{"schema":"hottub-news/list/v1","item_schema":"hottub-news/item/v1","count":1,"sponsored":0,"items":[{"id":"n_kuqqms7mnqsvic4yifoq","seq":500455,"kind":"article","title":"A Cessna Asked Los Angeles Center for a Ground Speed Check and Got 90 Knots. A Beechcraft Got 125. A Navy F/A-18 Hornet Got 620. Then an SR-71 Blackbird Asked, and the Controller Came Back With 1,842 Knots — About 2,120 Miles Per Hour.","url":"https://www.19fortyfive.com/2026/09/a-cessna-asked-los-angeles-center-for-a-ground-speed-check-and-got-90-knots-a-beechcraft-got-125-a-navy-f-a-18-hornet-got-620-then-an-sr-71-blackbird-asked-and-the-controller-came-back-with-1842","summary":"A Cessna got 90 knots. A Beechcraft got 125. Then an F/A-18 out of NAS Lemoore came on the frequency and got 620, which on any other day would have made him the fastest thing in the sky. Major Walter Watson keyed the mic from the back seat of an SR-71 at 80,000 feet: \"Los Angeles Center, Aspen 20, can you give us a ground speed check?\" The answer was 1,842 knots. Watson thanked him and added that they were showing closer to 1,900.","published":"2026-09-28T18:08:01Z","seen":"2026-09-28T18:56:58Z","lang":"en","source":{"id":"kite-19fortyfive-com-a82c5c","name":"19fortyfive.com","domain":"19fortyfive.com"},"via":"kite-19fortyfive-com-a82c5c","topics":["defense","aerospace & defense","air force","cold war","lockheed","russia","sr-71","sr-71 blackbird"],"authors":["Harrison Kass"],"entities":[{"id":"Q308889","name":"Cessna","type":"org"},{"id":"Q634227","name":"Beechcraft","type":"org"},{"id":"Q190114","name":"Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird","type":"org"}],"story":"st_kuqqms7mnqsvic4yifoq","category":"science-technology","category_p":0.56,"sentiment":"neutral","tone":-0.08,"political":0.04}]}