Fantastic interview from SB Nation with pilot Rick McCrary about what it was like to fly the SR-71 Blackbird. First flown in 1964, the Blackbird is still holds the airspeed record for a "manned air breathing jet aircraft", 50 years later. I'm not exactly sure what that means, but I'm going to say it means airplane and not a rocket ship or something like that. The record has stood since 1976. It's a fascinating read.

You get into the seat, close the hatch, and you're in your cocoon. Startup was also a unique thing. It had this special fuel, because the temperatures during flight got up to over 600 degrees Fahrenheit when you're at speed. The worry is that normal fuel, which you want to explode quickly during flight and have a low flashpoint, well...you wanted the exact opposite with the Blackbird. You're carrying so much fuel that the last thing you want to worry about is it self-igniting.