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Trolling done RIGHT.

RAMOSS

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Here is an exerpt from the book "Sled Driver" , talking about the encounter the SR-71 had with a fighter pilot.

SR-71 Blackbird Pilot Trolls Arrogant Fighter Pilot with Ground Speed Check. | Tribunist

This may be the single greatest aviation story ever told, it’s about the iconic SR-71 Blackbird whose full operating specs are still classified to this day. The story, from the now out-of-print book Sled Driver by former SR-71 jockey Brian Shul (available used on Amazon for just $700). Here’s the ultimate aviation troll:

There were a lot of things we couldn’t do in an SR-71, but we were the fastest guys on the block and loved reminding our fellow aviators of this fact. People often asked us if, because of this fact, it was fun to fly the jet. Fun would not be the first word I would use to describe flying this plane. Intense, maybe. Even cerebral. But there was one day in our Sled experience when we would have to say that it was pure fun to be the fastest guys out there, at least for a moment.

It occurred when Walt and I were flying our final training sortie. We needed 100 hours in the jet to complete our training and attain Mission Ready status. Somewhere over Colorado we had passed the century mark. We had made the turn in Arizona and the jet was performing flawlessly. My gauges were wired in the front seat and we were starting to feel pretty good about ourselves, not only because we would soon be flying real missions but because we had gained a great deal of confidence in the plane in the past ten months.
 
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Contiuned"

We listened as the shaky voice of a lone Cessna pilot asked Center for a readout of his ground speed. Center replied: “November Charlie 175, I’m showing you at ninety knots on the ground.”

...Just moments after the Cessna’s inquiry, a Twin Beech piped up on frequency, in a rather superior tone, asking for his ground speed. “I have you at one hundred and twenty-five knots of ground speed.” Boy, I thought, the Beechcraft really must think he is dazzling his Cessna brethren. Then out of the blue, a navy F-18 pilot out of NAS Lemoore came up on frequency. You knew right away it was a Navy jock because he sounded very cool on the radios. “Center, Dusty 52 ground speed check”. Before Center could reply, I’m thinking to myself, hey, Dusty 52 has a ground speed indicator in that million-dollar cockpit, so why is he asking Center for a readout? Then I got it, ol’ Dusty here is making sure that every bug smasher from Mount Whitney to the Mojave knows what true speed is. He’s the fastest dude in the valley today, and he just wants everyone to know how much fun he is having in his new Hornet. And the reply, always with that same, calm, voice, with more distinct alliteration than emotion: “Dusty 52, Center, we have you at 620 on the ground.”
 
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Contiuned"

I worked with a retired air force mechanic who was stationed with a SR unit. He talked about how the fuel tanks would leak all over when they fueled them but that they would seal up when at operational temperatures. The titanium skin at speed would expand because it was hot, like really hot. Hard to believe they built these things in the 60's and they are still the fastest, highest things in the sky. American exceptionalism.
 
I worked with a retired air force mechanic who was stationed with a SR unit. He talked about how the fuel tanks would leak all over when they fueled them but that they would seal up when at operational temperatures. The titanium skin at speed would expand because it was hot, like really hot. Hard to believe they built these things in the 60's and they are still the fastest, highest things in the sky. American exceptionalism.

Even current SAM systems would have a hard time downing those birds today. It shows the real value of raw unadulterated speed.
 
Even current SAM systems would have a hard time downing those birds today. It shows the real value of raw unadulterated speed.

It was actually retired because they were concerned about the new SAM systems (Plus, it was expensive to run) I am sure there are new things out there that took the place of the SR-71, but are classified up the gazoo.
 
It was actually retired because they were concerned about the new SAM systems (Plus, it was expensive to run) I am sure there are new things out there that took the place of the SR-71, but are classified up the gazoo.

The new systems still would have a hard time. They have to climb to 80,000 plus feet and engage a mach 3 plus aircraft before it gets out of the missiles effective engagement envelope. That aint easy even today for systems that cant engage ballistic missiles.
 
Contiuned"

I remember reading about the SR-71 Blackbird when I was in high school(mid 80s) and being the math geek that I am, I did the math. At 2000 miles/hour, it's faster than most bullets.

A round out of a high powered "magnum" rifle travels about 3000 feet/second. That's 2045 miles/ hour. For comparison sake, a bullet out of a 9mm handgun travels less than 1000 feet/second... or about 1/3 the speed of the SR-71.
 
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