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Situated next to the perimeter fence of Palmdale airport is the small, but fascinating Blackbird Air Park. Palmdale Airfield is the home to high-tech facilities from most of the major US aviation manufacturing companies, but is perhaps most famous as the home of the Lockheed-Martin’s Advanced Projects Division - the legendary ‘Skunk Works.’ In recognition of this, the Blackbird Air Park preserves a small collection of aircraft and memorabilia relating to some of the most famous products of the Skunk Works.
I last visited the Air Park about 12 months ago, and I was pleased to see that in the intervening time, the Air Park had acquired a new and exciting exhibit, an F-117 Nighthawk, the famous Stealth Fighter.
 
 
The aircraft on display was formerly operated by the 410th Flight Test Squadron at nearby Edwards AFB, who also prepared the aircraft for display. The F-117 is a very appropriate exhibit for the Blackbird Air Park, as the F-117 is one of the most famous recent aircraft to come out of the Skunk Works, and its acquisition represents something of a coup for the collection.
 
The other residents consist of a pair of ‘Blackbirds’ (an A-12 and an SR-71) and an early model U-2D. The Blackbirds are positioned alongside each other, allowing comparison of the 2 similar aircraft. The earlier , single seat A-12 was produced for the CIA, and remained secret for years after the aircraft retired. It was operated by the CIA on highly sensitive reconnaissance missions over the Soviet Union and China. It had a relatively short operational career, before being superseded by the more capable SR-71.
 
The SR-71 was produced for the USAF as a strategic reconnaissance platform. It performed a similar mission to the A-12, but under conditions of slightly less secrecy than the original A-12 program.
 
The Blackbird is one of the most famous and evocative aircraft of all time, and even now manages to look futuristic and , even sat on the ground in a museum.
 
The final item in the collection is a Lockheed U-2D. The museum’s aircraft began life as a U-2A, before being converted to U-2D configuration. It flew for many years with the 6512th Test Group at Edwards AFB, and is the last surviving U-2D. The aircraft features a second cockpit in place of the “Q-bay” behind the pilot. The cockpit was occupied by an observer who operated sensitive infra-red detectors, in support of various projects aimed at providing early warning of Soviet missile launches.
 
The aircraft was retired in 1980, and displayed in several locations before being restored by Lockheed Martin and placed on display at the Blackbird Airpark in 2001.
 
The Blackbird Airpark is a fascinating collection and well worth a visit. After all, where else can you see 2 Blackbirds exhibited side by side?!
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