OK this guy is another of my heroes for a lot of reasons. No, not a Medal of Honor recipient, but let me tell you his story, you'll understand why he was one of my heroes. He was one of my Instructor Pilots when I was making the transition from F-4 Pilot to Lead-In Fighter Training AT-38 Instructor Pilot. Suffice it to say, I learned a lot from him, an awful lot. So, let's get on with the post.
Major Brian Shul (rhymes with School) came on active duty in the Air Force in 1970, completed pilot training and was sent to Southeast Asia as a T-28 Trojan pilot.
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As one can pretty well ascertain, this wasn't a fabulous aircraft for fighting an air war. But being fairly slow, a pilot could make out a lot more details than say a pilot in an F-4. He served as a Foreign Air Advisor teaching other SouthEast Asian Air Forces how to do close air support to troops in contact with the enemy. On his 213th mission, he was shot down and crashed in the jungle. One of the drawbacks to the T-28 is that it is fueled with AvGas, basically high octane gas much like in your car, albeit much more flammable. Unfortunately when he crashed, he was knocked unconscious and the plane caught fire. Special Forces folks came and pulled him out of the flames. Suffice it to say he was severely burned and it took a few days before he could be airlifted out of the jungle and provided with more effective medical treatment. Doctors in the hospital in Okinawa didn't believe he would survive but they did their best to treat him. He was airlifted to Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio when he was capable of traveling. He then underwent 15 operations over the next year.
He underwent several months of physical training with a personal goal of returning to flying status.
OK, to refresh, severely burned, not expected to live, over a year in the hospital. Wow! A lot, just to be alive!
However, at the end of that, he passed a flying physical and began flying again!
Talk about "Never Give Up! Never Surrender", Brian Shul is the epitome of that.
His next flying assignment was in the SR-71. I'll let him tell you a story about that in the video at the end of this post.
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| Brian Shul on the right, his Back Seater Walt Watson on the left |
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| Brian Shul about to refuel his SR-71 on a KC-135 |
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| Brian in a Selfie while flying WAY High and WAY FAST |
Now on to that video I promised you. Pretty Humorous and put an Airline Pilot in his place. Pay attention to his airspeed reading in this video. After a few whiskeys, he told me that he had significantly slowed down to this speed. Wouldn't/Couldn't tell me, no matter how may whiskey's I pried him with, how fast he HAD been going!
The guy that taught me the meaning of "Never give up, Never surrender!" Miss you Brian, see you in the great beyond.
Peace out y'all
Sources
https://usaf.patchcollector.nl/2026/05/18/brian-https://
https://sleddriver.square.site/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Shul
https://theaviationist.com/2023/05/24/the-sled-driver-has-flown-west/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AyHH9G9et0&t=358s
Classic upmanship story that never gets old. Doesn't he also have one about buzzing McClellan AFB?
ReplyDeleteDidn't know about his background. Must have been one heckuva guy.
An aside: Why do we seldom hear the songs and stories about Sung Heroes? We're always hearing about "Unsung Heroes," but Sung Heroes get ignored.
Thought so! https://youtu.be/xTJYNq4GQAE?is=P3pAkmCcImh2Y3XS
DeleteAlso somewhere a request for 30,000' ATC replied that they weren't showing on his radar, came back that they wanted to descend to that.
Joe,
DeleteThanks. Brian was one of my heroes and I was grateful for all the things he taught me about flying and life in general. Thanks for the flyby video hadn't ever seen that one before. It is a small world isn't it.?
juvat
Joe,
DeleteSorry, I've got a video in a response down below.
juvat
Zoomies take a lot of BS from their brother military members about their supposed creature comforts and “lack” of physical fitness. Major Shul makes me smile quite broadly in appreciation whenever I come across his story. Fly high, Brian and Walter!
ReplyDeleteWe do take a lot of BS from our sister services. However, they do see a bit anxious on the radios when they need us to provide support ASAP, so...turn about is fair play I guess.
Deletejuvat
Excellent choice this day juvat, in the link you provided there's a photo of the Major in the cockpit of a Blackbird wearing glasses under that helmet. One wonders just how fast they were going eh?
ReplyDeleteI would say the answer is "Fast". And High. Higher than an F-15 can fly and I know that for an absolute fact
Deletehttps://oldafsarge.blogspot.com/2026/01/how-to-get-highfast-redux.html
juvat
In the diagram, what are Alpha, Gamma, and Q?
DeleteSummary Table:
DeleteSymbol Name Definition Units
Role in Flight
α Alpha Angle of attack (relative wind vs. x-axis) deg
Affects lift/drag; key for aerodynamics
γ Gamma Flight path angle (flight path vs. local horizon) deg
Describes climb/descent attitude
Q Pitch rate Rate of change of pitch attitude (dθ/dt) deg/s
Measures how fast the nose is moving up/down
These parameters are part of the standard aircraft attitude and motion description used in flight dynamics equations and control system design klabs.org. Wikipedia
juvat
Thank you!
DeleteBut of course, juvat
DeleteJuvat, that was a video well worth listening to. And what an inspirational story overall. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure, as I’ve said he was one of my heroes!
Deletejuvat
Major Shul was a major league stud!
ReplyDeleteYes, yes he was!
Deletejuvat
An ex-SR71 pilot lived in my neighborhood in Satellite Beach back in the mid-70s. He didn't talk much about the plane, other than it went real fast and real high. Would have been interesting to talk to him once he was able to talk more about flying the plane.
ReplyDeleteAs to Shul, yes, definitely 'never give up, never surrender.' Or as President Reagan said, "Where do we find these men?"
With all due respect, Mr President...we don't find them, God supplies them.
ReplyDeleteRalph, Amen!
Deletejuvat
Studly, indeed!
ReplyDeleteAn airplane that unbelievably awesome and capable demands, or rather depends, on pilots who are also unbelievably awesome and capable.
BIG salute to both the brave guys who flew them, and also to the meticulous craftsmen and women who built the planes.
And finally, a special shout out to head skunk "Kelly" Johnson, whose involvement in designing a dozen of the most important aircraft of the 20th century provided the tools for so many "to reach out and touch the hand of God."
JB
Never give up, never surrender. Not sure if I got that from him Brian, but he sure reinforced those practices.
Deletejuvat
Shul became a motivational speaker. I saw him and all of the pictures of the SR-71 at a company meeting. It was the details of his crash and recovery to getting back in the cockpit to the SR-71. Then there was the LA Center speed check. Then the pictures of the Blackbirds and the flowers.
ReplyDeleteGlad you got to see him also. Great man and the quintessential Fighter Pilot.
ReplyDeletejuvat