On July 28, 1976, Eldon W. Joersz officially became the fastest man in the world, when he flew his U.S. Air Force SR-71 Blackbird at an astonishing 2,194 mph — a record that still stands today.
Flying with George Morgan as reconnaissance systems officer, Joersz flew 2,193.64 mph over a 25-kilometer straight-line course 80,600 feet about Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California.
“I’m honored to help remember this great airplane and the men who flew her, designed her, built her, and those who maintained and supported her,” said 72-year-old General Joersz (retired) from his home near Dallas. “The visionary for these records was Wing Commander John Storrie. And the other guy was Jim Sullivan, squadron commander at the time. Jim Sullivan was the SR-71 pilot that flew New York to London in 1 hour, 54 minutes in 1974.”
In 1976 the decision was made by Storrie and Sullivan to set the world absolute speed record.
Flying at Mach 3.3, the SR-71’s engine temperature approached 427° Celsius. Their speed was measured by highly sophisticated radar.
Once through the box, they had to turn and complete another run through the box at the same altitude. An average of the two speeds was taken, and that was the record speed.
“After we went through the second time, after a minute or two, control came up and said, ‘Unofficially, the record is 2,194 mph’. They knew what it was right away,” Joersz said.
Inside the cockpit they were elated – although a little disappointed they hadn’t gone even faster.
“Our informal goal between the two of us was for 2,200 mph. So actually, we were quietly a little disappointed that we’d missed it by 7 mph!”
Forty years on General Joersz is still asked to speak about setting the FAI Absolute World Record for Speed. He will be appearing at the Museum of Aviation in Georgia to mark the 40th anniversary of the record flight, and is due to be interviewed by CNN.
At the time however, Joersz had no idea his morning’s work would still be of interest four decades later.
“Truthfully, for us at the time it was just a fun thing to do,” he said. “We just felt really fortunate to be the guys getting to fly the airplane.”
1.Sr71 Top Speed is Mach 3:00+ too. To maximum Speed of mach 3.5+too!
Having worked on all (3) Blackbird Models, I would like to add some information.
Re: 1 May 1965 . The YF12A set The Speed Record, The Altitude Record & (4)
Closed Course Records , with & without Payload, (2000 Kilos). These Records
were restricted to Beating the Russians by 2% . By President Johnson . Never made Public or Record claimed was the YF12A Carried the (2000 Kilo) Payload, on the Speed Run.
I believe the (4) Closed Course Records Still Stand. The SR71 was the 3rd Model.
As a 96 yr. old Martin Marauder b-26 instructor of WWII I am still thrilled to read of these exploits. WOW!
I once saw the SR-71 at Holloman AFB in 1976 where I and my fellow pilots from RDAF went through FPLIC. It had made an emerg. landing for some reason and stayed for a couple of days. When it took off it came back and pointed its nose literally straight up with shock-dimonds behind its huge engines. We could follow it just until it went through contrail level still going almost straight up. For us young fighter pilots it was an amasing sight. Several years later sitting on 5 min. alert we were scrambled towards the Baltic Sea (as we were almost every day and night) where an aircraft at high altitude were racing towards the eastcoast of Denmark. That aircraft was intercepted (tried to 😉 by 2 x Foxbats, and they were intercepted by 2 Viggen from Sweden, and 2 unidentified aircrafts from a Baltic state, and by us in our F-16’s. I got a radar lock on the SR-71 for a few seconds showing it to be above 78.000 feet and above Mach 2 (precise values are written in my log book 😉 What an aircraft !!!!
I got to see and learn about the engine that powered the sr71 (the J58) in the former Pratt and Whitney plant in West Palm Beach back in the early 80s. As an electrical engineer, we don’t excite all that easily about mechanical engineering and metallurgy and I was simply blown away by their operation.
I lived in Jupiter, Fl. during 1971. We could plainly hear the engine tests almost every day never even thinking what they were purposed for, I can still hear the blast, never very long but very loud! Were you guys roasting hot dogs while we were working on raised platform computer systems (Spectra 70) at RCA in PBG?
I grew up in Stuart, FL and spent a lot of time in Palm City. Like you we could hear the distant rumble of those giant engines.
The SR-71 was an amazing aircraft and it’s impressive that this record stands 40 years later. But the operative idea is this is what has been publically acknowledged. What better cover for a super speed aircraft than pointing to a believable decades old record.
