Summary and Key Points: In June 2024, the SR-71 community gathered in Reno, Nevada, for the twenty-fifth and final anniversary hosted by the Blackbird Association, attended by those associated with the SR-71 and related programs.

-Attendees included former SR-71 pilot Ed Yielding, who flew the last SR-71 flight in 1990, setting a coast-to-coast speed record.

-Yielding shared insights into why the flight couldn't achieve Mach 3.5, citing engine stress and fuel limitations.

SR-71 Blackbird Pilots Gather for Final Reunion in Reno, Nevada

In June 2024, in Reno, Nevada, the SR-71 community held its twenty-fifth and final anniversary. Hosted by the Blackbird Association, the reunion was open only to people with a membership card; to receive a membership card you must have a direct association with one of the following programs: A-12, SR-71, U-2, TR-1, KC-135Q, KC-10, T-38, and the 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing (SRW). The reunion is always held in Reno because Reno is close to Beale Air Force Base, home of the 9th SRW, and formerly home of the SR-71 program (and coincidentally where this author received his Flying Class I physical exam).

Also in attendance at the reunion was Linda Sheffield Miller, daughter of a former SR-71 pilot and a reliable SR-71 advocate. Miller reported back to The Aviation Geek Club about the reunion and a conversation she had with former SR-71 pilot Ed Yielding.

“I sat down with Ed Yielding Blackbird pilot who flew SR-71 #972 on the last flight on Mar. 6 1990 from Los Angeles to Washington DC for the coast to coast speed record in 64 minutes,” Miller wrote. “Yielding told me the real reason why the flight could not have been made in under one hour.” Apparently, Ben Rich, the Skunk Works vice president at the time, wanted the last SR-71 flight to be made at max speed, so he asked some of his engineers if the jet could be flown at Mach 3.5. The answer the engineers came back with: no.

“According to Yielding, their concerns were: the stress of the engines going that fast for that long (the SR-71 was built for a speed of Mach 3.2, not 3.5) ... [and] running out of gas if they went faster than Mach 3.3,” Miller wrote.

“The faster you fly the faster your fuel goes,” Yielding explained. “It wouldn’t be a good final appearance of the Blackbird if it ran out of gas short of the Dulles Airport runway in Virginia.”

So, rather than blast across the country at Mach 3.5, the last SR-71 flight included a refuel over the Pacific Ocean, and then a refuel over the Atlantic Ocean, ensuring that the SR-71 had enough juice to complete a flyby over the waiting crowd at Dulles Airport, which coincidentally included Miller and her father.

Remembering the Blackbird

Miller wrote that former SR-71 pilot Charlie Daubs will be taking over the Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum in Ashland, Nebraska, where he will donate a collection of his personal Blackbird memorabilia to complement the museum’s existing Blackbird, serial number 61-7964. Daubs said that he is also soliciting donations of memorabilia from others who may have fragments of the Blackbird legacy in their possession.

The SR-71 remains one of the most iconic and recognizable aircraft ever built, even 25 years after making its last flight. The SR-72 “Son of Blackbird,” is reportedly being produced at Lockheed, with the potential to further extend the SR-71’s legacy.

About the Author: Harrison Kass 

Harrison Kass is a defense and national security writer with over 1,000 total pieces on issues involving global affairs. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the US Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.

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