While it is commonly called the Blackbird, Carpenter preferred the name “HABU,” which is the Japanese word for a particular type of cobra found on Okinawa.

“I was one of 85 pilots to ever fly the SR-71,” Carpenter said. “You had to be a volunteer and go through an astronaut physical” during the yearlong initial training.

Pilots initially wore a space suit from the Gemini program. Later updated SR-71 suits were borrowed for the first mission of the Space Shuttle Colombia.

The aircraft was made from titanium purchased from the Soviet Union through a “front company” and used silicone seals due to the 600 degree Fahrenheit average surface temperature.

“The silicone leaked so much the crew chiefs often wore raincoats to guard against the fuel,” Carpenter said.

While most of the missions were in the 4- to 6-hour range, some went considerably longer and all needed aerial refueling about every two hours.

“If you flew a tanker, you are my hero. I don’t think we ever missed a rendezvous with a tanker,” Carpenter said.

Although there was and is still nothing like it in the air, the SR-71 was expensive – $85,000 per hour – to operate. It was the lack of a datalink that Carpenter cites as a chief reason for its early retirement. On one mission over the Middle East, it took between 36 and 48 hours for the film to be removed from the aircraft, flown to Washington, processed and delivered to President Carter.

Still, the contribution to the security of the United States and the free world during the long Cold War is unquestionable.

Carpenter, who today serves as a docent at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, ensures future generations appreciate that contribution.

“Nothing about the aircraft is classified anymore, which is neat for me because I can talk about it,” he said.