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9th
SRW "the first operational Blackbird wing" was the featured
speaker for the gala event, wherein Blackbird A-12, YF-12 and SR-71 crew members, maintainers, and
support personnel were inducted into the "Blackbird Laurels
Society." Former CIA Oxcart project pilot Ken Collins was the Master of
Ceremonies. The 40th
anniversary of the SR-71 was observed during the evening.
The $75 per person banquet was a fund raiser for the Blackbird Airpark that included a full dinner, silent auction, and complimentary commemorative items, in addition to the anniversary and induction ceremonies.
The
Flight Test Historical Foundation is a non-profit organization established in
1983 to develop and support the Air Force Flight Test Center 
(AFFTC) Museum at
Edwards AFB and its Blackbird Airpark Annex at USAF Plant 42. Funds totaling
over $1.2 million have been provided by the foundation for construction of the
AFFTC Museum and Blackbird Airpark and the foundation continues to support
operation and restoration activities at both facilities.
Contact the Flight Test Historical Foundation at (877) FLT-TEST or send an email to museum@edwards.af.mil.
SR-71 FIRST FLIGHT ANNIVERSARY AND BLACKBIRD AIRPARK
VISITOR CENTER DEDICATION
On Saturday, May 15th, from 10:00
am to 3:00 pm, the 40th anniversary of the first flight of the SR-71A
was celebrated at the Blackbird Airpark, USAF Plant 42, in Palmdale, CA. Bob Gilliland, the Lockheed test pilot at the controls during the first
flight, was in attendance during the exciting event to greet the public and
sign autographs. Joining Gilliland was Jim Eastham, pilot of the F-104 chase
aircraft on that historic flight. 
Eastham
is better known as the man who completed the maiden flight of the Lockheed YF-12,
an SR-71 predecessor. Concurrent
with the anniversary event, the Air Force Flight Test Center (AFFTC) Museum and
its support organization, the Flight Test Historical Foundation, dedicated a
new airpark visitor center.
Although the SR-71 first flight was actually
made on 22 December 1964, the anniversary celebration was held in May to
coincide with the 2004 Blackbird Laurels Banquet and because December weather
can be unpredictable, making an outdoor celebration at the Blackbird Airpark
questionable.
The
Blackbird Airpark is an annex of the AFFTC Museum at Edwards AFB and is located
at the corner of Avenue P and 25th Street East in Palmdale, California. Normal
hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Admission is free. The airpark is staffed entirely by museum volunteers and
profits from this event will benefit continued development of the facility.
Contact for the AFFTC Museum: (661) 277-8050 or email the museum director mailto:doug.nelson@edwards.af.mil
Photos by Roadrunner T.D. Barnes
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Photos by Roadrunner Mike Schmitz
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