When you hear the word ‘blackbird’ most of us think of a bird (genus Turdus merula) commonly seen locally. But not everyone. To my friend the word ‘Blackbird” brings back memories when he as an air force officer/pilot flew missions to support the once highly secret operation of these so-called ‘spy’ planes. But these were not your typical airplanes (more like a rocket) by any means. People who know of their mission and accomplishments speak in reverential terms when their attributes are recalled. The aircraft came about out of necessity.
Before the advent of the Lockheed SR-71,(SR: Strategic Reconnaissance) the USAF used a high altitude airplane for surveillance of otherwise inaccessible targets such as secret facilities in countries like the USSR. (Today, satellites carrying high resolution cameras can identify desired, detailed features from great height (0.41m resolution @ 425+ miles altitude). This worked fairly well until the high altitude intelligence gathering plane piloted by Francis Gary Powers was shot down on such a mission. It was a diplomatic disaster plus the pilot was captured and held prisoner until he was released with a spy swap, that is you release one of ours and we will release one of yours. But there was a need for covert spy over-flights so back to the drawing board. The result was ultimately the super fast, one of a kind spy plane that could overfly enemy targets out of the reach of any likely intercept by either fighter plane or missile. The method of
avoiding a missile attack was simple: turn on the rocket power and out run the oncoming “slower” rocket. The SR-71 of which 32 were built could reach Mach 3+ (trisonic) speeds or more than 2.190 miles per hour and at an unheard altitude of more than 85,000 feet. It still holds many world records in both categories. At one time most of the details of the plane were highly classified but today, everything you want to know about the Blackbird is on the internet, indeed the remaining aircraft no longer in the active USAF inventory are now on public display at sites throughout the US and one even in England. Two displays are in Virginia.
My interest in this subject came about when I saw a framed picture of a SR-71 being fueled by a Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker. Inquiry led to a conversation about my friend’s military experience including some of the details mentioned herewith. He was a pilot in a special Air Force squadron whose duties were specifically related to servicing this then-enigma SR-71 flying machine.
Where ever the plane went, there had to be supporting units/tankers since, as you would expect, the twin engine fuel hungry plane consumed tons of aviation fuel at a rapid rate. In order to reach its designated target area, the plane had “to stop at a gas station “which was the KC-135 flying fuel stop.
Obviously this transfer of fuel was a highly technical and dangerous maneuver. Imagine flying thousands of feet above the earth at compatible speeds that would enable two aircraft – one loaded with fuel the other running on empty- to connect with each other through the deft use of a sophisticated fuel boom. Many factors made this maneuver tricky: weather, wind force, air stream influencing the stability of each airplane, the steady nerves of two exceedingly skilled pilots, the skill of the boom operator and the possible desperation of the low-fuel flying visitor.
Since in this case the SR-71 was much faster than the lumbering tanker host, a technique had to be developed to adjust the speed disparity. In order for the host tanker to increase its speed to match the decelerating, oncoming SR-71, the tanker, reportedly, would have to go into a descending ‘red line’ glide to pick up speed so that both aircraft would remain airborne. The normal duration of this coupling lasted for a few minutes depending on different circumstances.
This flying faster than a bullet descendant of the Wright brothers’ Kitty Hawk flying machine no longer breaks the sound barrier, but its place in the history of flight perhaps will remain in the history books unmatched.
The crew of the KC-135 might have added these words to the official Air Force Song: “Off we go into the wild blue yonder.. waiting for the next customer to fill up.”
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Bill Lee
PO Box 128
Hamer, SC 29547
