New Book: “The Mach Busters” Chronicles the Pilots Behind the World’s Fastest Speed Records

The Mach Busters: In Pursuit of the World Absolute Speed Record, 1945-76, by Bart Vandamme, available on Amazon.

Belgian aviation historian Bart Vandamme has spent nearly two decades researching the men who pushed aircraft to unprecedented speeds during the jet age. The result is The Mach Busters, a newly released volume from Key Publishing that explores every Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) Absolute World Speed Record established between 1945 and 1976. Spanning 530 pages and featuring more than 450 photographs, the book examines the evolution of record-breaking aviation from the early postwar years through the height of the Cold War. Aircraft covered include the Gloster Meteor, Fairey Delta 2, Lockheed F-104 Starfighter, Convair F-106 Delta Dart, Lockheed YF-12A, and ultimately the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird.

Rather than focusing solely on aircraft performance and record speeds, Vandamme centers the narrative on the pilots who flew these groundbreaking machines. The book explores the personal stories behind each achievement, documenting the challenges, risks, and technological advances that accompanied the pursuit of ever-greater speed. Adding further significance to the publication, The Mach Busters opens with an introduction by legendary British test pilot Capt. Eric “Winkle” Brown, widely regarded as one of the most accomplished test pilots in aviation history. The volume also includes a foreword by retired U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Eldon W. Joersz, who, together with George T. Morgan, established the still-standing Absolute World Speed Record aboard the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird on July 28, 1976.

During the course of his research, Vandamme established contact with numerous record pilots and their families, many of whom contributed private photographs, original documents, and firsthand recollections. Those contributions helped uncover previously unpublished material and provided additional insight into some of aviation’s most celebrated achievements. “My ambition was never simply to write another aviation book,” Vandamme said. “I wanted to preserve the personal stories of the men whose achievements changed aviation forever. Many of them are no longer with us. Their memories deserved to be recorded while there was still time.”

Vandamme, who serves as President of the Flanders Aviation Society, has devoted much of his career to researching aviation history and documenting the individuals who shaped it. His work has taken him to museums, archives, and collections throughout Europe and the United States, while also bringing him into contact with veterans, historians, and aviation pioneers. With growing interest in Cold War aviation and the approaching 50th anniversary of the SR-71 Blackbird’s record-setting flight, The Mach Busters arrives at a fitting moment. The book serves as both a historical reference and a tribute to the pilots whose accomplishments helped define one of the most competitive and innovative periods in aviation history.

About the Author

Bart Vandamme is a Belgian aviation historian, author, and President of the Flanders Aviation Society. For more than 20 years, he has researched the history of record-breaking aircraft and the pilots who flew them, collaborating with veterans, families, museums, and archival institutions across Europe and the United States. The Mach Busters represents the culmination of years of international research dedicated to preserving the stories of aviation’s speed pioneers.