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The companion blog to this episode is over at Medium: https://amyshirateitel.medium.com/the-cias-a-12-was-almost-obsolete-before-it-ever-flew-79b2804f403e?sk=15b8dd40a7c773df6529bc99029bdd26
The Full Cold War Aerial Espionage Series!
Part 1: https://youtu.be/mUL0I3xbDS0
Part 2: https://youtu.be/bXY0m0_h8OY
Part 3: https://youtu.be/9nahCAS1HOg
Part 4: https://youtu.be/BqjlLe8-4E0
Music: Dreamy Cosmos by Hakan Eriksson
Top and pants: Vixen by Micheline Pitt. Not sponsored or anything, I just love her and her company values and want to shout out an incredible brand! #dontshopfastfashion
History well told, in great depth, and definitely worth the wait; And allowing the content facts to tell their own story respectfully even if it requires another video to do so is why I’m looking forward to the next one. Keep up the good work…. And, as usual, those bangs look great👍🙂
Yours is by far the best airspace history channel on YouTube. You do an amazing amount of research.
I probably wouldn’t have noticed it but I was stationed at Kadena AB, Japan and saw the SR 71 fly A LOT… The US pronunciation is Ka-Dean-ah Air Base. Just my Internet 2 cents :>) Keep up the good work!!!
In what order may I see all the grand sights? And where do I begin. Many thanks and stay safe and God bless.
The most important thing about these project is that they actually go into production but that military contractors get billions of dollars for the economy.
Great work, and thank you for making this! The A-12 and SR-71 seem crazier and crazier the more I learn about them. 🤯
Yeah, but… it’s fast as fuck boiiiiiii
Thanks to you, I’m watching more History Channel. Love those documentaries that you do!
Your amazing
Love the content! However, it would be much appreciated if you could add Closed Captions.
I’d just like like to say you’re very beautiful.
Great part 1. But the old div recce soldier in me kept cringing every time you pronounced reconnaissance with a loooooong second ‘a’.
I think I’ll have to make a drinking game out of part 2!
I’ve missed seeing your beautiful self, and equally missed your content ❤️
The answer to your question is “yes”. The A-12 Oxcart was necessary because Corona was still unreliable and we had a need for strategic photo recon that the U-2 couldn’t handle. Even in the later decades when Corona and Keyhole had worked their bugs out, satellites were still too predictable and easily fooled to bank on without verification. The Archangel aircraft overflew every hot spot in the Cold War and brought back vital intel, stuff you can’t get from satellites.
Can hardly wait for part 2.
Holy crap, I just now heard your Canadienne accent…Ontario? (Californian here who has been throughout the commonwealth for various reasons)
[slow applause] we want more! pweeeze!
Found your page through kaizo mario on twitch, glad I did… great video. Very informative
Your excellent work is appreciated! Thank you
did the MOL part get canceled like the program?
38 min about the best jet ever, im down with this
I was TOTALLY wondering as the video was starting, if and when Mr. Pete was going to make an appearance!! 😂🤣😂
It’s crazy we still have U2s to this day.
Hi Pete
Wait, so did the guy get the girl?? Can’t wait for the next part!!!
I would like to know more about the Aerobee sounding rockets. Do you think there is enough history to make a good video?
Yes but it was gorgeous 😍😍😍😍😍
She’s cute 😀
A thoroughly researched piece (as usual Amy) on my favorite plane. Can’t wait for part 2. Best regards from Montreal!
Nice job!
What new information is in the paperback? I’m reading the hardcover right now
…SPACE GODDESS SUPREME
Great video Amy. Love that you are branching out. Spy planes are very fascinating.
“Loving” all the comments from the armchair historians who retroactively know better than everyone ever did back then, or even know.
Are you ever planning on coming to the UK to do a presentation?
Glad you didn’t give up on the channel
Wonderfully done!
That’s ok, Amy, I need to be broken into 2 parts to be properly understood too.
A great plane that had no job after all.
We needed it ! It flew many years! Cloud cover beats all cameras anyway.
Thank you Amy. My father was an engineer at P&W during this time period. He also went on a trip to USSR in 1962.
Sorry I forgot to mention, say hi to Pete , looking dapper as always.
Hi Amy, love you videos , it’s a subject that I’ve always been interested in, but it’s difficult to find people who share the same passion. I’ve just read your book “breaking the chains of gravity “ great work as always, a good read, thanks.
Renaming it Area 51 really took the shine off it. If they stuck with the old, friendlier names i cant imgine many people would know of it now
Pete the Astro Cat would have made the perfect A-12 pilot. Fact! 🐈
Reconnaissance pronounced differently.. have I been wrong all along like how she explained the correct pronunciation of Gemini in regards to the space program? Or is that just a regional difference with reconnaissance? Lol
It sticks out so strongly for me, I’m born and raised in Michigan.
