Not Just Cool Because It's Black

Major Brian Shul's piece about flying the SR-71 Blackbird has been making the rounds on various high profile blogs. Here is the opening paragraph:

In April 1986, following an attack on American soldiers in a Berlin disco, President Reagan ordered the bombing of Muammar Qaddafi's terrorist camps in Libya. My duty was to fly over Libya and take photos recording the damage our F-111's had inflicted. Qaddafi had established a 'line of death,' a territorial marking across the Gulf of Sidra, swearing to shoot down any intruder that crossed the boundary. On the morning of April 15, I rocketed past the line at 2,125 mph.

Bad Ass. There are some amazing aircraft that came out of the US in the 50s and 60s. Aircraft like the Blackbird or the Starfighter.