Ken Collins was an early pilot in the Oxcart program testing the aircraft at area 51 and flying the A-12 operationally out of Kadena Air Force Base on Okinawa in the “Black Shield” program. He went from Air Force to civilian for the CIA “Black Shield” program, and back to the Air Force to fly the SR71 operationally. I knew Ken from the early days of the Sr program at Beale Air Force Base. The last time I talked to Ken was at the March Air Force Base Museum opening when we both were on panels discussing the SR71.
While having brunch, Ken asked me how long I had been on the SR71 program. I told him I started in late 1964, at AIL, working on an system to check out and evaluate an ELINT system. I told Ken I had no idea of the vehicle for the ELINT system. Once president Johnson revealed the A-12, I assumed that it would be the vehicle. Later in spring of 1966 I accepted an offer to take the system into the field in California and was finally briefed on the SR71. I was told the briefing was called “Blue Feather 2”. Ken looked surprised and said that was a CIA briefing. I was surprised to say the least.