A PIECE OF SPY PLANE HISTORY\Donors' names proliferate at Blackbird park.Byline: Jim Skeen Daily News Staff Writer Names of SR-71 and A-12 spy plane pilots, those who worked on the sleek jets and just plain aviation aficionados are now on display at the Blackbird Airpark air·park n. A small airport typically located near a business area or industrial park. . More than 430 porcelain paving tiles, or "pavers," have been installed and a batch of 200 more is being produced for the airpark at Avenue P and 25th Street East. "It's coming along pretty good," said Doug Nelson, curator of the Air Force Flight Test Center Museum, which oversees the airpark. The tiles are part of a fund-raising effort for construction of a $6 million flight test museum to replace the existing storefront museum at Edwards Air Force Base Edwards Air Force Base, U.S. military installation, 301,000 acres (121,805 hectares), S Calif., NE of Lancaster; est. 1933. It is one of the largest air force bases in the United States and has the world's longest runway. and for improvements to the airpark. For $50, contributors get their names on tiles in the airpark courtyard; they also get certificates, maps of the tile grids and cards showing the locations of their named tiles. The Blackbird Airpark commemorates the spy planes that were built by the "Skunk skunk, name for several related New World mammals of the weasel family, characterized by their conspicuous black and white markings and use of a strong, highly offensive odor for defense. Works," now known as the Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, in the 1960s. Various versions of the SR-71 Blackbird - the A-12 is a modification - were flown by the CIA CIA: see Central Intelligence Agency. (1) (Confidentiality Integrity Authentication) The three important concerns with regards to information security. Encryption is used to provide confidentiality (privacy, secrecy). and Air Force for intelligence missions and by NASA NASA: see National Aeronautics and Space Administration. NASA in full National Aeronautics and Space Administration Independent U.S. for research. Blackbirds are still being flown by NASA and, after a five-year retirement from military use, are being reactivated by the Air Force for reconnaissance missions. Among the names engraved en·grave tr.v. en·graved, en·grav·ing, en·graves 1. To carve, cut, or etch into a material: engraved the champion's name on the trophy. 2. on the pavers include "Skunk Works" founder Clarence "Kelly" Johnson, former "Skunk Works" President Ben Rich and Blackbird crew members. The crew members include Lancaster Aerospace Walk of Honor The Aerospace Walk of Honor in Lancaster, California, USA, is a continually-growing venue for honoring test pilots who have significantly contributed to aviation and space research and development. pilot Fitz Fulton, who flew Blackbirds for NASA, and Joe Vida and Ed Yeilding, the crew that delivered a Blackbird to the Smithsonian Institution in March 1990, flying cross-country in a record time of 68 minutes and 17 seconds. The Blackbird Airpark was created in July 1990 when an SR-71 and an A-12 were rolled without fanfare to the corner of 25th Street East and Avenue P, inside the boundaries of Air Force Plant 42. Over the years, the airpark has been improved, primarily through donated materials and volunteer work, to include a concrete slab for the airplanes to rest on, a trailer that serves as a gift shop and headquarters for volunteer docents and a courtyard where the pavers are being installed. CAPTION(S): PHOTO Photo (1--ran in AV and SAC--color in AV) Chuck Juggert of Sylmar and his son Chad view contributors' tiles next to a mock-up mock·up also mock-up n. 1. A usually full-sized scale model of a structure, used for demonstration, study, or testing. 2. A layout of printed matter. of an SR-71A. (2--SAC only) Contributors help pay for a new museum and airpark improvements. Joe Binoya/Special to the Daily News |
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