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Flying the SR-71 Blackbird: In the Cockpit on a Secret Operational Mission
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.
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.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
82 people are currently reading
379 people want to read
About the author
Richard H. Graham
8 books21 followersColonel (ret) Richard Graham is the author of three books on the SR-71 Blackbird. He flew this aircraft for seven years and ended up with 756 hours in its cockpit, which makes him the perfect author to write about this Mach 3+ jet. Below is his biography.
Col. Richard Graham graduated from the University of Akron, Akron, Ohio in 1964. He received a master's degree in Sociology in 1977 and in Public Administration in 1979 from Pepperdine University, Los Angeles, California.
Col. Graham entered Air Force pilot training, receiving his wings in 1965 at Craig Air Force Base, Selma, Alabama. From 1971-1973 he flew 210 combat missions over North Vietnam and Laos in the F-4 Phantom.
He was selected to enter the SR-71 strategic reconnaissance program in 1974 at Beale Air Force Base, California. He flew the SR-71 for the next seven years, amassing 756 hours in the worlds fastest and highest flying aircraft. Col. Graham also flew the SR-71 as an Instructor Pilot and Stan/Eval Pilot. In 1980, he was selected to be the squadron commander of the SR-71 unit at Beale.
After serving four years in the Pentagon, Col. Graham was selected to be the 9th Wing Commander at Beale in 1987. During his 25 years of service, he amassed 4,600 hours, retiring from the Air Force in 1989. His military decorations include three Legion of Merit awards, four Distinguished Flying Cross medals and 19 Air Medals.
Upon retirement from the Air Force, he joined American Airlines in Dallas, Texas. After flying 13 years at American, he retired in August 2002 as a Captain on the MD-80 aircraft, with over 7,500 hours. He now spends his time as an author, speaker, aviation consultant, and flight instructor. Col. Graham is a pilot with the Frisco Civil Air Patrol Squadron and volunteers as a FAA representative (FAAST) on their safety team in Dallas. He and his wife Pat live in Plano.
He has written three books, "SR-71 Revealed," "SR-71 Blackbird: Stories, Tales, and Legends," and "Flying the SR-71 Blackbird." A veteran of 15 years of assignments within the SR-71 community, he is uniquely qualified to tell the SR-71 story. Colonel Graham was the 1999 recipient of the University of Nebraska's William F. Shea Award for his distinguished contribution to aviation. He is currently a Distinguished Lecturer for the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). In 2005, the Blackbird Association awarded him the Kelly Johnson trophy, a lifetime achievement award for his work to perpetuate, foster and improve the SR-71.
Col. Richard Graham graduated from the University of Akron, Akron, Ohio in 1964. He received a master's degree in Sociology in 1977 and in Public Administration in 1979 from Pepperdine University, Los Angeles, California.
Col. Graham entered Air Force pilot training, receiving his wings in 1965 at Craig Air Force Base, Selma, Alabama. From 1971-1973 he flew 210 combat missions over North Vietnam and Laos in the F-4 Phantom.
He was selected to enter the SR-71 strategic reconnaissance program in 1974 at Beale Air Force Base, California. He flew the SR-71 for the next seven years, amassing 756 hours in the worlds fastest and highest flying aircraft. Col. Graham also flew the SR-71 as an Instructor Pilot and Stan/Eval Pilot. In 1980, he was selected to be the squadron commander of the SR-71 unit at Beale.
After serving four years in the Pentagon, Col. Graham was selected to be the 9th Wing Commander at Beale in 1987. During his 25 years of service, he amassed 4,600 hours, retiring from the Air Force in 1989. His military decorations include three Legion of Merit awards, four Distinguished Flying Cross medals and 19 Air Medals.
Upon retirement from the Air Force, he joined American Airlines in Dallas, Texas. After flying 13 years at American, he retired in August 2002 as a Captain on the MD-80 aircraft, with over 7,500 hours. He now spends his time as an author, speaker, aviation consultant, and flight instructor. Col. Graham is a pilot with the Frisco Civil Air Patrol Squadron and volunteers as a FAA representative (FAAST) on their safety team in Dallas. He and his wife Pat live in Plano.
