The Prince of Wales in a 'blackbird' aicraft
- ITN/5/8/392
- Item
- 25 October 1982
Suffolk. Britain's flying Prince, Charles, the Prince of Wales, went to the Royal Air Force airbase Mildenhall on Monday and looked over many United States Air Force [USAF] aircraft, but the most interesting seemed to be the SR-71 Lockheed 'Blackbird' strategic reconnaissance aircraft. Watched by its crew, Lieutenant Colonel Lenard Shelteon (left) and Major Russell Szcepanik, the Prince sat in the cockpit of the Mach 3 (over 2000 mph) twin jet 'spy' plane, that can fly at over 80,000 feet. The plane can survey 60,000 square miles of the earth's surface in one hour while on patrol at speeds faster than a speeding bullet
Agency: BIPNA