Inside the SR-71: A Crew Chief’s Story — Episode 82
Tom Neff, an SR-71 Blackbird crew chief, takes us inside the careful work that kept one of aviation’s fastest aircraft ready to fly.
In this episode, Host Rick Crandall talks with U.S. Air Force veteran Tom Neff about maintaining the SR-71 at Beale Air Force Base. From treating exterior fasteners to withstand the heat of Mach 3 flight to the tense process of starting the J58 engines, Neff shares what it took to prepare the Blackbird for a mission. He also describes his years in competitive RC flying and how he now coaches the Wings Over the Rockies Predators drone soccer team. This one is going to be cool!
What you’ll hear:
- Why the SR-71 could leak fuel on the ground, and why that was expected.
- How the Blackbird’s speed and heat shaped its maintenance procedures.
- What a crew chief checked before an aircraft was cleared to fly.
- Why starting the J58 engines was one of the most stressful parts of the job.
- What it was like to arrive at Beale Air Force Base and see the SR-71 for the first time.
- How Neff competed in RC combat flying, including international competitions.
- How his aviation experience carries into teaching students and coaching drone soccer.
- What advice Neff gives future aircraft maintainers: good enough isn’t good enough.
Learn More:
- Donate to Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum
- Subscribe and leave a review to support the show
