Flying the SR-71 Blackbird: In the Cockpit on a Secret Operational Mission (Hardcover)

by Richard H. Graham (Author), Jay K. Miller (Foreword)
Key Phrases: forward cockpit, forward bypass doors, automatic restart cycle, Air Force, United States, Lockheed Martin (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Pacific Flyer, August 2008
"For anyone who has ever wondered what it's like to fly the SR-71 on a secret Mach 3 reconnaissance mission, Flying the SR-71 Blackbird has the answer. Retired SR-71 pilot and squadron leader Graham takes readers along on an operational mission that only a few Air Force pilots have ever experienced...Graham offers a rare cockpit perspective on how regular Air Force pilots and navigators transformed themselves into SR-71 Blackbird cres, turning their unique avation talents to account in an unprecedented way. Arguably the world's foremost expert on piloting the Blackbird, Graham details, as no one else could, what an SR-71 mission entails, from donning a pressure suit to returning to base...Flying the SR-71 Blackbird is the ultimate play-by-play journey into what is involved in an operational mission of one of aviation history's most prized, and top secret, aircraft."

Product Description

For anyone who has ever wondered what its like to fly the SR-71 on a secret Mach 3 reconnaissance mission, this book has the answer. Flying the SR-71 Blackbird takes readers along on an operational mission that only a few Air Force pilots have ever experienced.

The Lockheed SR-71, unofficially known as the Blackbird, was an advanced, long-range, Mach 3 strategic reconnaissance aircraft developed by Lockheed Skunk Works. The aircraft flew so fast and high that not one was ever shot down, even by a missile. SR-71 pilot and instructor Colonel Richard Graham offers a rare cockpit perspective on how regular Air Force pilots and navigators transformed themselves into SR-71 Blackbird crews, turning their unique aviation talents to account in an unprecedented way.

Arguably the worlds foremost expert on piloting the Blackbird, Graham details, as no one else could, what an SR-71 mission entails, from donning a pressure suit to returning to base.

See all Editorial Reviews

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Product Details Hardcover: 304 pages Publisher: Zenith Press; 1st edition (July 15, 2008) Language: English ISBN-10: 0760332398 ISBN-13: 978-0760332399 Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #50,694 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books) Popular in these categories: (What's this?) #7 in  Books > History > World > Transportation > Aviation #45 in  Books > History > Military > Aviation #73 in  Books > Nonfiction > Transportation > Aviation

Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

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Inside This Book (learn more)

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
forward cockpit, forward bypass doors, automatic restart cycle, bailer bar, throttle restart switch, aft bypass doors, det commander, temp devs, instrument inverter, interphone panel, cambered position, mobile crew, caution light illuminated, precontact position, lead tanker, refueling door, flight control check, map projector, refueling track, boom nozzle, dump switch, cold mike, hot mike, trim indicator, primary crew

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Air Force, United States, Lockheed Martin, Rich Graham, Giant Scale, Strategic Air Command, President Johnson, Don Emmons, Momma Control, North Korea, Golan Heights, Barents Sea, Terry Pappas, Desert Storm, John Manzi, Suez Canal, John Storrie, Kelly Johnson, Sea of Japan, Ben Rich, The Buick, Habu Hill, Lockheed Skunk Works, Senior Crown, Control Panel

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Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

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	81% buy the item featured on this page: Flying the SR-71 Blackbird: In the Cockpit on a Secret Operational Mission 5.0 out of 5 stars (7) $17.13
	6% buy SR-71 Revealed: The Inside Story 4.5 out of 5 stars (13) $12.23
	5% buy SR-71 Blackbird: Stories, Tales and Legends 4.2 out of 5 stars (6) $17.79
	5% buy Skunk Works: A Personal Memoir of My Years of Lockheed 4.7 out of 5 stars (83) $10.87

