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RoMiG21
@romig21

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SUPERSONIC SUNDAY – ED YEILDING It´s been an absolute honor to have met Lt Col Ed Yeilding at the @EAA #Airventure #Osh23 . On March 6th 1990, pilot Lt Col Ed Yeilding and RSO Col Joseph Vida departed Palmdale, CA flying SR-71A SN61-7972 to Dulles International Airport, setting a speed record averaging a scorching 2,124 miles per hour (3,420 kilometers per hour), along with three other records. SN 972 was then delivered to the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center @airandspacemuseum for display (see my previous post). . Raymond Edward Yeilding, known as Ed to all of his many friends, was born in Florence, Alabama in 1949. After graduation from Auburn, he joined the AF, and reported initially to Shaw AFB, South Carolina, but had his flight training at Williams Air Force Base, AZ. Already being a pilot, he perhaps had a head start. His first training plane at Williams was the T-37, but he soon moved up to the T-38. He received his Pilot’s Wings Dec 18, 1973. Stationed next at Bergstrom AFB flying the RF-4 Phantom, he became an instructor. He was transferred to Okinawa, where he maintained combat readiness in high speed, low altitude reconnaissance. Returning to the US, he was stationed at Moody Air Force Base, GA, from 1980 until 1983, where he was an F-4E Phantom Instructor in air-to-ground, and air-to-air weapons delivery. From July of 1983 to November 1987, he served as an Instructor and Evaluator for the SR-71 Blackbird at Beale Air Force Base, California, flying for the United States Air Force. During that time, he flew 93 reconnaissance missions in the Blackbird at Mach 3, over 2000 miles per hour, at altitudes of 80,000 feet, on the edge of space. From 1987 until 1990, he was based at Palmdale, CA as SR-71 Operations Officer, Instructor and Evaluator. After his record setting flight, Ed spent the next six years with the 89 Airlift Wing at Andrews Air Force Base, flying dignitaries such as the Vice President, the First Lady, senators, generals, cabinet members and other VIPs to many world destinations. He retired from the Air Force as a Lt. Col. In 1996. 📷 @USAirForce and personal collection of Lt Col Ed Yeilding #SR71Blackbird #SR71 #A12 #LockheedMartin