Test Flying the SR-71 Blackbird - Episode 65

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Test Flying the SR-71 Blackbird - Episode 65

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About this listen

Retired Test Pilot Rogers E. Smith recalls flying the final SR-71 Blackbird flight and how a fuel leak grounded the aircraft forever.

In this episode, we discuss his Canadian and American military careers, flying experimental aircraft for NASA, and piloting a MiG-25 at 80,000 feet in Russia. From first to fourth-generation fighters, Rogers has flown nearly every U.S. jet and then some, all without ever attending a formal test pilot school. This one is going to be cool!

Resources:

Rogers' Website
Rogers Smith's Bio (Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame)
Rogers' SR-71 Career Synopsis (NASA)
SR-71 Fact Sheet (National Museum of the US Air Force)
Bell X-22 (Wikipedia)
X-29 Advanced Technology Demonstrator Aircraft (NASA)

Chapters:

(00:00) - Intro
(01:20) - Aviation Beginnings
(02:47) - Flying the F-86
(04:32) - From First to Fourth Generation Fighters
(05:06) - How Jet Capabilities Evolved
(08:58) - Becoming a Test Pilot
(09:56) - Favorite Airplane
(11:04) - The Bell X-22
(12:34) - The Grumman X-29
(15:16) - Joining NASA
(18:37) - Flying at 85,000 Feet
(22:16) - The Cockpit View
(23:40) - SR-71 Research and Testing
(27:44) - The Last Blackbird Flight
(29:40) - The Russian‑American Flight Exchange
(36:52) - Flying the MiG-25
(37:34) - Rogers' Advice
(40:32) - Outro

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