Unbelievably rare photo of SR-71 pilots suited up shows the measures required to fly at Mach 3

This unbelievably rare photo shows SR-71 pilots suited up.

And it shows the out-there measures necessary to survive Mach 3 back in the ’60s.

Pilots of the SR-71 were subject to incredible, limit-reaching conditions.

And the flight suits of these pilots were a testament to that.

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Incredible photo shows pilots wearing pressure suits

As you probably know, the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird was no ordinary plane.

And the SR-71 pilots were no ordinary personnel, either.

In case you were wondering just how extraordinary they were, there is now evidence.

An unbelievably rare photo of SR-71 pilots in their flight gear has just been revealed.

The photograph, released by Lockheed Martin, shows pilots gathered around one of the legendary aircraft.

And it genuinely looks like a scene from a space movie from the 1960s.

In fact, the pilots themselves resemble something close to Martians.

But this is because the crew is wearing full-pressure flight suits.

These flight suits came with a self-contained capsule of oxygen and atmospheric pressure.

The suit would then be hitched to the systems inside the SR-71, which would provide further oxygen and atmospheric pressure support.

This was all done so the reconnaissance aircraft could fly at over 80,000 feet.

Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird – greatest aircraft ever?

Speaking of the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird – what’s the story behind it?

The early 1960s saw some of the highest tensions of the Cold War between the United States and Russia.

Lockheed needed to develop a faster, more sophisticated reconnaissance aircraft to replace the U-2.

The project was handed over to the Advanced Development Programs division of the company.

It’s perhaps best known as the ‘Skunk Works’ division of Lockheed.

The first test flight took place in December 1964, before the place was put into active service a year later.

It ended up becoming one of the foremost symbols of the technological advancements made during the Cold War.

Because stealth technology wasn’t a thing yet, the United States needed an aircraft that could fly at the highest altitudes.

And the SR-71 Blackbird could do just that, operating well beyond the range of conventional weapons systems.

Only 32 were ever made, and 12 were destroyed due to accidents.

But not a single Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird was ever lost in active combat.

Today, the Blackbird is still considered arguably the greatest aircraft ever created.

It is a testament to the capabilities of human invention and innovation when it is most needed.