I watch this video once a week so if I'm ever in a situation where I need to fly an SR-71 I'll be prepared.

"we cruise in afterburner at full throttle" hell yes.

Knowing this monster does mach ~3.2 and seeing nothing but analog dials is just immensely terrifying to me

I was dumbfounded to hear in his other video that the astro tracker navigation system was able to keep the aircraft within 1000 feet of the black line when it was tied into the autopilot. This aircraft and its systems were designed in the '50s and '60s with slide rule technology by chain smoking engineers who were hell bent on outdoing the Soviets. God bless them...

Chris, I saw Rich a few days ago and I told him how much everyone has liked this video and appreciated his service. He seemed very touched.

As a US Marine stationed at Okinawa in the early 80’s, I loved watching Blackbirds take off & return. I was in such awe of it’s sleek, futuristic beauty and sheer power! Thanks for the wonderful memories! 👍🏽

Props to the engineers who designed this, the fabricators that built it, the pilots that flew it...and all those that helped prevent WWIII

This man is as much of a national treasure as the SR-71 is. Outstanding, thank you for your service sir.

Mind blowing the technology and performance given the lack of computers in the day. It was all pilot skill.

I´d have problems describing the cockpit of my Toyota Corolla... and I drove it this morning.

It is incredible that he can hold camera and explain all that and in the same time fly this airplane at Mach 3.

Old Instrument panels like SR-71 one definitely look far more badass than any modern digital ones we got today !

Just 20 years more from now, and noone would even be able to explain what all this was about. Thanks for this real documentation!

I have the feeling this fellow could fly the plane perfectly today if they fueled it up for him. Awesome vid!

As a kid the SR-71 always reminded me of a spaceship it was just so cool in it's day. It's still a cool jet today.

The guys who crewed the SR and U2's in the 60's on up are some of the coolest and most mentally put-together individuals our country could produce. Always reassuring knowing people like them stand between us and any major problems. I could listen to them talk about their craft for days without ever tiring of the conversation

So, cause of the TetraEthylBorine, the SR71's engines literaly _explode into life..._ *That* is punctuating badassery!!

My father would disappear every Sunday night and return “From work” every Friday night. My mom took us kids in our PJ’s to Lockheed in Burbank to pick him up. He had been on this project at Groom Lake (Area 51). Once, while installing titanium rivets, one shot into and embedded itself into his eye. A government agent had to accompany him to the emergency room to recover the material. He wore an eyepatch for a time, which I thought was cool as hell as a kid! He passed in 2002 after a long career at JPL and was and still is my hero!

Excellent video, a lot of great information was shared about this remarkable plane. Hats off to the pilots, navigators, engineers and everyone involved with building and operating this machinery.

I had the great honor of working on these amazing aircraft (and the U-2R) at Beale AFB, CA from 1986 until their demise... It was a wonderful experience. I consider myself privileged to have been a part of this program. "BKJSS"... Because Kelly Johnson Said So! My fellow maintainers will remember this... :-)

Fascinating. I was in a Harley Davidson owners club with a couple of retired SR-71 pilots, I'd had no idea there were only 86 of them. I also hadn't ever wanted to bug them for stories, I bet they had some good ones. On a few occasions they'd been teased, or teased the rest of us, about paying attention to detail for safety or navigation. This vid provides amusing context to that.

So awesome. Blackbird has always been my favorite aircraft. And seeing this in detail is great.

Thanks for this video. Always impressed by how much one can learn from Richard Graham in a few minutes--his comments are just packed with interesting, experience-based details; never a wasted minute.

Priceless video, congratulations. It's a must watch if you like airplanes, especially the SR 71 that was way ahead of his time.

Absolutely amazing how analog this beauty was. You pilots are my heroes. Bless you all.

I used to have a lot of respect for the pilots of these planes. After watching this video I have two tons of respect for everybody involved In this project.

Top five best videos I've ever watched. Thank you for making this. Inside the SR71 is one of those things one dreams about for years and now it has been explained.

This is fantastic. I have memories of seeing a SR71 fly over when I was a kid in St.ives, Cambridgeshire, UK - I think it was taking part in an air show (Alconbury/Mildenhall/Wyton) some time around late 80s. One memory that’ll keep with me. Thank you for taking the time to make this video.

