Message posted by Andre' M. Dall'au on January 03, 2003 at 10:02:11 PST:
In his book, "Sled Driver", SR-71/Blackbird pilot Brian Shul writes: "I'll always remember a certain radio exchange that occurred one day as Walt "90 knots" Center replied. Moments later, a Twin Beech required the same. "120 knots," Center answered. "We weren't the only ones proud of our groundspeed that day.. as almost "Ah, Center, Dusty 52 requests groundspeed readout." "There was a slight pause, then the response, "525 knots on the ground, Dusty". Another silent pause. As I was thinking to myself how ripe a situation this "Center, Aspen 20, you got a groundspeed readout for us?" There was a "No further inquiries were heard on that frequency" ~~~~~~~~~~ In another famous SR-71 story, Los Angeles Center reported receiving a The incredulous controller, with some disdain in his voice, asked, "How The pilot (obviously a sled driver), responded, "We don't plan to go up to He was cleared...
(his backseater) and I were screaming across Southern California, 13 miles
high. We were monitoring various radio transmissions from other aircraft,
as we entered Los Angeles airspace. Though they didn't really control us,
they did monitor our movement across their scope. I heard a Cessna ask for
a readout of its ground speed."
instantly an F-18 smugly transmitted,
was, I heard a familiar click of a radio transmission coming from my
backseater. It was at that precise moment I realized Walt and I had become
a real crew, for we were both thinking in unison.
longer than normal pause.... "Aspen, I show 1,742 knots."
request for clearance to FL 60 (60,000 ft).
exactly do you plan to get up to 60,000 feet?
it, we plan to go down to it."
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