"Flying"

Robin said:

:wow: IMHO, Lockheed's SR-71 Blackbird is really cool looking. Marta Bohn Meyer flew one of these... I don't think they make these anymore. I know it could fly faster than most missles. Apparently, the SR-71 could just out-run most missles...

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So the REAL questions are THESE:

1. How fast does the SR71 REALLY GO?! Not the published numbers the REAL number.

2. It is out of service now, what replaced it?

3. It was designed in the 60's so HOW MUCH MORE ADVANCED are the Black projects we don't know about and won't know about for 20+ YEARS?!

1. Mach 3.2-3.3 -- they are the published numbers and they should be right. This image is straight out of the dash 1 which the pilots would follow.

2. Replaced by nothing, but we still have the U-2 in service and a lot of the work is done now by satellites and even predator/global hawk type aircraft. Not quite spy work, but thats where satellites come in.

http://www.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?fsID=175

3. Good luck finding that out! ha

Yang1815 said:

probably don't want to fire a heat-seeking missile from the SR-71 as you're faster than the missile and it'll come back to target u.

just totally made that up.

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I read somewhere that a fighter in the F100 series (think it was an F102), managed to shoot itself down. It fired it's machine gun while travelling near top speed. The bullets slowed down from the air resistance...the plane caught up to them, and sucked them into its jet engines, instantly trashing the engines...

Peter

Robin said:

:wow: IMHO, Lockheed's SR-71 Blackbird is really cool looking. Marta Bohn Meyer flew one of these... I don't think they make these anymore. I know it could fly faster than most missles. Apparently, the SR-71 could just out-run most missles...

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The SR-71 has been retired for numerous reasons. Basically most of what it could do a satellite can now do! The true top speed of the SR-71 is still classified but what is published is a true statement as to what it is capable of doing without too much effort. I do not think I should discuss more than that here for obvious reasons. If you do not understand you can private message me and I can explain.

Marta Bohn, who I got an autograph picture from her for a friend about 2 years ago, was killed last year in a practice run for an air show. She was in a standard style plane for the air show and I think it was similar to the ones they use for stunts and other events. She was not in a fighter. Marta Bohn was one of the few women to ever fly in a SR-71 and I believe she was considered a back seater. She was a NASA pilot. There were two variations of the SR-71 single seat and two seat. The unique thing was her husband was also a pilot for the SR-71 and I am not sure but they may also have flown together. Her husband still works at NASA today but I am not sure what capacity anymore. I believe he may be in management now.

I do not work at NASA but I have a few friends who do even though are the next complex over from where I work.

Just thought you would like to know.

Jeff

Marta Bohn Meyer

Jeff,

I knew that she died in a airplane crash but I did not know the details. I appreciate knowing.
From what I have read about her, she strikes me as a really wonderful, amazing and inspirational person...

Thanks again.

TheBobGoat said:

David - I wish I had either of those. It is nice to fly a plane like mine, but it is still simply going to work.

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They're great fun, but believe me - you really *don't* want the bills that arrive whenever one of them breaks!!

Cheers,

David

Then there is John Travolta's house: That's a 707B and a Gulfstream. At one time, he lived in a fly-in subdivision in FL where my parents were (Spruce Creek). When he started bringing in the Gulfstream, the neighbors had issues, thinking that it was too big The place pictured is in a different subdivision called Jumbolair north of Ocala. It's for people like him that can't get by with a little biz jet. The main runway is 7500 feet long.

SteveInNC said:

Then there is John Travolta's house: That's a 707B and a Gulfstream. At one time, he lived in a fly-in subdivision in FL where my parents were (Spruce Creek). When he started bringing in the Gulfstream, the neighbors had issues, thinking that it was too big The place pictured is in a different subdivision called Jumbolair north of Ocala. It's for people like him that can't get by with a little biz jet. The main runway is 7500 feet long.

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Yea, I saw a thing on Discovery about that place...just AWESOME. They didn't show Travolta's home though...dang it.

Our runway is only 3000' and a VERY NARROW (especially from the sky looking down) 30'! You always hope for no cross winds when landing in our subdivision!

thats pretty much a taxiway. I would hope for at least a 50' wide ry.

TheBobGoat said:

thats pretty much a taxiway. I would hope for at least a 50' wide ry.

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It takes a steady hand to put it on the stripe and keep it on the pavement at our place FOR SURE! We do also have grass right next to it that you can choose that is shorter by 600' or so but more than 50' wide, we only just paved a bit over a year ago, it cost $150k! YEOW!

Hot Air Balloons or Blimps...

I was just wondering if anyone here has been up in a Hot-Air Balloon or a Blimp?

We have Hot-Air balloon rides in the Napa Valley, they fly right over Calistoga. I have never been in a Hot-Air Balloon or a Blimp...
Maybe someday before I leave the Napa Valley...

Robin said:

I was just wondering if anyone here has been up in a Hot-Air Balloon or a Blimp?

We have Hot-Air balloon rides in the Napa Valley, they fly right over Calistoga. I have never been in a Hot-Air Balloon or a Blimp...
Maybe someday before I leave the Napa Valley...

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You KNEW you were going to hear from me didn't you?! I have been up in both! Hot air balloon when I was around 8 or 9 as I recall and the Goodyear Blimp out of the Houston port when I was 12. I won the blimp ride through my Boy Scout Troop for selling the most of something...can't remember what we were selling that time... It was SUPER COOL! One other person that was supposed to go was not able to make it that day so my brother got to go for a ride too!

Riding the Wind in Balloons and Blimps...

Pcar928fan said:

You KNEW you were going to hear from me didn't you?! I have been up in both! Hot air balloon when I was around 8 or 9 as I recall and the Goodyear Blimp out of the Houston port when I was 12. I won the blimp ride through my Boy Scout Troop for selling the most of something...can't remember what we were selling that time... It was SUPER COOL! One other person that was supposed to go was not able to make it that day so my brother got to go for a ride too!

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James,

Your experience sound like fun. Great story as well... I just think I would get freaked-out with vertigo going up sooooo high.... :wow:

Robin said:

James,

Your experience sound like fun. Great story as well... I just think I would get freaked-out with vertigo going up sooooo high.... :wow:

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We didn't go as high as you would even go in a small general avaiation aircraft in either case... LOW AND SLOW!

Robin said:

I was just wondering if anyone here has been up in a Hot-Air Balloon or a Blimp?

We have Hot-Air balloon rides in the Napa Valley, they fly right over Calistoga. I have never been in a Hot-Air Balloon or a Blimp...
Maybe someday before I leave the Napa Valley...

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I've had the pleasure of jumping out of a hot air balloon back in my skydiving craze, But not as colorful as the ones you've pictured Robin.

theWB said:

I've had the pleasure of jumping out of a hot air balloon back in my skydiving craze, But not as colorful as the ones you've pictured Robin.

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Hardcore man, just hardcore

I live a few miles from wingfoot lake which is where "The Spirit of Akron" is kept. Its the Goodyear blimp and I usually see it once or twice a week. My wifes father used to own a hot air balloon, but that was long before we met, and from what I hear I thank god. Thank god that it was long before we met .