WElcome to THE BLACKBIRD SOCIETY

Birth of The Blackbird Society

My obsession with the Blackbirds started when I graduated college and took my first engineering job with Pratt & Whitney in West Palm Beach, Florida.  The J58 engines were designed, built, and tested at this facility.  While my involvement with the J58 was minimal, having to spec alternate main shaft bearings for the engines, I did come to appreciate the technologies that went into the engines and ultimately the aircraft.
When engines were refurbished/rebuilt, they undergo static testing on outdoor test stands located five miles from the main engineering building. And when an engine was being tested, you could feel the rumble from the engines when you left the building, even though you were miles away. But this was nothing compared to the adrenalin rush of standing just a few feet from one of the engines during test.

After leaving P&W to continue my career with GE Aircraft Engines in Cincinnati, Ohio, I continued to look for and read everything I could on the aircraft that utilize these engines. This mild interest in Blackbirds continued throughout my 37 year career in the aerospace industry. After retiring, my obsession with Blackbird aircraft grew to the point of starting The Blackbird Society in an effort to document and share the stories of these amazing aircraft.

This website is just a beginning of my documentation. It will continue to evolve as the stories unfold and get documented. Input from anyone with knowledge of the aircraft and their history is welcome to submit information to add to the documentation.