61-7974



Crew Chief Don Person, shown here just after putting the finishing touches on 974's new tail art (the famous "Ichi Ban" design).

974 was one of the first 3 SR-71s deployed to Kadena AFB in 1968, and had flown the most "habu" missions (operational sorties) of those 3 at the end of their first rotation.  She was given this paint scheme to show the people back at Beale just who the #1 blackbird was ("Ichi Ban" meaning number one in the local language).  The large 1 with the habu snake wrapped around it would later be used on other airframes as well, but "Ichi Ban" was always associated with 974 only.

Below he shows off the newest "habu" representing an operational sortie.  Crews who accumulated 5 habus were considered aces.


photos via Don Person, scans by Dennis Doner

George Bull getting his tie cut by crew chief Don Person

After a crew completed their first operational sortie, it was their crew chief's duty to cut their ties and hang them on the ceremonial staff.  Here Don Person performs the ritual on George Bull (above) and Red McNeer (below) on September 8, 1968, after bringing 974 back from their first habu mission.  John Stone has published Bill Gornick's memoir on the birth of this tradition; click here to read the full story.

Red McNeer gets his tie cut by Don Person; photos courtesy Don Person and Dennis Doner

974 was lost on April 21, 1989. After taking off from Kadena AFB, her right engine exploded, taking several hydraulic lines with it and crippling the flight controls.  Her crew attempted to abort to a base in the Phillipines, but as RSO Lt.Col. Blair Bozek put it, "we could have made it on one engine with no problem, but with no hydraulics and no flight controls, the aircraft became a derelict and we were forced to eject.  Dan [Lt.Col. Dan House] bailed out first; I wanted to make sure I had good ejection position and had everything aligned properly, and ejected about 3 seconds after him."  Both pilot and RSO ejected safely.  This was the first SR-71 accident in 18 years - the longest accident-free streak of any USAF aircraft ever.


1985 photo from Mildenhall Air Show, courtesy E.J. van Koningsveld

She was the last blackbird to be lost, and was one of best.  Ask any habu which one was his favorite aircraft, and you'll hear 974 mentioned almost every time.

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