Warbird Information Exchange

Hillsboro, Oregon, Sept. 16 (CNA) It will take at least another year for a decomissioned Lockheed F-104G Starfighter from Taiwan sent to the United States Classic Aircraft Aviation Museum in Oregon in 2006 to take to the skies again.

Unlike most museums that display aircraft models, the nonprofit museum is dedicated to repairing classic military aircraft and emphasizes "dynamic preservation," which includes restoration.

The museum has successfully restored a MiG-17 fighter jet, and when the F-104 Starfighter that Taiwan acquired in 1987 was transported to the U.S. amid great fanfare in 2006, the hope was it would be ready to take off in 2008.

But despite investing more than 1,500 hours to fix the plane, the museum will need another 12-18 months before it can fly again, said museum director Doug Donkel, and it will also have to get permission from the Federal Aviation Association (FAA) before resuming flights.

Repairs on the plane are around 90-95 percent completed, said museum founder Roger Kelsay. The aircraft's hydraulic system, electric power system, and landing gear were all overhauled.

Still, the plane's restoration has been hindered due to the lack of certain critical components. The museum has not been able to acquire afterburners from Taiwan's Air Force and is having difficulty finding experienced maintenance people.

"Our (hope is) that maybe President Ma can support us on this project too to help us get the remaining components that we need to get this thing flying," Kelsay said, referring to Taiwan's president, Ma Ying-jeou.

"It is hard to find knowledgeable people that know a lot about the F-104," added Donkel. "We have a gentleman from Taiwan that's come over and helped us several times, and we're hoping to get him back again."

A retired sergeant major from Taiwan's Air Force has been assisting with the museum's F-104G Starfighter repairs over the past few years, often spending two to six months in Oregon at a time.

Rebuilding planes does not come cheaply. The museum has had to procure components for aircrafts from around the world and between the US$15,000 that a generator can cost and high freight expenses, the bills add up.

So how much has been spent on the F-104G project? "More than I want to tell," Kelsay answered with a laugh.

Although restoring planes is an expensive hobby, Kelsay, a retired U.S. Air Force pilot with a special affinity for Starfighters, says preserving aircraft is his passion.

"It's a passion, so passion doesn't always make economic sense," he said.

The F-104G Starfighter in Oregon was designed by the U.S. firm Lockheed and produced by Canadair. It was sold to Denmark and then obtained by Taiwan in 1987 in exchange for an F-5A fighter.

After being decommissioned by Taiwan's Air Force, it was handed over to Feng Chia University in Taichung in 1997. The university then turned it over to the Oregon museum in 2006.