Yeah it sounds like a tall tale. "Falling at a slight bank" sounds like ideal conditions for onset of a spin. Which a pilot would be very wary of when close to the ground because it means certain death.
Also, would it be possible to fly level at such a speed in an SR71? And isn't there a HUD and vertical speed warner?
On the other hand their expectation of being grounded sounds pretty accurate :)
Oh well I never flew anything better than a Cessna 172 so don't take my word for it.
The human mind, even one highly trained, is capable of ignoring all sorts of inputs when conditions don't match expectations. For an SR-71 pilot I can easily imagine flying low and slow could create such an issue. It's scary in general just how many airline crashes are "controlled flight into terrain". In 2009, Air France flight 447 crashed off the coast of Brazil after the pilots flew it at a stall from 35,000 feet.
Also, would it be possible to fly level at such a speed in an SR71? And isn't there a HUD and vertical speed warner?
On the other hand their expectation of being grounded sounds pretty accurate :)
Oh well I never flew anything better than a Cessna 172 so don't take my word for it.