In 1990/91 I was stationed at a base that once was a home for the SR-71. By the time I got there, though, they'd been retired.

Some of the spoken-word mythology that was shared with me by some of the AF elders:

* Each flight cost about $1M

* The SR-71 was so loud and created such massive sound waves, the crew chiefs had to be really far away from the ship when talking to the pilots inside so that their internal organs wouldn't be damaged...

* The engine cowling of the Blackbird would get so hot that the metal would be slightly transparent, where you could see moving parts _inside_ the engine.

* All of the pilots wore astronaut suits.

Worth noting all the above could be entirely false. But it made a big impression on me.