Remarkable plane and a very remarkable gentleman. Thank you for these videos and your service. This man is part of very special elite group.

That was awesome to see and hear from the guy that has done it! Fantastic peak into a place that 'normal' pilots never get to see.

The best informative video on the Blackbird I have seen so far. Thank you so much!

State of the art in reconnaissance!!! This plane should've never retired!!!

Thanks to the poster for sharing this amazing video. My inner child just had a complete freakout. Greatest walk-through video ever :-)

You might have known my Grandfather. He did the Hydraulics on the SR-71 up until decommission. He also worked with the U2. He was primarily stationed at Beale Air Force Base. In fact, I was able to experience the final flight when I was just a kiddo. Even met the Pilot and Copilot as they arrived in their van. Shook their hands while they were still sitting in the van. Pressure suits and all. I sat in the hanger with this beautiful aircraft as it was being prepped for its final flight. Once in a life time experience. Thank you for sharing your knowledge of the flight controls. The SR-71 Blackbird is part of my family history. It's in our blood.

Wow! Thank you for doing this video! I've seen countless 'Documentaries' on Wings, the Military Channel, you name it, but this was the most indepth and informative tour of the SR-71 cockpits I have ever seen!

Awesome video! Always been fascinated by the SR-71 and it's a real treat to hear about it from a pilot!

I'm very thankful for this. I didn't know the pilot and navigator were isolated from each other. This is really fascinating, a masterpiece of engineering!

Thanks for these videos man! They answer so many questions I had. Priceless stuff!

thanks for sharing , this just shows that the pilots had to be just as special as the plane it self, just amazing

Thank you so much for this superlative look into the magnificent SR-71 aircraft, never thought Id be fortunate enough to see it, it will live in history, appreciate your service to our great nation.

Thanks for this video, and thank you for your service. You flew in the black where very few ever have. Thanks again sir for everything. The SR-71 is the most beautiful airplane ever made in my opinion.

I never watched a KZfaq video hoping it never ended! What a great narration by Richard 😍 I hope he’s well, and I dream one day to talk with him about his missions

Wow... thank you, thank you, thank you. Since childhood, this aircraft has been my all times favourite. Even though it's cockpit looks now old and out of fashion, the SR-71's sleek design is still something out of this world. Keep these videos coming. Cheers! Q

This and the previous Richard Graham SR-71 video have to be two of the best instructional pieces on the Net about advanced piloting. Just outstanding.

Very interesting to see SR-71 cockpit. Thank you!

crazy that at the time of the development of these planes, locals thought they were testing UFOs they were so secret, now we are sat in the cockpit. Amazing,.

man, these guys were a different breed-respect and thanks for your service. USA very fortunate to have such consumate professionals in the ranks.

Fantastic! I grew up dreaming about this plane and now seeing this is absolutely amazing! Thanks for posting

If this aircraft were a new design it would still inspire the awe in 2020 that it did in the 60's.

Great video

Ty sir for your walk through and vast knowledge of this fine jet, ty for your service as well and ty for explaining in detail everything!

Hard to believe it only takes two people to operate this massive beast of an airplane. Thank you much for the tour.

What an awesome airplane! What an amazing job you had sir! Thank you for your service of our great nation, and thank you for the video.

just a great presentation. Thank You.

This is a mesmerizing video. Amazing how they solved so many challenges in the days before GPS, digital screens, etc. In the end, this airplane was a just a large flying camera - still the most amazing aircraft ever flown.

Blackbird singing in the dead of night...take these broken wings and learn to fly, all your life, you were only waiting for this moment to arise...Blackbird fly...Blackbird fly, into the light of the dark black night...Man, what a great theme song for these guys who actually had the opportunity to fly this wonderful beast!

Thank you for the dedication, time and effort put in this video. Best regards from Poland!!!

I had the pleasure of being one of the pilots before its decomission. The feeling of just being up there and away from everything, in that beauty bird, its magical and once in a life time. Im glad that my services made a difference during the cold war.

