Flying the SR-71 Blackbird: In the Cockpit on a Secret Operational Mission

by Richard H. Graham, Jay Miller (Foreword by)

Overview

For anyone who has ever wondered what it's like to fly the SR-71 on a secret Mach 3 reconnaissance mission, this book has the answer. Completely redesigned and updated with photos from author Colonel Richard H. Graham's personal archive, as well as a new introduction, Flying the SR-71 Blackbird details what an SR-71 mission entailed, from planning to donning a pressure suit to returning to base.

The Lockheed SR-71, unofficially known as the Blackbird, was an advanced, long-range, Mach 3 strategic reconnaissance aircraft developed by Lockheed Skunk Works. The aircraft flew so fast and high that not one was ever shot down, even by a missile. SR-71 pilot and instructor Colonel Richard Graham offers a rare cockpit perspective on how regular Air Force pilots and navigators transformed themselves into SR-71 Blackbird crews, turning their unique aviation talents to account in an unprecedented way.

Arguably the world's foremost expert on piloting the Blackbird, Graham takes readers along on an operational mission that only a few Air Force pilots have ever experienced.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780760366424
Publisher:	Motorbooks
Publication date:	10/15/2019
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	705,995
File size:	32 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

A veteran of fifteen years of assignments within the SR-71 community, Colonel Richard H. Graham is uniquely qualified to tell the Blackbird's story. Crew member, instructor pilot, chief of the standardization/evaluation division, Colonel Graham was named SR-71 Squadron Commander, 1st Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, in January 1981. A command pilot with more than 4,600 military flying hours, he has earned military decorations and awards including the Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross with three oak leaf clusters, Air Medal with eighteen oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with "V" device and one oak leaf cluster, Air Force Organizational Excellence Award, Combat Readiness Medal with one oak leaf cluster, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with four service stars, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with palm, and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal. Colonel Graham's books on the SR-71 include SR-71 Revealed: The Inside Story and SR-71 Blackbird: Stories, Tales and Legends. He lives in Plano, Texas.

Jay Miller was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana. Growing up in “Indy” during the '50s, '60s & '70s had a powerful impact on young men. Known as the “Racing Capital of the World” it was hard to escape heavy involvement into motorsports. Jay Miller is the Director of Sales and Marketing for Diesel Injection Service Company, Inc., a Louisville, Kentucky, based company which, in addition to specializing in Diesel Fuel injection, is also the nation’s largest turbocharger distributor. Miller frequently speaks publicly on the subject of turbochargers and has published numerous articles in trade publications. Jay is also co-host on the tech-talk show that is webcast from the archives at www.dieselradio.com.

A veteran of fifteen years of assignments within the SR-71 community, Colonel Richard H. Graham is uniquely qualified to tell the Blackbird's story. Crew member, instructor pilot, chief of the standardization/evaluation division, Colonel Graham was named SR-71 Squadron Commander, 1st Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, in January 1981. A command pilot with more than 4,600 military flying hours, he has earned military decorations and awards including the Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross with three oak leaf clusters, Air Medal with eighteen oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with "V" device and one oak leaf cluster, Air Force Organizational Excellence Award, Combat Readiness Medal with one oak leaf cluster, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with four service stars, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with palm, and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal. Colonel Graham's books on the SR-71 include SR-71 Revealed: The Inside Story and SR-71 Blackbird: Stories, Tales and Legends. He lives in Plano, Texas.

Table of Contents

Contents
Foreword
Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter 1 The Making of a Habu
Chapter 2 Mission Planning
Chapter 3 Preflight Activities
Chapter 4 Aircraft Preflight
Chapter 5 Cockpit Left Console Preflight
Chapter 6 Instrument Panel Preflight
Chapter 7 Cockpit Right Console Preflight
Chapter 8 Starting Engines
Chapter 9 Before Taxiing
Chapter 10 Taxiing and Before Takeoff
Chapter 11 Takeoff and Climb
Chapter 12 KC-135Q and "Cold" Tanker Air Rendezvous
Chapter 13 Acceleration to Mach 3+
Chapter 14 Cruising at Mach 3+: The "Hot" Leg
Chapter 15 Decel and "Hot" Tanker Air Rendezvous
Chapter 16 Recovery
Chapter 17 Debriefings
Chapter 18 The Blackbird's Retirement
Epilogue
Appendices
A. Black Shield Memorandum
B. Yom Kippur Memorandum
C. Cuba Overflight Memorandum
D. SR-71 Pilot's Checklist
E. Pilot's Computer Flight Plan of "Becky"
F. Training Sortie Map of "Becky"
G. List of Acronyms

Foreword

Foreword

It is with great pleasure that I write this foreword to my close friend Richard Graham's latest book, Flying the SR-71 Blackbird: In the Cockpit on a Secret Operational Mission. Describing his personal insights into piloting the SR-71, he provides the missing link among the many Blackbird volumes that have been written over the past quarter century. While many nuts-and-bolts references have been written covering the aircraft's development, flight test, and operational history in minute detail, none, until now, have addressed the subject of flying the mission from the perspective of the pilot.

The Lockheed SR-71-and its A-12, F-12, and M-21 predecessors-is arguably the most significant aircraft of our time. Born under the auspices of Cold War secrecy and operated in clandestine fashion for nearly three decades, the "Blackbird family" (as these aircraft became known to the aerospace press) would somewhat reluctantly become an international symbol for all that is good and progressive and vital in the free world. Though produced in relatively tiny numbers and used sparingly, the impact the Blackbirds had on the international community-and in turn, the latter's impact on global politics-looms large in world history.

As these words are written, no known piloted aircraft has yet to supersede the SR-71's extraordinary speed and altitude capabilities. Accordingly, it is very possible that this near-monumental performance legacy will remain on the record books, unchallenged, forever. And yes, I'm well aware that forever is a very long time.

Fortunately, no one is more suitable to write this book than Richard Graham. Both a true gentleman and a legitimatescholar, Rich-as he prefers to be called-is well known for his earlier, and I might add, exceptional works describing piloting the SR-71 and its use in operational U.S. Air Force service. This latest volume continues this legacy, taking the reader through virtually every aspect of an operational SR-71 flight, from mission assignment and preflight through J58 spool-down following landing. It is a terrifically exciting journey, written by someone who has literally been there and done that.

For those of us who will never have the opportunity to sit in the cockpit of the world's most alluring aircraft, this book represents the next best thing. If you have a pilot's soul, a need to read, and you've never been able to get enough SR-71 to satiate your hunger, you hold in your hands the remedy you've been waiting for. My hat is off to Rich for creating another fine and very authoritative read for those of us who can only dream of cruising at Mach 3.2 and eighty thousand feet!

-Jay Miller, aviation historian

Editorial Reviews

Pacific Flyer, August 2008
"For anyone who has ever wondered what it's like to fly the SR-71 on a secret Mach 3 reconnaissance mission, Flying the SR-71 Blackbird has the answer. Retired SR-71 pilot and squadron leader Graham takes readers along on an operational mission that only a few Air Force pilots have ever experienced...Graham offers a rare cockpit perspective on how regular Air Force pilots and navigators transformed themselves into SR-71 Blackbird cres, turning their unique avation talents to account in an unprecedented way. Arguably the world's foremost expert on piloting the Blackbird, Graham details, as no one else could, what an SR-71 mission entails, from donning a pressure suit to returning to base...Flying the SR-71 Blackbird is the ultimate play-by-play journey into what is involved in an operational mission of one of aviation history's most prized, and top secret, aircraft."

From the Publisher