Is the Lockheed Black Bird still in use?

WEMBLEY :

everyone and his dog has seen and accepts "reliable info " that U-2 dragonlady fligts are operational @ Arkrotiri

to quote :

The Dragonlady first moved into the Eastern Mediterranean to provide over flight and support United Nations treaty verification of the Camp David Peace Accords between Egypt and Israel. U-2R flights from RAF Akrotiri began on August 9, 1970 and have continued virtually uninterrupted ever since making it the oldest active operating location in the program's history

this fact is not , nor has it ever been an issue

the bone of contention is the idiots who continue to claim that SR-71 blaclbird operates from there -- and that only they have noticed it

Originally posted by Wembley

I have heard from a reliable source that there is some kind of US black aircraft flying out of Akortiri but nothing about the type. I don't bleieve for a second that it's a Blackbird myself, but I wonder if there is something which might be mistaken for one? or whether this is simply dinformation?
Or if the whole thing is a misunderstanding and they're just U-2 or something.

No answers, I'm afraid.

Unless it's a highly classified black project, there's NOTHING that can be mistaken for an SR-71. Everything about the Blackbird was very distinctive and unique.

Originally posted by Zaphod58Unless it's a highly classified black project, there's NOTHING that can be mistaken for an SR-71. Everything about the Blackbird was very distinctive and unique.

no offence mate -- but please dont give them a red herring to swing around

the bottom line is that no one credible has claimed that ANY new or old recon platform other than the U-2 flies from atrotiri

and if an unidenified airframe was spotted there it would be BIGGER news than re deployment of the SR-71

there has been NO such news

the U-2 has been flying from Akrotiri for > 30 years -- its a boss plane , but its no longer hot news

the only way akrotiri dragon loadies will make major headlines again is when they finally retire -- or DOG forbid one crashes

now can the people claiming that b/bird is flying from akortiri furnish some evidence or STFU .

Originally posted by ignorant_ape
no offence mate -- but please dont give them a red herring to swing around

Honestly, I don't care what the others are saying about there being a "black bird" flying out of there. Why? Because the OP said that she/he has a picture of a Blackbird in a hangar there, but they've refused to post it.

Originally posted by ignorant_ape
WEMBLEY :

everyone and his dog has seen and accepts "reliable info " that U-2 dragonlady fligts are operational @ Arkrotiri

Agreed, but my source suggested that this was an actual black aircraft. If he is correct, then there are planes which are not allowed to be seen.
Can't see why they'd bother with this if it's just an SR-71.

IF it's a true Black Project, then it's not flying twice a day and taking off at 1130am as the claim was made originally. It would be flying at night, and only taking off and landing when there was no one around.

Originally posted by Wembley
Agreed, but my source suggested that this was an actual black aircraft.
Can't see why they'd bother with this if it's just an SR-71.

If this is right, it's not an SR-71 Blackbird. The Blackbird has been known for years and has been to airshows and even set several world records. Black means it's an unacknowleged Special Access Program. Airplanes don't go from setting a world speed record, to having their very exitance denied.

You didn't mean black as in the actual color, did you? If you're are referring to the actual color of the airplane, Disreguard the above. The paint on the Blackbird family of aircraft is black in color.

Tim

[edit on 28-6-2006 by ghost]

relevant fact - all SR-71 airframes are accounted for - the vast majority are at various US museums and most can be seen on google earth.

Originally posted by Shadowhawk


The simulator has not been functional for the last few years. It is in pieces now.

think I could pick it up cheap at a govt auction? that would make one fun & cool toy, but I bet you'd be the envy of aviation freaks worldwideand would probably have random plane freaks knocking on your door.

[edit on 28-6-2006 by warpboost]

Originally posted by ghost
You didn't mean black as in the actual color, did you?
[edit on 28-6-2006 by ghost]

No. There are supposedly hangars containing classified aircraft that outsiders are kept away from. They might even have been referred to as 'black birds' but I can't remember. This was sometime last year.

MadGreebo you need to reply to my post because I have an image for you from the middle east, in the bright sunlight of a base thats for unmanned aircraft.

Please respond to this post because it has some thing you really REALLY want to see and can post. I know you have moved and in spite / temper not responded to my U2U's, SO PLEASE READ so I can mail you this image - i know Im new here on ATS but I have some thing you need to see.


Please U2U me.

Its 10 mb and I cannot host it any where - please contact me so I can e-mail it to you.

(people, you are in for a shock. If this image is right, there was a Black bird flying VERY recently)

[edit on 5/7/06 by GSA]

Can any one post / or host a big image file for me so i can show you what I have ??

