FighterControl

Hi guys, always wondered wether the SR-71 Blackbird ever performed missed approaches or PDs at any British Airfields either Mil or Civvy? Also did Blackbird ever perform many flypasts (not landing) at U.K. Airshows outside of Mildenhall?

Hi Unknown74

If my memory serves me well... I believe the Blackbird did make approaches at RAF Honington and Its been to Airshows at IAT Greenham Common 1983 which saw 17980 attend and Its also been to and IAT Fairford 1989 which saw 17967 attend... Its been on the ground at Lakenheath Airshow and I think a pass or two at Alconbury in its time.

I'm sure the guys on here will know more or correct me if I'm wrong.

Hope it helps.

T1

Cheers for that Tiger 1, seeing as Honington is right under Mildenhall & Lakenheath’s Approaches (Was at Honingtons Airshow in 1992 & Mildenhall Traffic flew over all the time). It was inevitable they would have seen an approach or two. Shame they didn’t perform a flypast at Alconbury in 1988.

Your welcome... I edited my post to show the serial at IAT 89.

Hope that helps.

T1

Can't remember which year, but a Blackbird on it's way to Fairford for RIAT was asked by Brize Radar if he could do a couple of low runs at Brize for the troops! The station Tannoy saw several hundred people out watching. He did a low, slow run and then a faster, clean one before going off to Fairford.

It used to do missed approaches at Coltishall quite often you would know when it was coming as you would usually get one of it’s tankers through first.

17972 was on display at the Farnborough SBAC show in 1974, having set the world record time for New York to London of 1hr 54min 56.2secs on 1st Sept.

I have photos of 17975 flying at Alconbury in 1984

In 1982 an SR-71 did an approach to Coltishall in formation with a 41 Sqn Jaguar, there are images taken by the Jaguar somewhere on the web.

64-17980 was at the 1986 Farnborough Air Show. My first Farnborough and first time seeing the SR-71, AWESOME!

Lakenheath 'Legacy of Liberty' Show in July 1986 (carp weather)
SR-71 Blackbird - Det 4, 9th SRW, Mildenhall by Darren Currie, on Flickr

There was also one at IAT 1985 with a spirited arrival and departure

Darren

B-2 Fan wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 15, 2020 10:06 am

64-17980 was at the 1986 Farnborough Air Show. My first Farnborough and first time seeing the SR-71, AWESOME!

Would that not be 61-7980… thought all the SR-71 were FY 61?

Alf wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 15, 2020 10:41 am

Would that not be 61-7980… thought all the SR-71 were FY 61?

According to Bauger "61-7958/7980 Lockheed SR-71A These are often listed as being 64-17958/17980, but there is controversy about this. Numerous observers report that the true serials should be listed in FY 1961"

Presumably this was due to the fact that they didn't exist/weren't built until 1964/5?

I remember an SR-71 performing a missed approach at Manston in the late 80’s, back in the days when it was RAF Manston and military movements were common
At the time, it was mostly RAF movements, with the occasional USAF F111 or F15 flypast, so the sight of an SR-71 was a rare sight.
Possibly the only time it visited Manston but I stand to be corrected.

EGVP wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 15, 2020 10:43 am

Alf wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 15, 2020 10:41 am

Would that not be 61-7980… thought all the SR-71 were FY 61?

According to Bauger "61-7958/7980 Lockheed SR-71A These are often listed as being 64-17958/17980, but there is controversy about this. Numerous observers report that the true serials should be listed in FY 1961"

Presumably this was due to the fact that they didn't exist/weren't built until 1964/5?

Paul Crickmore (he is highly regarded as the absolute authority on all things "Black Jets") in his book "Lockheed Blackbird" lists all the Blackbirds as 64 Fiscal. so 17980 is 64-17980. There were no Blackbirds with 61 Fiscals, a very common mistake made.

The excellent National Museum of the USAF refers to their exhibited SR-71A as FY61 - this surprised me as I too was brought up on the FY64 idea. See extract from their text on their exhibit

Length: 107 ft. 5 in.
Height: 18 ft. 6 in.
Weight: 140,000 lbs. loaded
Serial number: 61-7976

Afternoon All

I'm after some call signs used by the SR-71 in it's operational days. Have got Aspen as one used, but don't know any more.

Regards

Vulcan74

Is the year based on the budget allocation rather than the year of manufacture?

The RS-12 concept was being developed about in 1961, so it fits that the budget was allocated in 1961. First flight being 22nd December 1964.

quid21 wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 15, 2020 12:57 pm

Is the year based on the budget allocation rather than the year of manufacture?

Usually or the year the order was placed, usually the same year.

Bluetail wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 15, 2020 11:34 am

Paul Crickmore (he is highly regarded as the absolute authority on all things "Black Jets") in his book "Lockheed Blackbird" lists all the Blackbirds as 64 Fiscal. so 17980 is 64-17980. There were no Blackbirds with 61 Fiscals, a very common mistake made.

Even an absolute authority can make mistakes...
I'm pretty sure the FY 64 theory has been discredited for a while now.