1 SEPTEMBER 1974 â The SR-71 Blackbird sets the record for flying from New York to London in the time of 1 hour, 54 minutes and 56.4 seconds at a speed of 1,435.587 miles per hour, a record which still stands today. The first flight of the Blackbird was 22 December 1964 and it was put into service in January 1966. 32 were built and had a top speed of 2193 mph (still the fastest plane ever built.) They were retired from service in 1999. The SR-72 is under development. rochestermilitary.com