Field Day station, KC7KFF, 3A AZ. has the sole distinction during this years Field Day event of making contact with a Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird Reconnaissance airplane. The last Blackbirds were retired in 1997. However, there is one on display at the Castle Air Museum ( formally Castle Air Force Base) near Merced California. The Turlock Amateur Radio Club members chose the Museum site for this years Field Day exercise.
This particular SR-71 flew more operational missions than any of the other thirty one that were built. Its speed is near 2,153 mph and can fly coast to coast in just over one hour.
This unique contact occurred early Sunday morning when club member Ron Butcher, AA6D, connected his old reliable Kenwood TS 130 transceiver to the crafts pitot static mast (air speed sensor) . He clipped the coax braid to about two hundred feet of chain that surrounds the plane and is about two feet from the ground. Then a quick adjustment of his tuner and he was on the air seeking another Field Day station on forty meters. KC7KFF in Arizona made the call. Ron answered with the club call, W6BXN 4A SJV. Why did he do it ? His answer; "I had been looking at that plane all day Saturday and kept wondering if it was possible to load it up and perhaps make a contact." We have all heard the stories about loading up even a set of old bedsprings. Perhaps this is the modern day high tech way of doing it. 73s Don Thomas W6LRG.
Don Thomas W6LRG using his glow in the dark Don holding 2 meter J-Pole
station on Field Day.
Close up of Don's station. The group with Don holding up some hand outs.
Three of the group taking a break from the actiity.
