On Sun, 09 Mar 2008 22:40:01 -0000, wrote:

On Sun, 09 Mar 2008 20:49:11 +0000, Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:


http://maggiesfarm.anotherdotcom.com...-Brian-Shul-I-
loved-that-jet.html

That's one special plane. I don't know how true it is, but I read
somewhere that the SR-71, once ran out of fuel over Tennessee, and still
managed to land safely at it's base in Texas. Kelly Johnson's Skunk
Works did some amazing development, quickly too.

I'm trying to remember the name of the book, but it detailed the SR-71
and U-2 programs. Came out a couple of years ago. That story about
the SR-71 losing fuel is true. There was also one about a U-2 that
was returning from a mission over Soviet Russia and ran out of fuel
over Anchorage only to land at Nellis AFB. They figured the glide
path at altitude with the U-2 could have taken them as far south as
Luke or Williams AFB in Arizona. :)

I remember during the first Tet Offensive, we were at Bein Hoa AFB on
a lay over when the fecal matter started raining down. We were put on
temporary assignment to reinforce the "black" hanger where the U-2
planes were until a "special unit" could arrive and take over
security. I got a look at one up close and it was freakin' huge - not
massive, but just plain huge - the wing span was amazing.

The really interesting this were the chase vehicles - Chevy ElCamino
SS 396s.

Those CIA guys really knew how to live right. :)

--

"An idealist is one who, on noticing that
a rose smells better than a cabbage, concludes
that it will also make better soup."

H.L. Mencken