SR-71A Blackbird #61-7960 2024 Castle Air Base California

My wife and I drove to California last month. Near the end of our second day we made it to Castle Air Base with an hour left of the museum open. They were having their annual spring car show and the place was packed. When we arrived we found the entire property covered in cars. The grass around the SR71 was a parking lot. We found an empty spot about 20 feet away from the cockpit and began the walking tour. The car show was packing up but many cars were still there. The show cars park amongst the show planes. This is a large event.
After touring the museum, we spent the last few minutes with the Blackbird. This is article 61-7960. She parks outside only 150 feet from a busy road. This one is one of the high milers. She was used operationally for two decades. I wonder if she ever flew across Russia.

[@NIGHTMERUL]

The ram jets still look realy cool , even if they are old . Man those planes now are one step to become the next star wars ships =)

[@triggerpointtechnology]

The J58 isn’t technically a ram jet. It is a turbine with the capability of ducting excessive air from just in front of the compressor around the engine then ducted back in just aft of the turbine. To be sure, the aircraft received 90% of its thrust at cruise from the ram jet effect, in fact the faster the aircraft went, the more efficient the engine became as less and less air went through the engine itself. It was the only aircraft designed to save fuel by going faster!

[@ClausB252]

Cool! Over the last year I've seen the ones in Kalamazoo, Dayton, and NYC.

[@Militartaviationmovies]

Yes I too am on a mission to see as many as possible. I've seen 12

[@ClausB252]

@@Militartaviationmovies Wow, I'm only at 7 (including A-12s). Dulles, Huntsville, LA, Seattle, and above.

[@pilotsharkshanger9182]

On Memorial Day and Labor Day, they used to have open cockpit days, and you got to go into almost all the planes' cockpits. CAVU

[@Militartaviationmovies]

Wow! When did they stop doing that?