SR-71 Blackbird Pulls Up Beside Civilian Delta Airlines Commercial Flight During a routine daytime flight, a Delta Airlines commercial airliner is joined briefly by an SR-71 Blackbird flying in close formation. The Blackbird holds position for several seconds before the Delta cockpit receives a brief, unexpected radio transmission from the Blackbird pilot (VADER-6) Moments later, the SR-71 lights its afterburners and accelerates sharply out of view. This rare interaction offers a glimpse at the