Pilot Lt Col Erik C Swanson (ret.) concludes his description of serving on the KC-135Q force supporting the SR-71A Blackbird on its secret missions
When the SR-71 flew from Mildenhall, five tankers were used, with one tanker acting as a manned ground spare, ready to take-off and assume the refuelling duties of any of the four primary tankers in case of a mechanical malfunction or emergency. The first tanker took off about 30min before the SR-71 departed. For the more sensitive missions the SR-71 and the supporting KC-135Qs would depart under radio-silent procedures getting take-off clearance via a green light from the air traffic control tower.
The first air refuelling on a mission from Mildenhall was usually the most exciting and challenging because it happened so fast and right after reaching the racetrack holding pattern where the KC-135Q waited until the arrival of the SR-71. There was just enough time to reach 27,000ft (8,230m) and make one trip around the orbit track. The orbit was just off the coast to the northeast of East Anglia between the Wash and Norwich. It consisted of a block of airspace that was up to 60nm (111km) long and 10nm (18.5km) wide.
Range and bearing information was exchanged from the time the S…