He has written three books, "SR-71 Revealed," "SR-71 Blackbird: Stories, Tales, and Legends," and "Flying the SR-71 Blackbird." A veteran of 15 years of assignments within the SR-71 community, he is uniquely qualified to tell the SR-71 story. Colonel Graham was the 1999 recipient of the University of Nebraska's William F. Shea Award for his distinguished contribution to aviation. He is currently a Distinguished Lecturer for the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). In 2005, the Blackbird Association awarded him the Kelly Johnson trophy, a lifetime achievement award for his work to perpetuate, foster and improve the SR-71.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
March 6, 2016
If you love the Blackbird, and obviously have dreamed of fly this legend, this book is for you. You will be put right into the cockpit, face the myriad of operations necessary to fly the plane, fly an actual recce mission from pre-flight to recovery. Not a book for non-tech people, if you love a good story and nothing more, this book is not for you (but you should check Graham other work, about myth, stories and legends of the SR71). As a matter of fact, this is somewhat a manual that will make your undestanding of other books much deeper and better. As I said, it is not simple, but it is great.
May 16, 2014
Good book and read, very technical. You must have a previous interest on the plane/program and aviation before starting this book, otherwise you'll be bored to tears.
July 15, 2025
A must read for a Blackbird enthusiast While reading this book the reader in the allowed to sit in the cockpit which would have been impossible during the cold war era. A very detailed walkthrough of different systems of the SR-71. At times, the book can get very technical. If you are not an aviation enthusiast or a black bird enthusiast, chances are , you will find this book textbook like and boring.
April 17, 2009
Lots of pilot detail here. Perfect for them but the lay person can learn a lot too-just skim over the checklists. Not an easy plane to fly.
Read
June 12, 2011Not specifically about missions, this one is more focussed towards how to run a mission in terms of aircraft
May 10, 2013
While it started out interesting it quickly grew into a flight manual and SR-71 facts and figures book.
November 30, 2015
I would have liked less jargon and checklists and more about actual missions.
January 16, 2025
I picked this up on Audibles free library but didn;t realise the author had written a few other books on the subject so might be missing some detail. The backbone of the book is the flight checklists where the author disucsses the various systems in order they'd be checked by the pilot, which can sometimes be dry as a number of bullet points just read out with the switch, abbreviatisons and where they were toggled to. The narrative parts were very interesting and has given me a good respect for the plane and its issues, thinking it just goes fast would be an understatement!
Choice Notes
Habus (Ha Boos) (pilots of SR71 named after okinawan snake) were not spys and despite using stealth technology it was considered overt intelligence gathering as they flew the USA flag.
SR71 flew New York to London 1 hour 54 minutes
One crew almost out of TEB trying numeours restart of engines in high altitude where this is unlikely. With engines windmilling but inactive at Mach 3.2 at 80,000 feet gliding would be 102 nautical miles and descend to 10,000 feet in 6 minutes. This is a long time for a pilot to not attempt a restart until they're at a better altitude and a glide profile similar to a rock.
Radar cross section lower than the B1b bomber. It represented a target the size of a J3 piper cub
Hand flying a 90° turn would mean the pilot would be doing well to be within 1 mile of the flight path. This could significantly effect intelligence gathering
Kelly Johnson (designer) said that at Mach 3.2 the engines provided 20% of the thrust and the inlets provided 80%.
Took off with 45000, 55000 or 65000 pounds of fuel. Refuelled after takeoff because a flame out, unstart or failure of one engine would not allow lift to be generated with a full load of fuel and theres not much time on takeoff to correct.
Chalkes holding plane in place before takeoff would be stuck into the tarmac. Irony that the most advanced plane of its day would need to be freed for takeoff by sledgehammers.
EPT (effective performance time) is how long to provide flying duties before unconsciousness at 45000 feet it's 9-12 seconds without oxygen at 60,000 feet chances or survival are slim to none without a pressure suit, Wikipedia lists EPT as 5-7 seconds.
Usually flew with cabin pressure of 26000 feet. Time of useful consicouness (TUC) varies with each person.
Space begins at about 125 miles above the earth. As a psychical environment it begins at 63000 feet (12 miles) where the pressure causes bodily fluids to boil at body temperature.
8 hours mandatory sleep meant Habus needed to go to bed much earlier than other pilots.
Crews would what if the entire plan of flight, have alternete bases, time was a rare luxury at Mach 3
Priority of missions would have either a standby crew. A standby plane ready to takeoff or a plane flying the same route 30 minutes later.
SR71 has never overflown China or the USSR, after Francis Gary Powers was shot down no president has authorised such a mission.
Myth that LBJ clubbed his line for SR71. The stenographer wrote RS71 but the transcript and speech records the correct SR71. Stenographer was probably thrown off by a reference to the RS70 earlier in the speech.
