My USAF service took up a very short period of my life. I earned a B.S. and Masters degrees, married and had a son, lost that son to cancer at age 15, held a career as a Juvenile Probation Officer, worked in retail logistics, acted in two independent films, sang baritone in choirs and performed many solo pieces as well, fished a lot, hunted some, and traveled some. Even those events are just highlights of my 60+ years of life. Retired early when physical limitations made it a necessity, and have built a small house in our piece of the northern Minnesota forest.
1971-1975, SR-71 Black Bird
From Year 1971
To Year 1975
Personal Memories
The game in radar was to catch enough raw blips on the Black Bird to say we track it. In SAGE at McChord, it was a little easier because we had several sites feeding data our way. But even there, when the guy was "traveling" you never got more than a glimpse. I did see one live while at George. It evidently had to land for some reason, and I watched it's departure.
Image
SR-71 Black Bird Details
Aircraft/Missile Information
Specifications StatsCentral Model Lockheed Martin SR-71A Blackbird Length 107.41 ft | 32.74 m Width 55.58 ft | 16.94 m Height 18.50 ft | 5.64 m Engine(s) 2 x Pratt & Whitney J58-1 turbo-ramjets generating 32,500lbs of standard thrust. Empty Weight 67,501 lbs | 30,618 kg MTOW 172,005 lbs | 78,020 kg Max Speed 2,275 mph | 3,661 km/h | 1,977 kts Max Range 2,900 miles | 4,667 km Ceiling 85,000 ft | 25,908 m | 16.1 miles Climb Rate Not Available Hardpoints 0 Armament None. Internal provisioning limited to reconnaissance and surveillance equipment. Accommodations 2
