Sled driver
by Brian Shul · first published 1991
50% recommend50% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Pilot's-eye SR-71 stories, including the well-known speed check anecdote, with enough engineering detail to satisfy aviation fans; suits readers who liked Skunk Works and want the flying side.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
No aircraft ever captured the curiosity & fascination of the public like the SR-71 Blackbird. Nicknamed "The Sled" by those few who flew it, the aircraft was shrouded in secrecy from its inception. Entering the U.S. Air Force inventory in 1966, the SR-71 was the fastest, highest flying jet aircraft in the world. Now for the first time, a Blackbird pilot shares his unique experience of what it was like to fly this legend of aviation history. Through the words & photographs of retired Major Brian Shul, we enter the world of the "Sled Driver." Major Shul gives us insight on all phases of flying,
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It's a shame that the book that this story came from - Sled Driver by Brian Shul - is out of print. The SR-71 speed check story is another good read: https://www.thesr71blackbird.com/Aircraft/Stories/sr-71-blac...
on “Mach 3.5 Over Libya in an SR-71 Blackbird” ↗…Kelly would come along and take one look at it and say "That is 20% too big", and sure enough, when Ben went back over his calculations, he would find it to be about 18% oversized. Another great book is "Sled Driver" by Brian Shul - probably one of the best aviation books I've read (and I am a former pilot). Sadly, I believe both books are out of print now, but you may be able to find a copy somewhere second hand.…
on “Supersonic passenger jets might make a comeback” ↗…of "Skunk Works" and it is indeed a great book. Amazon still has it for under $12[1]. And seeing as it's quite popular, most large libraries should have a copy as well. It's great that you brought up "Sled Driver", I'm actually currently saving up to buy a copy. Brian Shul still has new copies available on his website for $250[2]. I think the copies that go for very high prices on eBay are the first editions or…
on “Supersonic passenger jets might make a comeback” ↗…much less than full fuel load; IIRC to keep the mass low enough for safe T/O abort or maybe for a safe go-around. As for books, I wholeheartedly recommend the excellent https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sled-driver-brian-shul/1123... written by one of the pilots.
on “NASA’s X-59 Quiet Supersonic Research Aircraft Cleared for Final Assembly” ↗For some not so heavy reading for SR-71 enthusiasts, I highly recommend Brian Shul's book "Sled Driver". They are out of print now I believe, and I've seen them on eBay for about $3000 at one stage, but I think they are more generally available at reasonable prices now second hand. I was lucky enough…
on “Blackbird SR-71 Flight Manual (2010)” ↗similar to skunk works there is a book named “sled driver”: https://www.amazon.com/Sled-Driver-Flying-Worlds-Fastest/dp/... here’s a funny extract that gets posted everytime: https://www.reddit.com/r/SR71/comments/2dpmw7/the_sr71_speed...
on “Gary Starkweather died on December 26, 2019” ↗…written in 1981) Thirty years later, I'm mostly just nodding as I follow along; yep, yep, yep. "Engineering" is a distant second to corporate politics and office pecking order. Reading Brian Shul's "Sled Driver" autobiography on the tablet. Shul was an SR-71 pilot, and the book is about 10% Shul and 90% SR-71. It reads fast and it's interesting, with unexpected bits of information. Just finished David Goggins'…
on “Ask HN: What nonfiction books do you keep rereading?” ↗Sled Driver https://www.amazon.com/Sled-Driver-Flying-Worlds-Fastest/dp/...
on “Ask HN: Coffee table books” ↗…Memoir of My Years at Lockheed by Ben Rich is a pretty fun read into the U2, A-12 Oxcart, SR-71, Sea Shadow and other craft. And has a lot of good stories from pilots. But the ultimate SR-71 book would be Sled Driver: Flying the World's Fastest Jet.
on “The SR-71's predecessor used cesium-laced fuel to create radar-absorbing exhaust” ↗There is a few really great stories about the SR-71 on the internet, many out of the book "Sled Driver". I would not (as it is customary on other parts of the internet) leave the full copy-pasta here, but I do recommend the "air speed check) story (to be found e.g. at https://oppositelock.kinja.com/favorite-sr-71-story-10791270...…
on “The SR-71 Spy Plane Was So Fast, It Outran Every Missile Fired at It” ↗Love that book. Sled Driver is also worth checking out. It focuses on things from the pilots perspective, but from memory the pilots had to have a fairly intimate understanding of their vehicles, so a lot of discussion of the mechanics/engineering.…
on “Pilot explains how he Survived Blackbird Disintegration at Mach 3.2” ↗Check out his book “Sled Driver” as that story comes from there and is only a single amazing story out of many from that book.
on “SR-71 pilot, photographer and storyteller Brian Shul dies at 75” ↗Here is a small book "Sled Driver", a collection of stories from an SR-71 pilot. https://www.dropbox.com/s/yhosqpzghkwx5xe/Sled%20Driver%20%2...
on “The future’s so bright, I gotta wear blinders” ↗…I always wanted to go see one of his speeches. I remember seeing them on YouTube and they were great. His story is truly inspirational. His books are incredible as well. I was gifted signed copies of Sled Driver and The Untouchables and I honestly treasure them. Guess I’ll just have to read them again today.
on “SR-71 Blackbird Speed Check Story” ↗The original story doesn't pass the smell test, but it's fun and hard to disprove. Sled Driver is a great book for anyone looking for something to read. Physical copies sell for the hundreds of dollars, but there is a PDF floating on the high seas.
on “Ask HN: What are some iconic comments on HN?” ↗