We were called Snake and Nape after my favourite ordancane loadout in Vietnam, Snake Eyballs and Napalm.
Choice Notes
Habus (Ha Boos) (pilots of SR71 named after okinawan snake) were not spys and despite using stealth technology it was considered overt intelligence gathering as they flew the USA flag.
SR71 flew New York to London 1 hour 54 minutes
One crew almost out of TEB trying numeours restart of engines in high altitude where this is unlikely. With engines windmilling but inactive at Mach 3.2 at 80,000 feet gliding would be 102 nautical miles and descend to 10,000 feet in 6 minutes. This is a long time for a pilot to not attempt a restart until they're at a better altitude and a glide profile similar to a rock.
Radar cross section lower than the B1b bomber. It represented a target the size of a J3 piper cub
Hand flying a 90° turn would mean the pilot would be doing well to be within 1 mile of the flight path. This could significantly effect intelligence gathering
Kelly Johnson (designer) said that at Mach 3.2 the engines provided 20% of the thrust and the inlets provided 80%.
Took off with 45000, 55000 or 65000 pounds of fuel. Refuelled after takeoff because a flame out, unstart or failure of one engine would not allow lift to be generated with a full load of fuel and theres not much time on takeoff to correct.
Chalkes holding plane in place before takeoff would be stuck into the tarmac. Irony that the most advanced plane of its day would need to be freed for takeoff by sledgehammers.
EPT (effective performance time) is how long to provide flying duties before unconsciousness at 45000 feet it's 9-12 seconds without oxygen at 60,000 feet chances or survival are slim to none without a pressure suit, Wikipedia lists EPT as 5-7 seconds.
Usually flew with cabin pressure of 26000 feet. Time of useful consicouness (TUC) varies with each person.
Space begins at about 125 miles above the earth. As a psychical environment it begins at 63000 feet (12 miles) where the pressure causes bodily fluids to boil at body temperature.
8 hours mandatory sleep meant Habus needed to go to bed much earlier than other pilots.
Crews would what if the entire plan of flight, have alternete bases, time was a rare luxury at Mach 3
Priority of missions would have either a standby crew. A standby plane ready to takeoff or a plane flying the same route 30 minutes later.
SR71 has never overflown China or the USSR, after Francis Gary Powers was shot down no president has authorised such a mission.
Myth that LBJ clubbed his line for SR71. The stenographer wrote RS71 but the transcript and speech records the correct SR71. Stenographer was probably thrown off by a reference to the RS70 earlier in the speech.
We were called Snake and Nape after my favourite ordancane loadout in Vietnam, Snake Eyballs and Napalm.
August 20, 2025
Graham provides huge detail on flying the SR-71. The SR-71 was very much a futuristic airplane, differing from all other aircraft in its design. The record setting flight covered 1,998 nautical miles in sixty-four minutes, twenty seconds, at a speed of 2,176 miles per hour.
"...the radar cross-section of the SR-71 was significantly lower than the numbers the B-1B bomber was able to achieve more than twenty-five years later. At cruise speed and altitude, the radar cross-section of the SR-71 represented a target the size of a J-3 Piper Cub."
In the SR-71 engines,a shockwave is established at the engine inlet. Airflow through the engines controlled by the fore and aft bypass valves. The fore bypass valves were controlled by the pilot, with the aft valves being controlled by the onboard computers. If a disturbance occurs, the inlet pressure behind the shock wave becomes too great or the spike position moves too far aft - this is termed a unstart, and is a major concern with the pilots with specific procedures for diagnosing and recovering from them.
The mission route was defined ahead of time and was flown by the aircraft computers. "The mission route was defined in terms of destination points (DP), control points (CP), and fix points (FP)." "The SR-71’s flight plan, with the DPs, CPs, and FPs for the entire mission, was contained on a 3/4 inch Mylar tape punched with holes and loaded inside the guidance group computer memory." It was practically impossible to hand-fly the aircraft smoothly and precisely enough to obtain good imagery.
In the Epilogue, Graham states that he believes the SR-71 is needed more today than it was twenty or thirty years ago.
"...the radar cross-section of the SR-71 was significantly lower than the numbers the B-1B bomber was able to achieve more than twenty-five years later. At cruise speed and altitude, the radar cross-section of the SR-71 represented a target the size of a J-3 Piper Cub."
