Harrison Kass, an attorney and former Air Force pilot selectee, evaluates the harrowing 1966 "Mach 3 Breakup" of an SR-71 Blackbird, a survival story that redefined high-altitude flight safety.

When it comes to blistering aerial speeds, fighter jets manufactured by American military contractors like Boeing and Lockheed dominate the skies. While Bell's X-1 "Glamorous Glennis" was the first ...