Habu returning from a mission to Det.4 of the 9th SRW at RAF Mildenhall. The Blackbird flew several times that week. The spy plane made its last flight on 19 March 1990 and was handed over to NASA at Dryden (CA). Became N832NA but returned to the at Beale AFB (CA) USAF after an overhaul at Palmdale on 30 June 1995. Never retire a Blackbird! After its second operational life, it again was handed over to NASA on 14 October 1999. was stored at Edwards AFB (CA) and eventually dismanteled at Dryden. Moved to the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum at McMinnville (OR) for preservation since May 2003.

Habu returning from a mission to Det.4 of the 9th SRW at RAF Mildenhall.

Photographer unknown - Assigned to NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards AFB, CA 1991 to 1994, registered as NASA 832. - On display at Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum, McMinnville, OR

After a USAF career with the 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing this Blackbird made its last flight on 19 Mar'90. It was transferred to the NASA on that same day. The aircraft was intented for use with NASA Dryden (CA) as N832NA as a test aircraft. On the picture it is seen on temporary storage at Dryden, but it lacked its NASA registration. The SR-71A was overhauled at Palmdale in early '95 and redelivered to the USAF in Jun'95 as a gap filler. It flew again from homebase Beale AFB (CA) up to Oct'99, returned to the NASA but went into storage and was eventually dismanteled late 2002.

One of the SR's brought back to service in the late 90's was 971. Seen here on static display at the 1997 Edwards show, she was officially with the 9RW Det 2 and based at Edwards.