In the SR-71 engines,a shockwave is established at the engine inlet. Airflow through the engines controlled by the fore and aft bypass valves. The fore bypass valves were controlled by the pilot, with the aft valves being controlled by the onboard computers. If a disturbance occurs, the inlet pressure behind the shock wave becomes too great or the spike position moves too far aft - this is termed a unstart, and is a major concern with the pilots with specific procedures for diagnosing and recovering from them.
The mission route was defined ahead of time and was flown by the aircraft computers. "The mission route was defined in terms of destination points (DP), control points (CP), and fix points (FP)." "The SR-71’s flight plan, with the DPs, CPs, and FPs for the entire mission, was contained on a 3/4 inch Mylar tape punched with holes and loaded inside the guidance group computer memory." It was practically impossible to hand-fly the aircraft smoothly and precisely enough to obtain good imagery.
In the Epilogue, Graham states that he believes the SR-71 is needed more today than it was twenty or thirty years ago.
January 7, 2023
I am a long-time aviation enthusiast and among those aircraft that enthusiasts such as myself greatly appreciate is the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird. When I saw this book in the Daedalus catalog, I snapped it up. It is quite a fascinating read on the subject by a former SR-71 pilot and instructor. Graham explains the particular jargon of the aircraft and its crews as he goes step by step in the procedures for flying the Blackbird on an operational mission. It's hard-core enthusiast stuff, not a breezy read, but if you enjoy iconic aircraft and appreciate the technology and people involved in them, you will find this a welcome read.
January 3, 2025
Hard to put it down without a wide appreciation of how impressive this aircraft was and to want to go and see one, albeit in a museum, at the earliest opportunity. I found it a bit of a mixed bag. The author was an actual pilot so that was great and there are plenty of gems about the life of pilots in the UK and Okinawa, about exciting things that happened on flight, many to the author personally. The role and politics of the endgame were fascinating. There is a lot of technical stuff too that I found it harder ti follow not being an all out aviation enthusiast. But these were often interspersed with an anecdote or a nice description. I enjoyed it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 16, 2020
This is a book for those of us who are geeks. It goes into great detail about the checklists for before, during, and after the flight of this magnificent, unparalleled aircraft. Flying at mach 3+ is not at all like subsonic flying, and the author describes the intricacies of the SR-71 and what made it work. There is still a need today for such a capable spy plane, the first-ever stealth aircraft. It is unfortunate that politics and budget cuts caused the demise of the SR-71 and its crews.
September 12, 2021
This book goes into a lot of detail about the process of flying the SR-71. It is very procedural, mixed with descriptive and experiential observations from the author. As an example, there is an entire chapter dedicated to the cockpit left console pre-flight checks of this complex and unique aircraft. If you're not a pilot or a technically minded enthusiast, then it might not be the book for you. But if you love the technical side of flying then you just may enjoy this as much as I did. Superb.
September 30, 2023
Dry as hell, and INFORMATIVE as hell. You want the nitty gritty tiny details? Here they are. That’s what I wanted and that’s what I got. If you don’t know a lot about the plane though I wouldn’t start with this book. I suggest Ben Rich’s memoir first. Then when you read this book you will appreciate the effort and ingenuity the engineers put into the plane. I’ve seen this plane in real life and the more I know about it the more I appreciate it.
February 27, 2023
What an incredible saga!
I've always had an interest in this aircraft, the legacy it created and has left within the intelligence community. If you are an aviation person, you will be amazed and totally captivated by this story. It can be somewhat technically intimidating, but well worth the read
I've always had an interest in this aircraft, the legacy it created and has left within the intelligence community. If you are an aviation person, you will be amazed and totally captivated by this story. It can be somewhat technically intimidating, but well worth the read
March 13, 2024
This book was highly technical and analytical. With just enough stories sprinkled throughout to keep me interested.
If someone was trying to learning how to fly it themselves, then this book would work as a cockpit manual!
This has always been one of my favorite airplanes and the stories that the pilots have are unparalleled to anything else in regarding to what they saw and how they felt.
If someone was trying to learning how to fly it themselves, then this book would work as a cockpit manual!
This has always been one of my favorite airplanes and the stories that the pilots have are unparalleled to anything else in regarding to what they saw and how they felt.
