Sierra Hotel Blog
Rick, a young senior at Amarillo High School in Texas was as happy as could be when he finally had enough money to buy himself his first car. Not just any car, but a shiny brand spanking new 1975 Chevrolet...
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Shot down in Vietnam, severely burned, and told he'd never fly again, SR-71 Blackbird pilot Brian Shul endured 15 major operations before returning to fly the world's fastest jet at Mach 3 and 90,000 feet. Written by aviation historian and longtime friend Cory Crowell, this is a personal account of 30 years alongside one of the most remarkable aviators who ever lived.
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On May 31, 1967, a lone USAF KC-135 Stratotanker crew commanded by Maj. John H. Casteel saved six Navy aircraft over the Gulf of Tonkin — two KA-3 Whales, two F-8 Crusaders, and two F-4 Phantoms — executing the first-ever triple air-to-air refueling in history. Running critically low on fuel themselves, the crew never considered leaving a fellow aviator behind. All four crew members received the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Mackay Trophy.
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NASA deliberately short-fueled the Apollo 10 lunar module to prevent Stafford and Cernan from attempting an unauthorized Moon landing. They came within 8.4 nautical miles of the surface — and set the all-time speed record for a manned vehicle at 24,791 mph on the way home.
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August 16th, 1905, Little Mariya Oktyabrskaya was born into a poor Ukrainian family on the Crimean Peninsula. Mariya, one of ten children, once old enough, tried to help support her family by working in a cannery, and then as a...
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