SR- 71/ Blackbird lore

In his book," Sled Driver," SR-71/ Blackbird pilot Brian Shul writes:

I'll always remember a certain radio exchange that occurred one day as
Walt (my 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
cross their scope. I heard a Cessna ask for a readout of its
groundspeed. "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

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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...

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--space

Irrational beliefs ultimately lead to irrational acts.
-- Larry Dighera,