Absolutely fascinating! A very detailed description of what is one of my all time favorite airplanes. I fly airline jets with GPS, FMS and much more. It’s mind-blowing to think that these folks were flying around at Mach 3 with steam gauges and a TDI! Unbelievable!

Amazing technology for an aircraft that was designed and built so long ago.Thank you for your service sir,and for providing a glimpse of how this fascinating aircraft operates.👍👍

Fantastic! I've been so impressed with this aircraft and I really appreciate the walk-through. It's an interesting combination of reality vs perception. By looking at the aircraft you imagine that it is so sophisticated. But in reality, it is a combination of relatively simple (even clunky) technology such as fuel, regular aviation instruments etc. Combined with absolutely amazing aeronautical engineering when it comes to the design of the airframe, the engines etc.

Excellent cockpit overview, concise and most importantly, Capt Graham presented the topic in an easy to understand format. What struck me was how primitive the pilot and SRO instrumentation panels looked and how such amazing things could be done with what we had back then. It was almost like looking into a porthole of current technology of the era, but knowing it related to advancements that followed. There was also a degree of disconnect between the instrumentation and the SR71's amazing performance, like the performance was modern day, but the rest of it was stuck in the 60's. I always wondered how one copes with the urge to take a nap on extra long missions, I know it's human nature, especially when cruising along but not yet inside your target's territory and let's face it, anything can have a routine. Nothing like taking a power nap on a long ride, so I'm sure some sort of accommodation was made, care to share any inside secret Capt? I heard somewhere the max performance figures for the SR71 are still classified? This seems to be the case, because out of the number of videos or conversations about this airplane, nothing specific was ever discussed about how fast or high it can really go. The numbers talked about are always vague, like mach 3+ and 80K ft. Myself and many others would sure like to know what this baby could really do. I recall one video regarding SR71s getting shot at with ground to air missiles and one pilot or SRO indicated pushing forward the throttles as a tactic to outrun the missile for just enough time to disorient it, something like 100 to 200 knots. But then the crew member indicated that after being in this mode and he looked down to see the mach gauge higher than he has ever seen before, but he made no mention of what that was. Out of the 86 pilots on record in the program I wonder if any one of them took it upon themselves to push the throttles forward and get a taste of how fast the plane actually was. Obviously, for many reasons this would be a risky maneuver, but i wonder if anyone tried it, if they did no one but he and his SRO would know and I can imagine a great story if they ever connected years later over a couple beers. However, I don't know how they could possibly get away with it being monitored both internally and externally by sensors I'm sure of that. But like the above story of the pilot using acceleration to outwit an incoming missile, maybe this defensive tactic could be prolonged just a bit, lol. Somewhere I heard an SR71 flew across the USA in just over one hour. If the accepted distance between the west and east coast is about 3K miles, or I've heard the shortest distance is around 2,100 miles, in the former case and ignoring all the physics and environmental factors, the SR71 flew up to Mach IV if 760mph is the speed of sound. I suck at math, but I believe the record breaking coast to coast flight was merely a demonstration run and no one spoke of it as a flight to break any real records. Just adds to the mystery of this legendary aircraft.

I remember the 1st time i ever saw this machine. It was in a static display at r.a.f fairford in the very early 80's and i was around 6 or 7 years old. It was the only display where you were kept much further back from the aircraft than anything else, the cockpit, engine intakes and exits were all sealed with red panelling and i was in awe and now we get to practically sit in the cockpit!!! This phenomenal aircraft, despite being almost ancient still gives me goosebumps. Awesome

That was super cool! I love how he explained everything to make it understandable

This is one of the craziest things I've ever seen, if these guys had these things in the 50s, my god, what the hell do they have know. Incredible video.

Excellent video ! Thanks you for sharing your knowledge of this special plane. Flying at full throttle must have been exilarating !

I'll have to simply reiterate what everybody else has said: Excellent video! A very complicated piece of machinery, and my hats off to who designed it, built it, and those who flew it.

Can't wait to show this to my 9yo son, growing up surrounded by tiny devices (he has none) that could perform much of the work of this beautiful mechanical system. The SR-71 has been a favourite of mine since I was a kid and the same for my boy. To be able to understand how she operated is a tremendous bonus and a supersonic thank you from Australia for sharing! Cheers - Dave

Honestly one of the best video i’ve ever seen

My very deepest respect for pilot and aircraft.