The scene is a base where predator drones and other unmanned craft are stationed in the middle east. The file is large at 10 mb, but if it could be hosted i alone would be very grateful.

Oh and I guess mad has STFU because i cannot get a reply - lol i love that its so Chavy its unbelievable! STFU>>>> innit! wicked! Ting...

img523.imageshack.us...

I'm sorry about the cut out in paint, but it is all I have on my pc - so there you go.

I have a large 10mb file thats much much larger (shows the whole base) but this is all the free hosting will let me have so i have cut this part out (Rough i know but never mind).

Picture taken on the 6th of the 3rd 06. yes thats right. 06.

Oh and MadGreebo - thats Terry Pratchett am I right? for the nasty smelly bad temperd cat owned by Nanny Ogg.... but a reply would still of been nice.

[edit on 5/7/06 by GSA]

That looks pasted in to me. You can send me the full image if you'd like. I'll U2U you my email addy.

I'm no photographic expert by any means, but something about that picture just doesnt look right, and I agree that it looks like it was pasted in, or overlayed on the orginial pic. I'm not saying its a fraud, but would like to know why it appears as it does if it's not.

Holy crap.... do you have any way to verify the date? That's the first question that will be asked. Although the Global HAWKs sitting around should be a clue....

You can e-mail me the full picture - is it in bitmap or .jpg format? either way is fine - but if you convert it to .jpg - it will be a LOT smaller....... although some quality will be lost... so be sure to keep the original - as quality will be important as people try to determine whether or not it has been tampered with.

It wouldn't surprise me if they are flying the Black Bird again - It's more survivable than the U-2, and structural improvements/additions *could* possibly eliminate its bad habbit of leaking fuel prior to takeoff. It can also get someplace in one hell of a hurry.

because of the e-mailed image has this thing that when you put the cursor over the image it tells you what camera model, the make, time and date of the picture.

Anything else help you out with it?

: )



[edit on 5/7/06 by GSA]

Originally posted by GSA
when you put the cursor over the image it tells you what camera model, the make, time and date of the picture.

So it still has the EXIF info eh? Well I'd really like to check that out for sure.

Were Global HAWKs in service prior to to or during 1998? That could serve as a more accurate source of dating - clearing away any "it was modified" claims ... although I'm not familiar with the image format mentioned and the way the data is handled... so... maybe it would clear up things in general.

I'll go check that out, just to see.....

This is absolutely awesome assuming everything checks out...... every bone in me wants to jump to conclusions that the Black Bird is still flying (which is what I've thought for a while....) - but... we still have to go through all of the validation stuff..... although I have to say I trust you, GSA - so nothing personal.

Okay - so let's run through the checks, here.

All SR-71 frames are accounted for, correct? Do we have visual confirmation of ones in storage? Anyone know any workers who can verify that these birds are still where they are claimed to be?

Taking that into account - what is the possibility of the retired frames being fakes?

I saw the black bird down at the Southern Museum of Flight - I can personally attest to the fact that that poor bird wasn't going anywhere for a while. The paint was faded and wearing off in some places, there was moisture built up on the inside (which I thought to be a little odd... but I'm no expert on what happens to planes when left to the weather) of the cockpit... and it was just a sad looking plane. I wanted to pull a team together and fix it back up and give it an honorable place in a museum or sanctuary.

And, here again - if we can account for all of the BlackBirds known, and validate this picture, then we have a very interesting situation. This would open up the possibility to a newly developed blackbird - wich would DEFINATELY explain why it would be being used. Probably one of the first issues fixed or remedied in some fashion was the leaking fuel prior to takeoff.... It's more survivable than the U-2 - and if the fuel condition is remedied - that would severely reduce operational costs - making it more logical to use instead of the U-2.

Please, dear God, let one of these photos of 'impossible' stuff be true....

Okay, the Predator was in use prior to 1998. That's what's depicted in those photos - so no way to verify that... sorry....

I should have caught that, too - the Global HAWK is jet powered and those are prop powered.......

Edit:

Grrr... darn 'between the lines stuff' - okay.... The Predator was AROUND before 1998 - even saw action over Kosovo in 1997. However, they weren't widely avialable until about 2001 - after 1998. I'm trying to find if there is any documentation on the WA printed on the rear stabilizer of the leftmost UAV to see if I can dig up any information on if that is a unit designation or if that can give us some 'hard copy' proof of the timeframe.

If you have the camera - don't delete the file off of the memory card or internal memory card - if somehow you end up on the news - that'll be a very important factoid in 'proving' it's not tampered with........ although you can still upload tampered images into cameras these days....... crap....... well - it'll give a little bit more credibility to you for those who are extremely hardcore skeptics.

[edit on 5-7-2006 by Aim64C]