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Customer Reviews

7 Reviews 5 star:  (7) 4 star:    (0) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 5.0 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 28 of 28 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Mach 3 Aviation Nerd Heaven, July 2, 2008 By  Dave English (Arizona, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)       This is a great book! It's exactly what the title says it is -- a pilot's inside the cockpit explanation of flying the SR-71, in expansive detail. The author is perfectly qualified for the task as a former SR-71 pilot, instructor pilot, chief stan/eval and commander of the 1st Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron. There are 80 pages of original SR-71 checklists, there are detailed cockpit pictures, and there is explanation of every switch you'd see in a complete mission. Make no mistake, this is not a pretty picture book, this is for true pilot nerds who want to do what is now impossible -- climb inside the Blackbird and take it flying at Mach 3.2 and FL 780. The foreword correctly states the book, "provides the missing link among the many Blackbird volumes that have been written over the past quarter century. While many nuts-and-bolts references have been written covering the aircraft's development, flight test, and operational history in minute detail, none, until now, have addressed the subject of flying the mission from the perspective of the pilot." It includes illuminating discussions about abnormal and emergency procedures, as well as some sidebars with tales of specific flights. It also includes a few pages of color pictures. The SR-71 was a stunning thrill-ride, and also a hughly complex techno-social system. Graham has written a quality tribute to the aeroplane and the thousands of people that made the system work. Buy the big picture books by Brian Shul for glossy photographs and fluid descriptions of the feel of flying the SR-71. Buy the various history books for the development story and technical details. But for the this-switch-does-that (and why) (and when) detail of actually flying faster than a bullet, you need to buy this book. If this sort of thing is your cup of tea, you may also enjoy 'The Concorde Stick & Rudder Book' by Mike Riley for details on flying another big plane really really fast. I hope this review helps you. 5 of 5 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Three out of Three, September 6, 2008 By  John Freedman (Decatur, IL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    Flying the SR-71 Blackbird: In the Cockpit on a Secret Operational Mission HAVE YOU EVER WANTED TO FLY AN SR-71? Well there are two things you need, one is this book, the other, well an operating aircraft. That I can't help you with, but I can suggest you should get this book! Rich Graham was an instructor pilot on the SR-71, and his infinite knowledge of operating the Blackbird is laid out in the step by step procedures of flying the aircraft. Each check list item is described and laid out to explain it in terms you can understand. This is Col Graham's third book, and 'Flying the Blackbird' like the others is a must for the Blackbird fan. This book is unique in that it tells you the complex cockpit procedures of this marvel of aviation. No other book or writer could give you the insight that Col. Rich Graham does. A must. 4 of 4 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars An absorbing technical book about Mach 3 flying., October 31, 2008 By  removeb4flight (California, USA) - See all my reviews The previous reviews are right on the mark, so I won't restate what they said. This book has a tremendous amount of detail on the physics of flight, engine parameters, navigation challenges, and steps taken to do an actual mission. It is not for casual readers, although there are short sections boxed in the text that relate to humorous or unusual incidents, that all readers would enjoy. I am still amazed that engineers working for Kelly Johnson built this aircraft with slide rules, paper tables, and drawings made by draftsmen, not computers. They achieved Mach 3+ flight using "steam gauges" and pilot skill. Contrast that with the Stealth fighter which flys because a computer moves the control surfaces in response to pilot input. I have seen the SR-71 fly at Beale and this book adds a great insight into its design and operation. I highly recommend it.		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 5.0 out of 5 stars The real nuts and bolts of flying the Blackbird. This is a pilot's perspective, but there is info here that I've never found anywhere else. The best description of how the engine inlets work with the shockwave, and how the... Read more Published 4 months ago by slithy tove 5.0 out of 5 stars Flying the SR-71 Blackbird This book is well written by a very experienced pilot. I have his other books and have enjoyed every one of them. Read more Published 6 months ago by Larry L. Tracy 5.0 out of 5 stars SR-71 Switch by Switch This is a valuable and very interesting view of this magnificent airplane and we are in debt to Graham for taking the time to share it with us. Read more Published 6 months ago by J. Burden 5.0 out of 5 stars Flying the SR-71 Blackbird: In the Cockpit on a Secret Operational Mission If you are interested in knowing every minute detail about the SR-71 Blackbird, this is the book for you. Read more Published 9 months ago by James P. Pratt Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Zenith Press; 1st edition (July 15, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0760332398
• ISBN-13: 978-0760332399
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #50,694 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #7 in	Books > History > World > Transportation > Aviation
  #45 in	Books > History > Military > Aviation
  #73 in	Books > Nonfiction > Transportation > Aviation

