SR71 Blackbird

I only saw one fly once. It was over my parents house near Clacton-on-Sea. Must have been summer 1988. Didn’t know what it was, but I was completely awestruck!
I talked about it to everyone I knew, but they had no idea what it was either. Then I met the Jones Boy, I described it and he told me ALL about them! We went to Mildenhall for the airshows but each time they weren’t flying.

Really disappointed not to have seen a display…(but you could say I had my own little display in my parents front garden, much as it was!)

Fantastic! I will never forget it.

🙂

A superb collection of photos of what is, probably, my favourite aircraft of all time. A stunning, earth-moving (literally!), aeroplane. Very much missed.

CM

a couple of photographs taken during the 50th Anniversary of supersonic flight at Edwards AFB – Oct.1997

ARAMAN

which brings me back to the thread on Mildenhall I started not long ago. This was one of the main reasons for me missing the Hall so much. Since the departure of the SR71’s in 1987, this base has never really been the same!

Better add a couple of years to that date.

The last shots I ever took of a Blackbird in the air taken at the USAF 50th Anniversary Airshow at Nellis AFB in April 1997.

It had been a long time since I’d seen one in the air, and I’d almost forgotten what a truely awesume beast it was…… 😀

I can still remember thinking as it pulled away in reheat and accelerated to warp speed out over the Nellis ranges on it’s way back to Edwards (as per last shot) that I really would never see one in the air again.

Great images, still kick myself for actually missing seeing one of those things fly 🙁

which brings me back to the thread on Mildenhall I started not long ago. This was one of the main reasons for me missing the Hall so much. Since the departure of the SR71’s in 1987, this base has never really been the same!

Great images, still kick myself for actually missing seeing one of those things fly 🙁

SR-71, 17975, with ‘enactors’ at the Abbotsford Airshow in August 1986.

Mark

That last one is pretty good, the bird still has the old-style high-viz markings.

Time flies Phil indeed, but it only seems like yesturday……

This is I believe the earliest picture that I have of an SR71-17964 at the Hall in 1978!

Some from the hall, last one from Farn 74 the Trans Atlantic record breaker. So long ago, don’t time fly 🙁
Phil.

some more….

Thank you very much for the pictures. I missed the Blackbird in real….. 🙁

cheers Andy

a few more………

Nice pictures!