>Stephen James wrote...
>

>> For sustained flight, the SR-71 Blackbird could cruise at 85,000+
>> feet.
>>
>> That record was set many years ago (1976 AFAIK) and may have been
>> eclipsed by now.
>>
>> Likewise the SR-71 Blackbird also held the absolute speed record of
>> 1906 knots (2,193 mph, 3,530 km/h) at that time.

>
>Perhaps this is a good time to dredge up these gems...
>
>In his book,"Sled Driver" SR 71 Blackbird Brian Shul writes I'll always
>remember a certain radio exchange that occurred one day as Walt (his
>backseater) and I were screaming across Southern California, 13 miles
>high.
>
>We were monitoring various radio transmissions from other aircraft, as
>we entered Los Angeles airspace."
>
>"Though they didn't really control us, they did monitor our movement
>across their scope. I heard a Cessna ask for a readout of its ground
>speed. "90 knots" Center replied.
>
>Moments later, a Twin Beech required the same. "120 knots," Center
>answered.
>
>"We weren't the only ones proud of our groundspeed that day.. as almost
>instantly an F-18 smugly transmitted, "Ah, Center, Dusty 52 requests
>groundspeed readout." "There was a slight pause, then the response, "525
>knots on the ground, Dusty".
>
>"Another silent pause. As I was thinking to myself how ripe a situation
>this was, I heard a familiar click of a radio transmission coming from
>my backseater. It was at that precise moment I realized Walt and I had
>become a real crew, for we were both thinking in unison.
>
>"Center, Aspen 20, you got a groundspeed readout for us?" There was a
>longer than normal pause...."Aspen, I show 1,742 knots."
>
>"No further inquiries were heard on that frequency"
>
>And...
>
>In another famous SR-71 story, Los Angeles Center reported receiving a
>request for clearance to FL 60 (60,000ft).
>
>The incredulous controller, with some disdain in his voice, asked, "How
>do you plan to get up to 60,000 feet?
>
>The pilot (obviously a sled driver), responded, "We don't plan to go up
>to it, we plan to go down to it."
>
>He was cleared...
>
>Oh, to save those wanting to search for the origins of this, below is the header
>from the original message that I saved these stories from.
>
>========================================================================
> Newsgr: aus.aviation
> Date: Sun, 09 Feb 2003 12:38:39 +1100
> From: Aztec
> Addr: richard@tequila-frenzy.com
> Subj: Humourous Stories/Jokes...
>------------------------------------------------------------------------