Not trying to be mean, or make fun, just curious lol
Amy’s videos provide better quality content than anywhere else. She’s eloquent and presents a clear explanation of the facts while making everything so interesting. The Vintage Space channel needs to be syndicated on the Discovery Channel or on mainstream TV. I always make sure to give her videos a smashing LIKE and thumbs up. Everyone needs to remember to give her credit for all her impeccable work.
👍👍
I love the graphic and hello to Pete! What a cutie.
Awesome upload !! Thanks Amy 👍👍
You’re so pretty and smart. Keep up the wonderful work!
awesome videos
The Mig25 Foxbat doesn’t seem that crazy anymore, on the contrary
History gives credit to the SR71 Blackbird, I know it he he… but I’ll be waiting for part 2
great video, learned a lot, very entertaining and full of the dollar details.
Another great and informative video
Thank you Amy👍
This was so well prepared and so we’ll put together. Fantastic narration as well. Great work all around!
Another great video. I love this series.
How is it I’m subscribed yet never get a notification of your vids?! I hate yt sometimes…. Amazing vid as always tho!
Am I right to believe that much of the titanium used in those planes came from the Soviet Union through rather complex chains of indirect procurement?
There are two people on YouTube who are able to hold my attention throughout the video: Amy Shira Teitel and Scott Manley. They show what it’s like to make a video with passion and a desire to share it with your audience. Please never become those individuals asking for likes or subscriptions. Keep doing it with your heart, and even if you don’t get countless compliments, know that a hell of a lot of people admire your dedication.
Great work Amy, looking forward to the next installment!
I know it’s just a regional accent thing, but your pronunciation of “reconnaissance” (wow, I spelled it right first try
) sounds so weird to me.
Amy triumphs again.
While I was in the US Air Force in the mid 80’s, we’d hear stories about a little something called Project Aurora, that had already rendered the SR-71 obsolete. Amongst the tales was one about an SR-71 being passed like it was standing still, with only a quick radio message, “Don’t worry, we’re friendly.”
I love the content and appreciate the amount of research you do!
Thank you, Amy. As usual, your information is thorough while being entertaining. Hopefully we won’t have too long to wait for the final episode! 😉
Love how you mention Myasishchev Design Bureau. That place held, IMO, the most advanced spacecraft project of their time (and possibly all of the current space era), M-19, or Gurkolyot. It was, reportedly, discontinued due to it “having no competition”, as the design was like half a century ahead of its time. They had functional mockups and good tech documentation by the early 1980s. Instead they settled for a Space Shuttle lookalike.
I would’ve signed it off anyway-just for looking so off-the-scale awesome!
Are you CIA?
I love this as it’s content I’m fascinated by, presented by someone I’m fascinated by.
A little Pete tail trolling there. Lol
Good to see you again
Can’t believe this documentary is free! Thank you so much Amy!
I like your videos. They’re so well-researched, and well-presented!
Thank you for the content. Your awsome!
Imagine how mind-blowing it would be if this information were in a Discovery channel documentary like twenty-five years ago. Since at that time it was speculation and fuzzy details.
nice
Any chance you would do an episode on all of the art behind you? I’m always interested by it.
Interesting video!
Military aircraft are always obsolete in some form by the time they enter service. Operating them at all is an exercise in obsolescence management.
Is it a useful tool? Yes? Then use it. Success.
“But The CIA Disagreed” 😂
Avro Arrow please Amy – 🛸👽💚🍁
You always put out great content Thank you Amy
Hopefully, if it is open, you know the covid, I’ll take a walk there and take some pictures
I beg to differ it wasn’t necessarily obsolete, it was a different airplane it had a larger camera than they SR71 actually had better performance but the SR-71 had a larger payload capacity and in time had better reconnaissance sensors but photographic intelligence the A-12 was actually Superior in the in performance to the SR-71 but the A-12 had to directly over fly a Target
Amy, are you going to cover Eric Schlosser’s book and documentary “Command and Control”? It’s interesting how everyone lionizes defense decisions that, in reality, are like any other business decisions in a bureaucracy: compromises caused by poor judgement and groupthink.
PETE!!!!
A10 > A12 lol
Very interesting…
Outstanding
The ZR-71 > everything else
Hi Pete
Amy talking about my favorite plane?! YES PLEASE!! <3
Weird, didn’t realize that there were different planes that look exactly the same.
Hi Pete…….and Amy !
Oh hell yeah love the A-12 thanks Amy!
Loving that you’re doing aerospace content Amy
Never heard of the A-12 before.
Hello Amy!
Hi Pete