in 1990, SR-71 #972 took its final flight for the U.S. Military and was officially retired. It ran from Los Angeles to Washington, headed to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. In typical Blackbird fashion, it set four speed records on the way.
Pilot Lt Col Ed Yielding and Reconnaissance Systems Officer Lt Col Joseph Vida took off at Palmdale, California and landed at Washington-Dulles a scant hour, four minutes, and 20 seconds later. This was enough to set records from the West Coast to the East Coast, from Los Angeles to Washington, from Kansas City to Washington, and from St. Louis to Cincinnati.
The average speed (just the average!) was 2,145 mph
~~~~~Lt Col Ed Yielding and me watching the eclipse together~~~~~
So cool that you met him right there. I got to go to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum while I was in DC this past May. If you haven't been and if you are ever out there it is well worth taking the time. I would go again if I was ever up there. I have pictures that I never posted. Maybe I will do that sometime :-)
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