It was cool. They refueled it in a pass about 1000' over the airport. Won't ever see that again!

Can't recommend the Ben Rich book enough. It describes the endless problems they surmounted to get the thing going. A true magnum opus.

Ben Rich was sick the day they arranged for him to ride in one. He never did. He asked
the pilots "What's it like?" Really sad. He died young.

BH

My Dad worked at Pratt and Whitney until he retired in 1988. He was an Electronics Inspector and worked with the J58 on the test stand. We could hear the engines running at night in Stuart more than 20 miles away.

Completely disagree with you Bill.

wow what a great photograph Mark. Befitting that great engine. Notice the series of shock diamonds in the exhaust. Just awesome.

I got to watch one taxi out and takeoff up close when I was at the Palmdale plant in 1987. Very cool!