I was at Air Venture in Oshkosh when the SR-71 Blackbird was there last just before they were retired. It flew over turned around refueled over Lake Michigan & flew in formation with (I believe it was) 2 tankers or a tanker & 2 F-16s. What a site. I have a video of it on VHS, but I lost track of it.
Conventional takeoff and landing of air breathing aircraft, people. This is not about rockets or anything else.
So what are you, the bucket of cold water, waiting in the wings to be flung on the celebration for the sake of your talking down argument. Plus you contradicted yourself with the words: “….or anything else.” It was something else then and remains so today for an aircraft relying on air breathing propulsion. It’s well known that such a speed is no big deal when viewed from the cockpit of such an airplane at such a high altitude where the sensation of ground speed is negated by the altitude. Nevertheless, the raw numbers and the route required to turn the bloody thing around in that very thin atmosphere is impressive when compared to “anything else” other than the Space Shuttle or the Saturn V which did not reach comparable speeds and dynamic pressure when climbing out until approximately the same altitude. Thereafter the speed for the rocket powered vehicle is incomparable not only for the climb out but also for reentry of the vehicle sans rocket in gravitational coast mode with mach numbers typically in the double digit range.
I worked with George Morgan in the early 80s I believe he is the guy on the left
In the space suit
Caption under the photo says Morgan is on the right (in pressure suit).
Yep. That”s me
Flying high and fast while taking pictures may seem cool. But… with my sub-sonic Douglas A4 Skyhawk, I could drop bombs, fire rockets, strafe both air and ground, fly low-level, do aerobatics, fly formation, and land on a carrier. I’ll take my “Mach Nix” aircraft experience any day over Blackbird flying. No disrespect intended. Just sayin’… Captain Jim Green
Sir, this is not about any one person. It’s about USA and what we all do.
Sir, That is a shoddy attempt of one-upmanship. You could just as easily compare a 172 to an a380, or a Porsche to a city bus. Every airplane is purpose built, and a man of your experience should have a natural respect for any and all feats of aviation.
What an off centre, undignified response. The writer, obviously, does not belong in the comradely skies…
It’s an article about an amazing feat…relax the insecurity with your manhood.
While stationed at RAF Mildenhall UK I had the pleasure of watching this aircraft fly in the late 80s. It was a huge perk for a young Airman at his first base. It was such a remarkable plane to watch. To hear those engines turn at 0600 and rattle my house in the village always ran a chill down my spine and although I never had the trill of sitting in the seat it was always exciting to watch it fly.
Anyone know what the numbers mean on the map?
Probably INU waypoint reference numbers.
If we’re counting rocket powered manned aircraft the shuttle orbiter(s) at 17,500 mph should out pace the X-15 by a little bit.
What an awesome bird the SR-71 is…Got to see the beginning of the coast to coast record.
Speed Over a Recognized Course: West Coast to East Coast
•Date: 6 March 1990
•Crew: Lt. Col. Ed Yeilding and Lt. Col. J.T. Vida
•Distance: 2,404.05 miles
•Time: 1 hour, 7 minutes, 53.69 seconds
•Average Speed: 2,124.51 mph
I was stationed at Dulles IAP, VA, with the On-Site Inspection Agency (INF Treat). We watched them do a once around Dulles, then land. It was a historic moment as that Blackbird was then retired to the Smithsonian. As I recall a “cheer went up” from our group of watchers.
Had a Nav School classmate who was stationed at Beale AFB and flew the KC-135Q’s that refueled the SR-71’s–quite a challenge. Unlike the other military planes we regular tankers refueled with the same fuel we burned, the SR-71 had a special fuel carried in special tanks.
Just a note to put the record in perspective. The SR71 flew from Beale AFB to London, England at about 2000 mph. The KC135 tanker refuels at about 500 mph and the SR71 has to slow down to refuel and also has to descend from FL700 or higher to FL300 for the tanker. They refueled at least twice.
Simple Algebra indicates that the SR71 has an actual top speed of 4-6,000 mph.
The record speed is just what they wanted to do without spilling all the beans.
I think we’ll always remember, my friend, Pete Knight’s solo Mach 6 speed record flight in the modified X-15. It still stands.
