Bob Gilliland, first pilot to fly the SR-71.

https://vimeo.com/lmaeronautic...g6izcm8h2Pv3YUUQi6nw

Amazing career and skills.

RIP

Rockdoc, I am still amazed that the SR-71 dates to 1964. I was in fifth grade, and I am 66!

I was three! What amazes me is what they made, what they made it with, in the time they made it in!

Awe inspiring!

I wonder how long and at what cost if they made it today, from scratch!

The Blackbird has always fascinated me. However, I’ve become a doubter about most things during the Cold War. Then again, I was just about to enter high school as the iron curtain was coming down.

If you would like to see a great expose on the SR-71 you might pick up Brian Shul's two books called "SLED DRIVER"
Brian carried a simple 35mm camera on all of the missions he flew during his career in the SR-71....and later put together these two historical volumes on the Black Bird...also "The SLED". He is now attending various aviation conferences and selling the books and presenting his riveting and motivational life experiences talk...with photos.
Brian was nearly killed in an A-28 crash after a missile strike in Vietnam, seriously burned and spent two years in hospitals recovering....to go on to "astronaut status" and flying the SR-71.
He is a professional photographer these days focusing on other things that fly....like eagles, etc. A charming gent, and was supposed to be fishing up in the Queen Charlottes for Kings and photographing Eagles last week with us....but he was speaking at the major anniversary event with GE Engines instead.
Two of my AFROTC college mates went on to fly the SR-71....I am envious!! I too seriously admire this amazing bird!!
Cheers,

Eddy, Brian has several Youtubes up. Well worth watching.
P.S. How was the fishing? Last time I was up that way it was tossing flies for pinks on the beaches south of Campbell River. God's country for sure.

From an SR-71 pilot:

"You don't know what lost is until you've been lost at Mach 3+"!


LOL

Bill- Yes, those are some of his motivational presentations. I especially like the "Speed Check" commentary with Center!!
Yes, that country north of Vancouver is God's country and we have been blessed to have cruised, fished and hunted it since the 60's, there is no such thing as getting enough of that Inland Passage segment.
I have also fished the Queen Charlotte's since the 80's....part of our Corporate entertaining program...that continued well after into retirement too. Sadly, the Sea Lions have now populated Langara Island at the north end of the islands and really make it a challenge to catch Kings and Cohos....they take 60-70% of the fish hooked...some Culling is in order now and I hope the Haida's see the writing on the wall if they don't get busy!!...they can we can't...Commercial Fisherman help, but due to low salmon counts, they have been closed!!
I finally snaked out 3 Kings (Chinook Salmon) in 3 full days and 2 partials on arrival/departure. 15, 21 and 35/Tyee and my partner took some big Northern Cohos to 18lbs which is VERY early for them!!...he snaked out a 9lb on last day...and a shared landing on a foul hooked King of about 18lbs...
By comparison in the past, I always caught and released 4-5 Kings a day with 30's and 40's common...taking home 2 in the 20'a being best size for eating....maybe a coho or two...
We did catch Kings, Coho, Chum and Pinks...this trip and out guide had seen Sockeye earlier in the week....all 5 of the salmon species!!
I wish we could train the starving ORCAS to eat Sea Lions....everyone would be HAPPY!!
Cheers,

Eddy, I sat on the beach near the mouth of the Oyster River watching for schools of feeding pinks and chatted with local Canadian fly fishermen about this same scourge: the damaging, unchecked expansion of marine mammal populations and the disastrous effect they are having on fish stocks. It is a problem in the Northwest of course, watching sea lions devour endangered runs of salmon and steelhead that congregate at fish passage structures on the Columbia. A friend keeps a boat moored in Astoria, and once spotted a big bull (they can weigh a ton) lounging aboard his vessel. He convinced it to vacate the premises with the judicious application of a hunk of 2X4 and was promptly ratted out to the authorities and fined for daring to harass the big, stinking brute.
I too, hope the Haida take appropriate measures.



P.S. I nearly got spooled when one of those broad-shouldered cohos hit my pink salmon fly and streaked for the nearest kelp bed. I could not turn it.

We attended a SCI Chapter function at the beautiful home and trophy room/s of Dr. Jerry and Margaret Warnock yesterday. The department manager for Wolf and Predators gave us a great presentation on activities on OR and WA...it is actually quite positive from his perspective...with the Federal jurisdiction over the States in some areas.
After his presentation, I had a chance to ask him about the rumored 200 Seal Lion Cull that had been approved in Oregon. He confirmed that it was carried out successfully by ODFW by trapping the monsters and hauling them away and then shot and disposed of....NOT in the water due to significant contamination they carry!! They did this at the Willamette Falls area were salmon congregate to go up the falls and river to spawn....that is a LONG WAY from tidewater...where these guys are supposed to habitate!!
YES, we have to "run the gauntlet" every day when we fish Buoy 10 from Astoria....they are on teh docks and defy us when walking down to board boats....that are NOT safe to leave overnight...as these critters might be in them!!
Yes, the Haidas need to start a plan very quickly before the salmon stocks are depleted or down to dangerous levels!! In Canada, they are NOT regulated by the US Federal Marine Mammals Act...and First Nations-Indians pretty much can do as they wish!!
Our Marine Mammals act needs to be revisited, but sadly the whale huggers might make it worse as they are hammering Africa with NO SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE!!

Cheers,