Tag Archives: KC-135Q

Col. Richard H. Graham a former Blackbird pilot, explains in his book why the SR-71 Blackbird had to refuel after takeoff Actually, most SR-71’s operational sorties started off with a refueling after takeoff. “Many people believe we refueled after takeoff because the aircraft leaked fuel so profusely that we needed …

The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird Mach 3-strategic reconnaissance aircraft remained the world’s fastest and highest-flying operational aircraft. From 80,000 feet, it could survey 100,000 square miles of Earth’s surface per hour. The following account of one mission during the Yom Kippur War is told by SR-71 pilot Jim Wilson and it …