Virginians: Show your support for the National Air and Space Museum by buying this personalized license plate for your vehicle featuring the fastest jet ever built, the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird!

The design was especially created to honor the Museum's companion facility near Dulles Airport, which was originally known as Dulles Center. Renamed the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in honor of its major donor, the Center's impressive public areas have been open since December 2003, an achievement attained entirely with private donations.

To maintain the Center and complete Phase Two of construction, fundraising continues, and this official, personalized license plate is a great way to show your interest in flight on your vehicle and support the Museum at the same time. And you don't have to wait until it's time to renew your plates to participate!

It works like this: By purchasing the Dulles Center license plate from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), a portion of the license fee will be transferred to the Aviation Education Facilities Fund. From that fund, Virginia sends the National Air and Space Museum its portion of the revenue.

To obtain a license plate:

• Visit any Virginia DMV branch office and ask for the "National Air and Space Museum special interest license plate."
• Order online at the Virginia DMV Web site.
  (In the "Select a plate type" box, under the "Special Interest" category, choose "National Air & Space Museum" even if the SR-71 plate picture is already shown.)

Not a Virginia resident? You can purchase a souvenir plate — as a collector's item or for display on your wall — online at the Virginia DMV Souvenir Plate Purchase Web site. (Note: souvenir plates are for ornamental use only and not legal for use on automobiles.)

Funds for the National Air and Space Museum. The Virginia DMV web pages say that a portion of the fee you pay will be transferred to the Aviation Education Facilities Fund. From that Fund, the Commonwealth of Virginia sends the National Air and Space Museum the appropriate revenue for all of these license plates sold.