Comments by "Big Blue" (@bigblue6917) on "Fall from an SR-71" video.

Your description of the pilot being buffeted about in the cockpit and striking his head reminded me about the incident which brought about the death of the test pilot Geoffrey de Havillend jr while flying the de Havillend DH 108, an aircraft similar to the Me 163 in shape but with a jet engine. While flying the aircraft he experienced buffeting and then the aircraft broke up in midair. The body of de Havillend was found and the parachute had not been opened. He also had a broken neck. It is thought that because of his height, well over six feet tall, he had struck his head on the top of the canopy and was either killed immediately or had been knocked unconscious before sustaining his fatal injury. He had been wearing the old fashioned leather flying helmet which gave very limited protection. Interestingly not long after this incident the de Havillend company received a package from America. A box with two of the new helmets which were being issued to the US Army Air Force. Apparently test pilots in the US had heard about the death of Geoffrey de Havillend jr and had sent the new helmets in order to help the other test pilots. An act of kindness which, I am sure, was much appreciated.
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I do know about this accident but your narration of the incident is well worth hearing. You are the Charles Dickens of history. The twenty years after WW2 saw some remarkable leaps in aviation technologies, many of which are still regarded as cutting edge. The way the flow of air into the SR71's engines and similarly that air intakes for the Concorde controlled the air into those engines are examples of that. And the wing shapes for both the British bombers the Vulcan and the Victor to name but a few. And all without the aid of modern computers. Truly remarkable. I understand that the U2 had to be flown at a set speed within a range of just 10 knots. Considering the length of many of the flights that is a remarkable feat of airmanship.
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