Smithsonian - SR71

I had two hours to kill before a flight back (business trip) from Washington. Sitting in an airport bar for 4 hours is not my idea of a fun time. Besides, if you go through security at Dulles well before a flight then they get suspicious and sent you through the extended security check (the sniffer machine, digging through luggage, etc).

So I made my way to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. The museum is in a corner of Dulles airport, and the transfer bus to the museum (or back to the terminal) is 50 cents.

Except for two exhibits (one is a Cessna, one is a simulator with a long lineup), NASM is a no-touch museum. It's huge. I had minimal time, so I flew through the place. There is an IMAX theatre, but I didn't have the time (this trip).


Greeting you after security is the SR-71 Blackbird. Upon retirement, it was flown from Palmdale California to Washington/Dulles/NASM, a flight which took 68 minutes and 17 seconds.


Here's the bird, nose-on.