out at the end of the runway.....then again I went to the SR-71 retirement ceremony just a few short months later - this time they taxied the jet up to the crowd. I remember that I could feel the heat coming from it.
Regarding exhaust color - I didn't notice any when it went by during take-off. I was lucky enough to be behind a Concorde in (If I recall correctly) Tampa Florida when it took off and the exhaust was a yellowish green color.
Then I remember taking off from Orly and seeing an AF Concorde on the ground. Landed later in NY at the same Concorde was on the ground again. It had passed over us.
Yea, I don't recall it making much noise either.
I saw it there, also, at the airshows. Trippy aircraft, UFO like.
Anyone could get pics of it from highway 58 if they were riding in a vehicle that was tall enough.
I once met a couple of Habu (the name given the plane by locals and after the deadly snake of the island) pilots at the Kadena air base dive shop. Personable guys really, but couldn't say much about the plane sadly. It would often take off at night, circle over Futenma where I was stationed and all you could see were 2 blue-white cones of flame and the rotating beacon and nothing more, but you knew it was headed north.