[Photo] SR-71 Blackbird and chase car

February 6, 2014 Military Aviation
David Cenciotti
Image credit: U.S. Air Force photo by John Schwab

Here is a unusual shot of the legendary SR-71 Blackbird

This image was recently released by Beale Air Force Base official FB page.

It was taken years ago, when the SR-71 was still in service and shows a Blackbird taxing behind a Chevy car (a follow me, more than a standard “chase car” like those supporting the U-2 Dragon Lady and the RQ-4 Global Hawk).

The Mach 3+ black plane is barely visible, but the scene is both unusual and stunning.

About David Cenciotti
WebsiteFacebookTwitterLinkedIn instagram
David Cenciotti is a journalist based in Rome, Italy. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of the world’s most famous and read military aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for major worldwide magazines, including Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, and many others, covering aviation, defense, war, industry, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown several combat planes with different air forces. He is a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Force, a private pilot and a graduate in Computer Engineering. He has written five books and contributed to many more ones.

Related Articles

5 Comments

  1. it looks like that picture was taken probably about 2004 or later, that chevy pick up is a 2004 model. I thought the SR-71 was retired in 1998?

  2. That’s a GMT800 Silverado (1999-2007 MY), so that’s not a Blackbird that’s in service. Is it being towed?

  3. Looks like it. If you look close, you can the cab of a tow tractor, or something else, behind the pick up.

Comments are closed.