Following his popular talks in 2009, Colonel Richard Graham (USAF Retired), former SR-71 Blackbird pilot, will be returning to Imperial War Museum Duxford on Sunday 28 February 2010.
Colonel Graham will give a talk entitled “Flying the SR-71 Blackbird from RAF Mildenhall” at 11.00am in the Marshall Auditorium in AirSpace.
From 2.00pm Colonel Graham will be hosting walk-around tours of the SR-71 Blackbird that he previously flew at RAF Mildenhall, which now sits in pride of place on display in the American Air Museum. Following the tours, there will also be an opportunity for book signing and for Colonel Graham to answer your questions.
The SR-71 Blackbird is regarded as one of the United States Air Force’s most important Cold War-era aircraft. It was classified as top secret for most of its operational life, flying covert reconnaissance missions from RAF Mildenhall from the mid-1970s onwards. The aircraft played an important role in military conflicts for nearly thirty years, being superceded only when spy satellites came into operation. Richard Graham’s involvement with the Blackbird continued until his retirement from the USAF, in 1989, as a highly-decorated pilot with more than 4000 hours of military flying experience. Colonel Graham’s talks are always incredibly popular. Colonel Graham said "I always enjoy my time speaking to aviation fans at Duxford and answering their questions about the Blackbird.”
Both events on Sunday 28 February are included in the standard admission price to IWM Duxford and all are welcome.