SR-71: The Most Badass Jet Ever

[Shibboleet The Annihilator]

"One day, high above Arizona , we were monitoring the radio traffic of all the mortal airplanes below us. First, a Cessna pilot asked the air traffic controllers to check his ground speed. 'Ninety knots,' ATC replied. A twin Bonanza soon made the same request. 'One-twenty on the ground,' was the reply. To our surprise, a navy F-18 came over the radio with a ground speed check. I knew exactly what he was doing. Of course, he had a ground speed indicator in his cockpit, but he wanted to let all the bug-smashers in the valley know what real speed was 'Dusty 52, we show you at 620 on the ground,' ATC responded. The situation was too ripe. I heard the click of Walter's mike button in the rear seat. In his most innocent voice, Walter startled the controller by asking for a ground speed check from 81,000 feet, clearly above controlled airspace. In a cool, professional voice, the controller replied, ' Aspen 20, I show you at 1,982 knots on the ground.' We did not hear another transmis sion on that frequency all the way to the coast."

[Telarus]

MOST BADASS EVER

[Freeky]

Haha, ownage.

[Jasper]

The thought of what I would do to ride in one of those scares me.

[Remington]

"Though I Fly Through the Valley of Death I Shall Fear No Evil; For I am at 80,000 Feet and Climbing."
-(Sign over the entrance to the SR-71 operating location Kadena, Japan)

[Chairman Risus]

<-Spreading the original post.

[PeregrineBF]

My grandfather worked air traffic control in New York (forget which base, and he's dead now, so paraphrasing.)

SR-71 Pilot (before SR-71 was common knowledge, even within the USAF): Crossing over Newfoundland, approaching you.
ATC guy handling it: Roger, why are you telling me if you're that far out?
SR-71 pilot: because we'll be landing in 30 minutes.
ATC guy: WTFO

Some things go rather fast.

[Shibboleet The Annihilator]