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<\/center><\/p>\nAs soon as I stopped laughing, my first thought was: \u201cThat has<\/u> to be based on a real event.\u201d But at the time I had no idea what that event was, and I wasn\u2019t sure I\u2019d ever find out any details of the real event that inspired it.<\/p>\n
Fast forward 15+ years. I was reading a book; it was Ben Rich\u2019s Skunk Works<\/u> – his autobiography focusing on his years at Lockheed\u2019s Advanced Development Projects Division (AKA the Lockheed \u201cSkunk Works\u201d). A couple of chapters in the book are devoted to accounts from or about U-2, SR-71, and F-117A pilots and missions (all three aircraft were Skunk Works products – as were the P-38, the P-80, the F-104 and several other aircraft). <\/p>\n
One of those firsthand SR-71 accounts was attributed to a Lt. Col. William Burk, Jr., USAF. It recounts a mission over Lebanon in late 1982, after the Beirut Marine Barracks bombing. Burk was the pilot for the mission.<\/p>\n
The flight originated at RAF Mildenhall. At the time, the French wouldn\u2019t give the US clearance to overfly France, so the mission\u2019s route was planned to go via the Straits of Gibraltar.<\/p>\n
The outbound leg and overflight of Beirut went well, though not without a bit of high APF time (they were tracked by a Syrian SA-5 during the mission). However, while in the Western Mediterranean on the return leg Burk got a low oil pressure indication on one engine.<\/p>\n
The engine appeared to be operating properly, but he shut it down anyway. As the pilot, since he was now flying on one engine Burk decided to take the short way home (e.g., to cross France) instead of going home the long way via Gibralter.<\/p>\n
He and his Recon Systems Officer had nearly finished crossing France and were nearing the English Channel. At that point, they were intercepted by a French Mirage. <\/p>\n
The French pilot came up on the radio and asked them for their diplomatic clearance number. Per Burk, the Mirage was about 10 feet off his left wing at the time.<\/p>\n
Burk had no idea what the man was talking about. So he told the French pilot to hold fast, while he checked with his RSO. <\/p>\n
He asked his RSO if he knew what the French pilot was talking about. His RSO\u2019s reply: \u201cDon\u2019t worry about it, I just gave it to him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Burk\u2019s RSO had given the French pilot the finger out of his side window. At that point, Burk’s account says he \u201clit the afterburners and left that Mirage standing still\u201d \u2013 and was crossing the English Channel a couple of minutes later.<\/p>\n
As soon as I read that, my thought was: “Bingo! That’s it!” <\/p>\n