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mach 3 Aviation Nerd Heaven, July 2, 2008

By	Dave English (Arizona, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a great book! It's exactly what the title says it is -- a pilot's inside the cockpit explanation of flying the SR-71, in expansive detail. The author is perfectly qualified for the task as a former SR-71 pilot, instructor pilot, chief stan/eval and commander of the 1st Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron. There are 80 pages of original SR-71 checklists, there are detailed cockpit pictures, and there is explanation of every switch you'd see in a complete mission. Make no mistake, this is not a pretty picture book, this is for true pilot nerds who want to do what is now impossible -- climb inside the Blackbird and take it flying at Mach 3.2 and FL 780.

The foreword correctly states the book, "provides the missing link among the many Blackbird volumes that have been written over the past quarter century. While many nuts-and-bolts references have been written covering the aircraft's development, flight test, and operational history in minute detail, none, until now, have addressed the subject of flying the mission from the perspective of the pilot." It includes illuminating discussions about abnormal and emergency procedures, as well as some sidebars with tales of specific flights. It also includes a few pages of color pictures. The SR-71 was a stunning thrill-ride, and also a hughly complex techno-social system. Graham has written a quality tribute to the aeroplane and the thousands of people that made the system work.

Buy the big picture books by Brian Shul for glossy photographs and fluid descriptions of the feel of flying the SR-71. Buy the various history books for the development story and technical details. But for the this-switch-does-that (and why) (and when) detail of actually flying faster than a bullet, you need to buy this book. If this sort of thing is your cup of tea, you may also enjoy 'The Concorde Stick & Rudder Book' by Mike Riley for details on flying another big plane really really fast. I hope this review helps you.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Three out of Three, September 6, 2008

By	John Freedman (Decatur, IL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Flying the SR-71 Blackbird: In the Cockpit on a Secret Operational Mission
HAVE YOU EVER WANTED TO FLY AN SR-71? Well there are two things you need, one is this book, the other, well an operating aircraft. That I can't help you with, but I can suggest you should get this book!

Rich Graham was an instructor pilot on the SR-71, and his infinite knowledge of operating the Blackbird is laid out in the step by step procedures of flying the aircraft. Each check list item is described and laid out to explain it in terms you can understand.

This is Col Graham's third book, and 'Flying the Blackbird' like the others is a must for the Blackbird fan. This book is unique in that it tells you the complex cockpit procedures of this marvel of aviation. No other book or writer could give you the insight that Col. Rich Graham does.

A must.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An absorbing technical book about Mach 3 flying., October 31, 2008

By	removeb4flight (California, USA) - See all my reviews

The previous reviews are right on the mark, so I won't restate what they said. This book has a tremendous amount of detail on the physics of flight, engine parameters, navigation challenges, and steps taken to do an actual mission. It is not for casual readers, although there are short sections boxed in the text that relate to humorous or unusual incidents, that all readers would enjoy. I am still amazed that engineers working for Kelly Johnson built this aircraft with slide rules, paper tables, and drawings made by draftsmen, not computers. They achieved Mach 3+ flight using "steam gauges" and pilot skill. Contrast that with the Stealth fighter which flys because a computer moves the control surfaces in response to pilot input. I have seen the SR-71 fly at Beale and this book adds a great insight into its design and operation. I highly recommend it.