Last Italian F-104 Starfighters

[svekalex]

Just heard from a reliable Dutch Aviation group that Lockheed Martin just bought the last four operational F-104 Starfighters. Very interesting!

[tom d. friedman]

i thought nasa still operated a few 104's??? i do know 1 is being morphed into a land racer at the salt flats of the western u.s. to break the all time land speed record. they chopped off the wings, added sturdy speed type wheels etc. nothing frankenstein like, but definetely radical. i wouldn't want to be the driver's insurance carrier!!

[tom d. friedman]

another brain fart....... i think a private company out of majave california also still operates a couple of 104's too in an independent contractual way with uncle sam / or some big aerospace agencies.

[RareBear]

There are a couple of them on the airshow circuit operating under the name (appropriately) Starfighters. They have a single-seater and a two-seater. Put on a great show. Loud and flashy.

http://www.starfighters.net


Walt

[RMAllnutt]

I seem to remember that there's another pair operated as "The Northern Lights" or something like that... maybe these are the same aircraft under new ownership though?

Incidentally, the last F-104 manufactured was built in 1979!!! I couldn't believe that aircraft was in production for so long.

Cheers,
Richard

http://www.starfighters.net/aircraft/aircraft.html

[BLR]

Maybe Lockheed wants to keep them out of civy hands.

[Randy Haskin]

I'm surprised this group doesn't know that when they say "operational", they mean in active military service. So...NASA and the Starfighters demo team don't count.

[TAdan]

I saw one of the starfighters.net F-104's at the Atlantic City Airshow in 04. It was awsome! This was the first time I had ever seen an F-104 in the air. I could not believe my eyes when I first saw it approaching. I thought to myself "What the heck is that?...Is that a cruise missile?...No thats an F-104!" All I saw was a very tiny aircraft with a big plume of smoke behind it.

The pilot put on a very entertaining show. It was a real treat to see such a cool aircraft.

[Flat 12x2]

I saw one of the starfighters.net F-104's at the Atlantic City Airshow in 04. It was awsome! This was the first time I had ever seen an F-104 in the air. I could not believe my eyes when I first saw it approaching. I thought to myself "What the heck is that?...Is that a cruise missile?...No thats an F-104!" All I saw was a very tiny aircraft with a big plume of smoke behind it.

The pilot put on a very entertaining show. It was a real treat to see such a cool aircraft.

Funny isn't it, back in the mid '70's at the Royal International Air Tattoo's at Greenham Common (UK) (largest airshows in the world IIRC) I used to think 'oh no , not another F-104 or F-100 display overhead as I walked along row after row of F-104/100's from all the European airforces looking for unusual a/c.
Now of course I would love to see a 104 flying , I wonder if in 30 years time I would love to see a F-16/18 flying (assuming they'd all retired by then)

[RareBear]

Randy,

I know the first poster mentioned the last operational F-104s, but didn't realize that statement restricted any further comment to "operational' aircraft. If it did, my sincerest apologies for injecting an inappropriate post.

Walt