A SR-71 Blackbird Pilot Survived a Supersonic Ejection at Mach 3.18 and 78,800 Feet

A SR-71 Blackbird Pilot Survived a Supersonic Ejection at Mach 3.18 and 78,800 Feet

On January 25, 1966, Lockheed test pilot Bill Weaver became the first man in history to survive a supersonic parachute ejection from an SR-71 Blackbird at Mach 3.18 and 78,800 feet. The plane disintegrated around him after a catastrophic engine unstart—and tragically, his flight test specialist Jim Zwayer was killed instantly during the ejection. The SR-71 Accident for the History Books The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird spy plane (AKA the “Habu”) rem…