Several minutes into cruise, the right engine inlet’s automatic control system malfunctioned, requiring a switch to manual control. After refueling from a KC-135 tanker, we turned eastbound, accelerated to a Mach 3.2-cruise speed and climbed to 78,000 ft., our initial cruise-climb altitude. and completed the mission’s first leg without incident. The latter involved flying with the center-of-gravity (CG) located further aft than normal, which reduced the Blackbird’s longitudinal stability. We also were investigating procedures designed to reduce trim drag and improve high-Mach cruise performance. Jim Zwayer, a Lockheed flight test reconnaissance and navigation systems specialist, and I were evaluating those systems on an SR-71 Blackbird test from Edwards AFB, Calif.
And yet, I don’t recall too many periods of boredom during my 30-year career with Lockheed, most of which was spent as a test pilot.īy far, the most memorable flight occurred on Jan. On January 25, 1966, test pilot Bill Weaver and Lockheed flight test reconnaissance and navigation systems specialist Jim Zwayer experienced their plane vanishing around them while executing a turn… at more than 2,400 miles per hour.Īmong professional aviators, there’s a well-worn saying: Flying is simply hours of boredom punctuated by moments of stark terror. WERE VERY GOOD.” – Bill Weaverĭuring the early days of testing for the legendary SR-71 Blackbird there were some harrowing mishaps, the details of which have rarely come to light.
“I DIDN’T THINK THE CHANCES OF SURVIVING AN EJECTION AT MACH 3.18 AND 78,800 FT.
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