October 17, 2024
Interesting to hear about the extensive checklists and procedures involved in flying this plane. If you're not into aviation, or don't have some experience in a cockpit, it might be a bit dull or overwhelming, but it's a pretty interesting account from a pilot of one of the craziest airplanes ever built
December 24, 2017
Interesting
This was an interesting book. The fact that i saw it fly only adds more to the story. The author was the base commander when I arrived at Beale. I agree we could still use the SR71 now.
This was an interesting book. The fact that i saw it fly only adds more to the story. The author was the base commander when I arrived at Beale. I agree we could still use the SR71 now.
January 15, 2025
I have always been fascinated by military planes and this is one of my favorites. It was fun to learn more about it. However, hard to recommend as it would have been much better if it was half as long by cutting out the check lists and weeding out unnecessary technical jargon.
April 6, 2021
I have a few books on the SR-71. This one gave a pilot's viewpoint. I liked it.
January 17, 2024
Wow. Just wow. Every part of my 10 year old, 1984 brain (you know, then one that I never outgrew) was attuned to this detailed history and technology biography. I highly recommend it.
January 26, 2024
Highly technical but didn’t lower my rating as the other parts made it worth the read. I wanted to learn more about something I knew very little about and mission accomplished.
December 17, 2024
This book may be helpful to pilots or aviation engineers, but it is too complicated for the lay person. Perhaps larger, more detailed and legible illustrations would have helped.
January 7, 2025
A bit too much technical information for me....
August 2, 2025
This book is a step by step flight manual about flying the SR71 blackbird. A treatment for aviation enthusiasts.
November 5, 2011
I really enjoyed this book. Think of it as a pilot's guide to flying the SR-71. The book itself was pretty formulaic, following the various checklists used by the pilot during pre-flight, take off, aerial refueling, "accell," Mach 3+ flight, "decel," landing, and shut down. Sprinked throughout were anecdotes and revelations of what it was actually like to be a part of the singular group of men who flew the blackbird.
If you want a history of the SR-71 program, or a technical treatise on the plane, look elsewhere. If you want to know what it was like to be part of an SR-71 crew, this is the book for you.
The final third of the book consists of appendices, including a full declassified checklist. I found it a little redundant, except for the emergency procedures which weren't detailed in the main text. This was an amazing aircraft, and, while not surprising, it is a shame that it was killed for political reasons.
If you want a history of the SR-71 program, or a technical treatise on the plane, look elsewhere. If you want to know what it was like to be part of an SR-71 crew, this is the book for you.
The final third of the book consists of appendices, including a full declassified checklist. I found it a little redundant, except for the emergency procedures which weren't detailed in the main text. This was an amazing aircraft, and, while not surprising, it is a shame that it was killed for political reasons.
February 19, 2012
I am a newbie to reading about aviation, though it didn't long to continually run across the SR-71, the plane born out of the secret Oxcart program in Area 51. Rich Graham, a pilot of the SR-71, provides readers with a how-to-manual of what it is like to fly one of these things. The best part of this book are the sidebars, which provide stories of the crew, as well as little known facts about the airplane. I wouldn't read this book as a straight ahead history of the development of the SR-71, but it is a nice complementary book after you do.
Small confession - being flown around in one of these is on my bucket list. It will never happen, but it would be amazing if it did.
Small confession - being flown around in one of these is on my bucket list. It will never happen, but it would be amazing if it did.
July 9, 2015
If you're an aviation fan, you'll probably really like this book. If not, you will hate it.
I like airplanes and their history, but this book was a retelling of a pilots experience in what he had to do to fly this particular airplane. At times it was tedious, but not most of the time. I learned a bit about how airplanes actually fly, and I learned how a pilot is equipped for urination during flight.
These pilots also had solid drug administration profiles that were maintained to allow them to fly such long missions.
I like airplanes and their history, but this book was a retelling of a pilots experience in what he had to do to fly this particular airplane. At times it was tedious, but not most of the time. I learned a bit about how airplanes actually fly, and I learned how a pilot is equipped for urination during flight.
These pilots also had solid drug administration profiles that were maintained to allow them to fly such long missions.
January 25, 2014
A very enjoyable book. The subtitle about a secret operational mission is less the story than the details that went into every mssion. Removing the focus on a specific mission allows you to better experience what was involved in flying the Blackbird. The wonderful detail was a thrill and should whet the appetite of anyone interested in this remarkable plane.
November 12, 2009
I'm a dork--I loved this book. The writing is only average, but that's probably because Rich Graham is a pilot by trade, not a writer. I loved the abundance of checklists and descriptions that were included, and the meticulous detail and anecdotes.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews