Last updated on: 19 November 2006
Blackbird Timeline of Events, 1970's
- 16 Jan 1970
YF-12/SR-71 Test Force redesignated 4786 Test Squadron (LSB; BB)
- 13 Feb 1970
9th SRW, SR-71 crew receives 15th Air Force Aircrew of Year Award for 1969 (9RW)
- 20 Feb 1970
D-21 #521 launched from B-52H and flew 2969 nmi, camera pallet recovered, photos good (LSW)
- 1 Apr 1970
First NASA piloted YF-12 flight, NASA Pilot: Donald Mallick (LSW)
- 10 May 1970
SR-71A #969 crashes near Korat RTAFB, Thailand, USAF Pilot/RSO: William Lawson/ Gil Martinez (LSW; PH)
- 1 Jun 1970
Col. H. F. Confer, 9 SRW Commander thru 30 May1972 (9RW)
- 17 Jun 1970
SR-71A #970 crashes near El Paso, TX, (after striking KC-135Q during refueling); USAF Pilot/RSO: Buddy Brown/ Mort Jarvis (crew E-08) ejected and ok, along with the tanker and it's crew (LSB; LSW; PH)
- 30 Oct 1970
OL-8(Kadena AB, Okinawa) redesignated OL-RK (Ryukyus, chain of islands Okinawa and Japan are in) (SME)
- 16 Dec 1970
Second operational D-21 mission. D-21 #523 launched from B-52H and flew 2448 nmi, no camera pallet recovered (LSW)
- 31 Dec 1970
Air Force Logistics Command took over Functional Flight Check for SR-71 and Det 51(Norton AFB) created; also Sacramento Air Logistics Center provides maintenance support for SR-71 (LSB; SME)
- 4 Mar 1971
Third operational D-21 mission. D-21 #526 launched from B-52H and flew 2935 nmi; camera pallet jettisoned, but not recovered (LSW)
- 20 Mar 1971
Fourth and last operational D-21 mission. D-21 #527 launched from B-52H and flew 2935 nmi; no camera pallet recovered (LSW)
- 23 Mar 1971
T-38 #91606 crashes on take-off; USAF Pilots: Jack Thornton survived, Jim Hudson killed (LSB)
- 1 Apr 1971
99 SRS inactivated as an SR-71 unit (LSB; BB)
- 26 Apr 1971
USAF Pilot/RSO: Thomas Estes/ Dewain Vick fly a SR-71 #968 15,000 miles in 10 hours 30 minutes non-stop (BB; RK)
- 24 Jun 1971
NASA YF-12A #6936 crashed at Edwards AFB, CA due to a fire in the right engine due to fatigued fuel line. NASA Pilot/RSO: Ronald Layton/ Bill Curtis (AM1; LSW)
- 30 Jun 1971
14 Strategic Aerospace Division takes command of 9 SRW
- 15 Jul 1971
Lockheed receives word of D-21 program cancellation (LSW)
- 16 Jul 1971
NASA receives YF-12C #937 (actually SR-71A #951)
- 26 Oct 1971
OL-RK redesignated OL-KA(Kadena AB, Okinanwa) (SME)
- 6 Jan 1972
9 SRW receives USAF Outstanding Unit Award for 1 Jul 1970- 30 Jun 1971 (9RW)
- 12 Jan 1972
4786 Test Sq inactivated (LSB)
- 15 May 1972
SR-71A #978 loses both AC generators while over Hanoi and by the time Pilot Tom Pugh got aux power on the SR had dropped to 41,000 ft and 1.1 mach; Tom Pugh/ Ron Rice landed safely at Udorn RTAFB, Thailand
- 31 May 1972
Col. J. F. O'Malley becomes 9 SRW Commander thru 9 May 1973 (9RW)
- 6 Jul 1972
SR-71A #955 flew a refueling flight envelope and "dry boom" contact checks on a boom equipped 747, USAF Pilot/RSO: Merv Evanson / Cos Mallozzi (SME)
- 18 Jul 1972
Thomas Estes/ Dewain Vick receive McKay Trophy for 15 hour record SR-71 flight on 26 April 1971
- 20 Jul 1972
SR-71A #978 "Rapid Rabbit" crashes at Kadena AB, (due to strong crosswinds), USAF Pilot/RSO: Denny Bush/ Jimmy Fagg ok (LSW; BB)
- 28 Jul 1972
SR-71A #975 flown for ECM cover for B-52 bombing missions (Linebacker)
over Haipong & Hanoi; USAF Pilot: Darrel Cobb/ Reg Blackwell
(SME)
- 23 Jan 1973
9 SRW receives USAF Outstanding Unit Award for 1 Jul 1971-30 Jun 1972 (9RW)
- 10 May 1973
Col. P. J. Halloran 9 SRW Commander thru 29 Jan 1975 (9RW)
- 20 Sep 1973
President Nixon awards Thomas Estes/ Dewain Vick the Harmon International Aviator Award for their record flight on 26 April 1971
- 11 Oct 1973
SR-71A #979 Flown to Griffis AFB, NY for "Giant Reach" ops,USAF Pilot/ RSO: James Shelton/ Gary Coleman (BB)
- 12 Oct 1973
Middle east overflights from CONUS during Arab-Israeli Yom Kippur War from Griffis AFB, NY and Seymour-Johnson AFB, NC; 9 sorties were flown: Operation Giant Reach (BB)
- 13 Oct 1973
SR-71A #979, Flown in "Giant Reach" ops; USAF Pilot/RSO: James Shelton/ Gary Coleman (BB)
- 25 Oct 1973
SR-71A #979, Flown in "Giant Reach" ops; USAF Pilot/RSO: Al Joersz/ John Fuller (BB)
- 2 Nov 1973
SR-71A #979, Flown in "Giant Reach" ops; USAF Pilot/RSO: Bob Helt/ Larry Elliott; (left Griffis AFB, and returned to Seymour-Johnson AFB, NC) (BB)
- 11 Nov 1973
SR-71A #964, Flown in "Giant Reach" ops; USAF Pilot/RSO: Jim Wilson/ Bruce Douglas (BB)
- 15 Nov 1973
"Giant Reach" ops moved to Seymour-Johnson AFB, NC (OL-SB) (BB)
- 2 Dec 1973
SR-71A #964, Flown in "Giant Reach" ops;USAF Pilot/RSO: Jim Sullivan/ Noel Widdifield (BB)
- 10 Dec 1973
SR-71A #979, Flown in "Giant Reach" ops; USAF Pilot/RSO: Pat Bledsoe/ Reg Blackwell (BB)
- 21 Jan 1974
9 SRW Aircrew won 15th Air Force Recon Crew of Year Award
- 25 Jan 1974
SR-71A #971, Flown in "Giant Reach" ops; USAF Pilot/RSO: "Buck" Adams/ William Machorek (BB)
- 7 Mar 1974
SR-71A #979, Flown in "Giant Reach" ops; USAF Pilot/RSO: Ty Judkins/ G.T. Morgan (BB)
- 6 Apr 1974
SR-71A #979, Flown in "Giant Reach" ops; USAF Pilot/RSO: Lee Ransom/ Mark Gersten (BB)
- 30 Apr 1974
9 SRW Maintenance Complex receives 15th Air Force Haskell Grey Award for outstanding aircraft maintenance in 1973 (9RW)
- 9 Aug 1974
Det 1, 9 SRW activated at Kadena AB replacing OL-KA (SME; 9RW)
- 1 Sep 1974
First SR-71A visit to UK; setting World Record NY to London, 1817 mph, dist: 3490 nmi, in 1 hour 54 minutes 56.4 seconds in SR-71A #972, USAF Pilot/RSO: Jim Sullivan/Noel Widdifield (BB)
- 12 Sep 1974
First attempt to set London to LA record, returned due to oil light
- 13 Sep 1974
SR-71A #972 set World Record London to LA 5645 miles in 3 hours 47 min. 35.8 sec., USAF Pilot/RSO: "Buck" Adams/William Machorek (BB)
- Jan 1975
Clarence "Kelly" Johnson retires as Head of the Skunk Works
- 6 Jan 1975
9 SRW selected Outstanding SAC Recon Organization for 1974 (9RW)
- 17 Jan 1975
Ben Rich becomes Head of the Skunk Works
- 18 Jan 1975
9 SRW won 15 Air Force Recon unit and Aircrew of Year
- 12 Mar 1975
OL-SB was inactivated at Seymour-Johnson AFB, NC
- Apr 1975
TDY Operations start at RAF Mildenhall, UK(Det 4)(BB)
- 15 May 1975
SR-71A #976 flew in support of Mayaquez incident, USAF Pilot/RSO: B.C. Thomas/ Jay Reid
- 18 Jun 1975
Joseph T. Vida flies for the first time in a SR-71 as RSO; became High-time crew member with 1,392.7 hrs (BB)
- 30 Jun 1975
Col. J. H. Storrie becomes 9 SRW Commander thru 29 Sep 1977 (9RW)
- 20 Nov 1975
SR-71A #959 in "Big Tail" configuration does high speed taxi-tests, Lockheed Test Pilot/RSO: Darrell Greenamyer/ Steven Belgau (SME)
- 3 Dec 1975
First flight of SR-71A #959 in "Big Tail" configuration, Lockheed Test Pilot/RSO: Darrell Greenamyer/ Steven Belgau (LSW)
- 20 Apr 1976
TDY ops started at RAF Mildenhall in SR-71A #972, USAF Pilot/RSO: Pat Bledsoe/ John Fuller (SME)
- Apr 1976
First ops sortie from Det 4 in SR-71A #972, USAF Pilot/RSO: Maury Rosenberg/ Don Bulloch (SME)
- 30 Apr 1976
SR-71A #972, returned to Beale AFB, CA after 10 day deployment to RAF Mildenhall, UK (SME)
- 5 May 1976
First flight of SR-71A #959 in "Big Tail" configuration by USAF Pilot/ RSO: Tom Pugh/ Jim Carnochan
- 1 May 1976
USAF consolidates SR-71 and U-2 operations at Beale AFB, CA (9RW)
- 27 Jul 1976
SR-71A sets World Record Closed 100KM Course, Speed: 2092 mph, USAF Pilot/ RSO: A. Bledsoe/ John Fuller (LSB; LSW; BB)
- 28 Jul 1976
SR-71A #962 set an Altitude World Record of 85,068.997 ft, USAF Pilot/RSO: BobHelt/Larry Elliott (LSB; BB)
- 28 Jul 1976
SR-71A #958 set a World Straight 15 & 25 KM Course Record with a speed of 2193 mph, USAF Pilot/ RSO: Eldon Joersz/ George Morgan (LSB; BB)
- 4 Jul 1976
SR-71A #959 "Big Tail" flown to 3 Mach by USAF Pilot/RSO: Tom Pugh/ ???
- 6 Sep 1976
SR-71A #962 arrives at RAF Mildenhall, UK for a 12 day deployment (SME)
- 28 Oct 1976
Last Flight of SR-71A #963; (now on display at Beale AFB, CA flightline) (LSW)
- 29 Oct 1976
Last Flight of SR-71A #959 "Big Tail", USAF Pilot/RSO: Tom Pugh/ William Frazier; (Now on display at USAF Armament Museum, Eglin AFB, FL, (transported by trucked)) (SME; LSW)
- 7 Jan 1977
SR-71A #958 arrives at RAF Mildenhall for 10 day deployment (SME)
- 2 Feb 1977
Last Flight of SR-71A #961, was used as parts aircraft; (on display at Cosmosphere and Space Center, Hutcinson, KS) (LSW, JSS)
- 1 Sep 1977
Det 51 reorganized to Det 6, Norton AFB, CA reporting to 2762 Logistics Sq (LSB)
- 30 Sep 1977
Col. L. M. Kidder becomes 9 SRW Commander thru 31 Jan 1979 (9RW)
- 24 Feb 1978
9 SRW wins 15 Air Force Recon Unit of Year Award for 1977 (9RW)
- 31 Mar 1978
9 SRW awarded USAF Outstanding Unit Award for 1 Jul 1975- 30 Jun 1976 (9RW)
- 28 Sep 1978
Last and 88th Flight of NASA YF-12C(SR-71A #951) (LSW)
- 28 Oct 1978
YF-12C(SR-71A #951) retired from NASA (LSW)
- 7 Nov 1978
Cuban Overflights renewed thru Apr 1983 (BB)
- 1 Feb 1979
Col. F. Shelton 9 SRW Commander thru 16 Jul 1980 (9RW)
- 12 Mar 1979
SR-71A #972 arrives at Det 4 for recon of Saudi Arabia & Yeman tensions, USAF Pilot/RSO: Rich Graham/ Don Emmons (SME)
- 28 Mar 1979
SR-71A #972 returns to Beale AFB, CA after deployment to Det 4, USAF Pilot/ RSO: Rich Graham/ Dom Emmons (SME)
- 31 Mar 1979
Det 4(RAF Mildenhall) activated (LSB; BB)
- 17 Apr 1979
SR-71A #979 deployed to Det 4 till 2 May (SME)
- 18 Oct 1979
SR-71A #976 deployed to Det 4 till 13 Nov (SME)
- 31 Oct 1979
Last Flight of NASA YF-12A #6935, and end of flight test program (BB)
- 7 Nov 1979
The last remaining YF-12A #6935 flown to USAF Museum at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH; Pilot/RSO: Jim Sullivan/Uppstrum (AM1; LSW; BB)
You can also link to the:
A-12, YF-12A, & SR-71 Timeline 1950's
A-12, YF-12A, & SR-71 Timeline 1960's
A-12, YF-12A, & SR-71 Timeline 1980's
A-12, YF-12A, & SR-71 Timeline 1990's & Credits
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