‘All Soviet flying demos were mysteriously canceled that day. Could it have been the Tequila, or did they all want to be in place to see the HABU thunder past the crowd and disappear out of sight? Capt. Steve “Griz” Grzebiniak, SR-71 Pilot.
An SR-71 Blackbird made its first landing at RAF Mildenhall in September 1974, stopping there ahead of a record-breaking transatlantic flight following its debut at the Farnborough Air Show. The crew completed the 5,645-mile journey from London to Los Angeles in 3 hours and 47 minutes, establishing a world speed record.
Detachment 4 (Det 4) of the 9th SRW was formally established at Mildenhall on March 31, 1979, bringing with it the traditions associated with the Habu—the nickname for the SR-71. One such tradition eventually found an unusual audience: Soviet MiG pilots. The encounter is recounted by SR-71 pilot Captain Steve “Griz” Grzebiniak in Richard H. Graham’s book SR-71 Revealed: The Inside Story.
In June 1989, Grzebiniak and his RSO, Major Jim Greenwood, were deployed to the Paris Air Show at Le Bourget airport, where the SR-71 participated in a brief arrival display before spending four days as a static exhibit. The centerpiece of that year’s show was the Western debut of the Soviet Su-27 Flanker, an advanced air superiority fighter that drew enormous crowds with daily flight demonstrations. The Su-27’s lead test pilot, Victor Pugachev—credited with inventing the dramatic “Cobra Maneuver”—was present alongside a group of elite Soviet aviators.
Despite the considerable attention surrounding the Soviet aircraft, the SR-71—a design already 25 years old at the time—consistently attracted larger crowds. Interactions between the American and Soviet crews in public settings were tense and heavily scrutinized by the foreign press, with Pugachev acting as the carefully worded spokesperson for the Soviet delegation.
Seeking a less formal exchange, Grzebiniak and Greenwood passed a discreet note to one of the Soviet pilots the day before their departure, suggesting an unofficial meeting. The gathering was arranged at the Hughes Aircraft chalet, with no press involvement and no advance notice given even to Hughes. Both sides took indirect routes to avoid attracting attention.
Once assembled behind closed doors, the meeting took on a relaxed character. Two bottles of tequila, sourced through the US Embassy, were produced by the American side for a traditional Habu ritual known as a “Tequila Hooker.” In a moment of apparent coordination, the Soviet contingent produced two bottles of Russian vodka of their own. When it became clear there were no cameras, journalists, or recording devices present, the atmosphere shifted noticeably—Pugachev stepped out of his official role, and open conversation replaced formal pleasantries.
Humorous exchanges touched on the SR-71’s well-known reconnaissance missions over the Barents Sea, with both sides acknowledging an awareness of each other’s activities without dwelling on the political implications. The informal gathering lasted around an hour. The tequila bottle was signed by the American crew and exchanged for the signed vodka bottle as a souvenir.
The following day, the SR-71 departed Le Bourget with a series of afterburner passes—the final aerial demonstration of the day. Notably, all Soviet flight demonstrations scheduled for that day were canceled. The signed bottle of Russian vodka was later placed in a small display case at Det 4 with a plaque reading: “Glasnost, Paris, ’89.”
Photo by Alchetron and Brian Shul / U.S. Air Force