According to Wikipedia: [The SR-71] has held the world record for the fastest air-breathing manned aircraft since 1976; this record was previously held by the related Lockheed YF-12.
Apollo 10 crew, Eugene A. Cernan, Thomas P. Stafford, John W. Young, flew 24,791 mph
X-15 pilot, Major William “Pete” Knight flew 4,520 mph
As often is the case, one cannot trust a journalist with facts….
The numbers in yellow boxes are flight headings. Sorry, I couldn’t figure out what the circled numbers are; possibly times?
I had the privilege of running three pre-planned head-on intercepts of the SR-71 over the Gulf of Mexico with an F-4D in 1968. Although the speed was classified at the time, we had a closure rate over Mach 5. Never got a valid shooting solution. He was way too high and way too fast. It was an amazing day for a young AF pilot.
The X-15 would also not qualify for this record because it wouldn’t have been able to make the turn and fly through the box for the back pass at the same altitude. As I recall the X-15 was dropped from the B-52 mothership, and the rocket engine fired, accelerating until it ran out of fuel in less than 2 minutes.
Good thing the Wright Brother’s “First Powered Flight” didn’t have to fly through a “box”, turn around and fly back. Otherwise, the “First Powered Flight” might not have actually occurred until a couple of years later.
” the fastest man in the world”
Uhhhh … I think a bunch of astronauts might dispute that.
Astronauts are the fastest men OUT of the world…
In some ways this is a sad commentary. You might think we should have made more progress since then. Kind of like NASA after the Apollo missions.
Still as absolutely thrilling for pilots reading about today as it was for us 40 years ago! But still enjoy our leisurely cruising at 145 kts. down the Baja in our Cessna 182 RG at 2500 ft. The joys of flight! Anthony
The X-15 did not do a two way pass required for official speed records but yes the little rocket went faster, nor was it produced in the numbers the SR-71 was.
I guess the X-15 doesn’t count any more?
fastest air breathing aircraft…the x-15 used a rocket
I assume this speed record is for air breathers, because the record for all manned aircraft goes to the rocket powered X15 at 4520 mph.
Well Nate, Frank M. & Byron Wright……what about the Apollo and other such rockets? Don’t they hit a much, much higher speed to reach “escape velocity” before leaving the atmosphere? ?
Still, it is the stories of the SR-71 Blackbird that make me wish I could have experienced that awesome machine……IMHO, the inly thing more cool to “fly(?)” would be the T.A.R.D.I.S. ?
Maj. (Pete)William J. Knight Oct 3, 1967 flew the X-15 Mach 6.7, 4520 mph.
What about the X-15 at over 4,000 mph? Maybe because it was air launched and rocket powered that it doesn’t count?
It must be something silly like that.
In 1981, Colonel Joe Engle became the only astronaut to have manually flown the Shuttle through reentry and landing, obtaining speeds in excess of Mach 25 during the flight in the atmosphere.
He ALSO flew the X-15, at speeds that left the SR-71 in the dust.
What is even more amazing is that it took 4 states to make the procedure turn back to the box!
A Sgt of mine had me load a Map Projector for the SR with a Training strip and then told me to watch it and map out the course. I thought it was a stupid thing to do, but there was nothing going on and he told me it would keep me busy. As I mapped it I began to visually see was a training flight covered. I was impressed by the same observation you made of needing to complete the turn in so many states. I wish I would have done more and could have kept copies of the various routes, but the training strips were classified Confidential.
…or 25 about seconds each way!
…or about 25 seconds each way…(once an engineer…)
I served with Colonel Al Joersz at the Pentagon in the 1991 time frame. In the photo above, Colonel Joersz is the second from the right, next to the Air Force Master Sergeant. Colonel John Scherer, USAF (ret)
Thanks John! I was at Seymore Johnson AFB when then Col Joersz was the Wing Commander. As a KC-10 Pilot on a Fighter base, Col Joersz was the perfect fit for a composite wing! Glad his record has held for so long. Thinking it may hold for quite awhile!
It’s little wonder that the fascination we have with that plane, the crew (in flight and on the ground) and all the design and build is still so intense today!
This is the stuff dreams are made of. It takes huge amounts of resources in money and manpower to make this happen. I felt similarly smitten by the B-70 Valkyrie with its futuristic design and elite operating altitudes.