If you missed out before, don’t worry. Here’s your second chance to own a real piece of the legendary SR-71 Blackbird. I really do mean “second,” as the first PlaneTags edition sold out earlier this year in no time, faster than you could say Mach 3.2.
PlaneTag’s Second Chance Release starts on 2 December and is expected to be just as popular. There’s one catch: you need to sign up for the PlaneTags mailing list before release day if you want a chance to get one of these rare pieces of Blackbird history.
So, what are you actually getting? This batch is made from the stabilizer of SR-71A number 61-7971. It’s real Blackbird titanium and real history. PlaneTags shapes each tag into their signature oval, ready to hang on your luggage, keys, dog’s collar, or anywhere you want to show off some supersonic style.
The Story Behind PlaneTags
PlaneTags is an aviation memorabilia company based in Torrance, California. While PlaneTags started in 2015, the story began in 2001 with MotoArt. Led by founder Dave Hall, the team transformed salvaged aircraft parts into handmade furniture, including wings, cowlings, and fuselage skins. If it once flew, MotoArt probably made it into a bar or desk.
PlaneTags was started to share aviation history with more people. Their website says: “It is heartbreaking to see historic planes decay in boneyards. We see beyond the metal to the stories these aircraft carry. Driven by respect for these tales and your connections to them, we are dedicated to restoring these aircraft and sharing their legacy with aviation enthusiasts worldwide.”
Today, PlaneTags makes more than just tags. They also create coasters, money clips, apparel, and other aviation-themed items. There’s even a money clip made from a Trump Shuttle 727. Still, the SR-71 release is special. Only 32 Blackbirds were built, and just 29 were A models. That rarity makes these tags some of the hardest-to-find aviation collectibles.
How They Do It
The PlaneTags team looks all over the world for notable aircraft, searching deserts, forests, abandoned hangars, and any hidden spot where a rare fuselage might be found. They only salvage what can be preserved, then hand-cut pieces that keep the original paint, graphics, and patina. This is where the process starts.
Each piece is cleaned, polished, sanded, deburred, hand-stamped, and laser-etched with the aircraft’s details—make, model, tail number, and edition number. Every tag is unique, with its own marks. When finished, each tag is attached to a card with the aircraft’s history and shipped to its new owner, ready to share its story.
The Life of Blackbird #61-7971
This run is unique because 61-7971 had an impressive history. Assembly began in November 1965, with rollout in August 1966, and its first flight took place that November. Over 31 years, it logged a staggering 3512.5 flight hours, the second-highest of any Blackbird.
She flew high-speed reconnaissance missions for the Air Force and later became NASA 832. NASA used it from 1995 to 1996 to help restart the SR-71 program, collecting data for future supersonic flight and propulsion. After the Air Force closed operations at Edwards, NASA took over the remaining aircraft, including 61-7971.
She remained at Dryden AFB until fall 2002, when she was dismantled and sent to the Evergreen Aviation Museum in Oregon. There, she was restored and unveiled in 2003, where she still remains. Now, a small part of her stabilizer is being made into these rare PlaneTags.
Why This Release Matters
The SR-71 story goes back to the Cold War, when the CIA secretly bought Soviet titanium and Lockheed’s Skunk Works developed new stealth technology. Engineers made what seemed impossible, and test pilot Bob Gilliland flew the first SR-71 on 22 December 1964. The aircraft could outrun threats, absorb radar, and fly so high that pilots saw the curve of the Earth.
Someone who didn’t know any better may just see this as owning a piece of metal. But it’s so much more. It is touching history that flew faster and higher than anything before or since.
And now you have one more chance to claim it.
The Second Chance Release begins on 2 December. Just make sure you are on that PlaneTags mailing list before the date arrives. Because once these SR-71 tags go, they will not be back anytime soon.
After all, legends only get so many lives. Good luck!