Mind-Boggling! Very familiar layout, but then, there are the high-tech (for the sixties) surprises too. Kelly Johnson and the Skunk Works crew were way beyond amazing.

That video was so informative one almost feels as they could go up in an SR-71 after that. Thank you,Mr.Graham.

smart guy you can tell he didn't slack off in training! knows his shit!

Initially I thought it's _surprisingly_ simple. Then I thought about it and it's what I should have expected. For starters, he's the pilot and only needs pilot controls. And it's an aircraft designed to go very fast in a straight line. So, engine, control surfaces, speed, altitude, fuel, environmental controls and a map. Engine configuration is automatic so, yeah, see how beautifully simple it was to fly!

Very captivating video wished it was longer! Had the chance as a child growing up in the Mojave Desert to see her fly and heard more than a few times. Thanks again for sharing

I never get tired of watching this. Thanks.

what a beautiful piece of aeronautics

What a great man he is. Wondering how the habus managed to get off the ground with the immense weight of the balls of these men flying them. Really great video.

Thank you Eric, I really enjoyed this. It was astonishing to hear you talk so nonchalantly about "CRUISING at mach 3 on afterburner"... My God... cruising on afterburner at three times the speed of sound... so routine.. Fabulous.

Absolutely amazing! I had no idea it was this complicating to fly this Jet! Thanks for sharing your knowledge!

Absolutely amazing. And this was all created and operated in a pre-computer era, with nothing but slide rules and raw brainpower. We have great technology today, but I'm afraid we've lost some of the talent and risk-taking ingenuity that was responsible for the Blackbird.

I agree, Rich is a man among men.

WOW !! This is one of the best videos I have ever watched on KZfaq - AMAZING !!

What a truely amazing and captivating video, thoroughly enjoyed it and thanks so much for sharing it.

Thank you for this. Really good and interesting! 👍

Imagine just how much easier that plane would be to fly with modern avionics & digital fly-by-wire controls. Airframes haven't advanced all that much since the SR-71 was in the air. That's why the F-15, a child of the early 70s, can still be a state of the art fighter, but the advances in avionics and flight control systems have sure made them a hell of a lot easier and safer to fly, not to mention all the incredible sensor packages a plane like the Blackbird could make use of these days!

Thanks, it is a privilege to watch and to listen all this explanation first hand.

Amazing. Great video. Crazy how amazing the SR-71 was to be able to accomplish what it did with that technology when now you see these planes with all glass cockpits they had projectors. Pretty cool

Just imagine 40 years ago how many Soviet intelligence efforts were directed to obtaining this information. Thank you so very much for spending the time with us and pulling the veil back a little bit. I have been able to attend a few gatherings of pilots at the War College and have heard some amazing stories of the Soviet overflights. The Cold War was a real war with real bullets and real deaths. The bravery of crews is un-imaginable.

Nice video mate, thanks. I reckon that pilot just wanted to fly her again.

Coolest video I've seen in a long time. Once I started watching I was hooked. Took my now 14-year-old to see this plane in GA a couple of years ago. He was totally enthralled. I think it's the most beautiful airplane I've ever seen with the P51 coming in second. Thanks to both of you for this video.

Thoroughly enjoyed that. Thank you! Had the pleasure of meeting Richard Graham at The Duxford Air Museum, UK in 2013.

that was amazing !! thank you for sharing

Thank you this Video was very interesting.

Thanks for the great video, I worked for former SR-71 navigator at McClellan AFB back in 1989 as civilian temp GS-2. Can't recall his name other than he was a Lt Col and we used to rib him to tell us what it was like to fly at the edge of space. Of course back then he couldn't say a word about his flying experiences but we tried anyway. Great job, our mission was doing admin support for software design engineers who were working on the SDI project.

Hard to comprehend these planes were designed and built 60 years ago.

Awesome video. Thank you.

honestly, that was the best 20min on youtube i ever had! thank you!

That was awesome. Thanks for shooting that. Unbelieveable that a machine like that was made so long ago!

She's the ultimate state of art of aviation :-)