Interesting photo

[+Typhoid]

Interesting historical photo I picked up from the pilot of the Blackbird.

 

"The date was 9 Aug 87 and my nose gunner and I were about halfway through an 11.1 hour mission in the SR-71. A mission this long was very unusual, having only occurred a few times in the history of the Blackbird program, usually in times of national crisis. The 1973 Arab-Israeli War was one example.

 

Our sortie was also to the Middle East, though the crisis involved Iranian gunboats attacking Kuwaiti oil tankers re-flagged as US carriers. The intel community needed imagery of the entire Persian Gulf in a hurry, and the best option was to fly some SR missions out of Kadena AB on Okinawa (one-way distance was about 6,000 miles). On refueling #3 of the five we did that day, we found ourselves over top of a carrier battle group on station in the Arabian Sea, not very far outside the Gulf. While hanging on the boom of a KC-10, a pair of Tomcats joined up with us to keep an eye on things. We appreciated the company given that we were within the combat radius of Iranian F-14s and sitting ducks flying low and slow behind the tanker! The attached picture was taken by the RIO in the backseat of Tomcat #2. I’m fairly certain this was the first and only time these three aircraft got together in the air. Our butts were sure sore after a good twelve hours in the pressure suits. The final numbers were: 11.1 hours in the air and about 12,000 miles covered (about halfway around the globe)."

[+Major Lee]

What a trio! :yes: Thanks for posting this gem...

 

ML

[+JediMaster]

Cool shot!

[Nesher]

beautiful :)

what the Blackbird did here in 73? ^_^

[Silverbolt]

Nice shot!

[+Typhoid]

what the Blackbird did here in 73? ^_^

 

if you don't already know........

 

[sparkomatic]

Wow! Now that is cool

[+DWCAce]

Typhoid, would you mind if I posted that pic over at the F-14 Association forum? We might be able to get some more details . :)

[smokey799]

That's 100% cool....

[+ST0RM]

Sweet pic! Thats a VF-154 Black Knights Tomcat in the foreground.

 

Anyway you could send me a high-res scan? I'd like to try and clean it up a bit. I'm sure some of my fellow boom operators over in the Gucci jet would appreciate it. Please PM me.

 

Jeff

[+Typhoid]

all, there is no better or hi-res picture. that's it.

 

post away.......