Lockheed F-104 Starfighter full maintenance flight, Black Beauty, with audio TF-104G/M
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- čas přidán 1. 08. 2022
- FULL FLIGHT with audio with Piercarlo Ciacchi and AJ (Lead Crew Chief), on one of the only operational Lockheed TF-104GM Starfighter. It is the two seater version of the Lockheed F-104s that flew in Italian Air Force, and now in a small number, flying at the Kennedy Space Center for R&D and Pilot/Test Pilot training. They are operated by Starfighters Aerospace. Full flight from start up to landing and shut down!
This man is a master. I absolutely love it. I never expected to hear an Italian man giving a master class in an F-104, but hell yes.
Thank you! Lol, I am glad you enjoyed it, I tried to do my best....we will do more as more flights with no "customer" will become available.
they had it in service until 2003, can easily believe they are expert of that!
I suggest you to switch ignition on before cranking and ground personel shout wear some head protection with this sharp wing leading and trailing edges.
Makes 2 of us. This gentleman is the maestro!
Kelly Johnson would be so proud to know that almost 70 years later his F-104 is still hitting the skies, and doing it very well. What a badass aircraft. In my top 10 for sure.
I wish there was an operational XB-70 in existence, that is IMO the most beautiful aircraft ever conceived 🐾✌️🇺🇸
@deborahchesser7375 Technically the one at Wright Patterson is operational. I don't believe anything was removed from it after it landed there way back when.
It’s in my Top 1😂
Dad was an IP in the 104 back in the 60's. It was quite the privilege as a teenager to be entertained by the shrieking/howl of 4 J79's when a Flight of 4 Starfighters flew over Luke AFB. Dad passed in 2021. I have his flight helmet, flight suit and "spurs" on display in my den. I miss you dad.
Patriot, your wonderful Dad!❤🙏🏻🇺🇸
Wow! The Italians are the keepers of the trade for flying these wingless rockets! They make it look like flying a Cherokee!
We have a soft spot for this gorgeous jet...Ciao
Speed is in italian genes ! They love fast things !
Piercarlo flew these and F-16s in the Italian Air Force.
I remember watching the "Spilloni" (Italian nick for the F-104s) from Grosseto roaring over the beaches of Tuscany when I was a kid. What a sight, what a roar.
There's just something about the F-104, what a machine.
Nice! I flew the G models for 3 years in W. Germany on a Navy exchange tour. This video brings back a lot of memories. Too bad we didn't have Garmins back then.
Wow
When I was flying in an A-4 squadron in Lemoore (1973) I talked with a fellow Navy guy who had been on exchange duty with the Air Force at Edwards and got to fly 104s. Boy was I jealous. The leg restraints in the cockpit brought back memories of the Martin Baker seats in the F-9s. Yikes.
Would trade the Garmin in my Cessna 150 for some Sidewinders 10/10.
You haven't lived until you fly off the edge of your paper strip chart at 200' agl and 600kts with restricted areas and control zones all around. Good way to get famous and meet important people LOL.
@@tu_alum5619 l was stationed in Lemoore 92-96. VAQ-34. They decommissioned 9 mths after l was there. I got sent to AIMD hydraulic shop. Well l never thought ld see that place again. But l was back there 23 years later 2018 as a civilian to work on super hornets for about 7 weeks in the summer. All new base housing.
Retired in italy in 2004 but she's still a beauty.
Best 104 video I have ever seen really felt likeI was along for the ride
Literally "The Last Starfighter"
Amazing to hear the skill and confidence of this pilot. They definitely put some upgrades in, I don't remember having LCD displays in the 70's
well... it was demil... plus FAA rules...
maybe this is the last version of 104 license-built in Italy (F104 ASA: aggiornamento sistemi avionici, standing for: avionics systems update). Dont know if the 1st ASAs had digital cockpit but italians made several minor iterations of ASA, until decommissioning the 104s in 2003 (decommissioning started in 2003 but ended up in 2004, so if I remember correctly the last flight of a 104 in italy was in 2004).
Serial MM54258. Delivery date AMI 22.10.1969; delivery date 20°Gruppo Autonomo, Addestramento Operativo (AO) at Grosseto AB 22.1.1970; IRAN 22.6.1973-19.6.1974; delivery date 20°Gruppo 4 Stormo "Amedeo d'Aosta" Grosseto 19.6.1974
20-23 8.7.1974- 01.1985; IRAN+R3 repair 12.7.1976-12.8.1977; IRAN 7.1.1981-4.6.1982
4-40 17.7.1985- 26.4.1988; IRAN 29.7.1986-17.9.1987; special color scheme in blue/yellow for "75.000 hrs" on TF 104G 12.1990-28.8.1991; IRAN 28.8.1991-17.3.1994; delivery date 20°Gruppo 17.3.1994
4-40 29.7.1994-8.7.1997; converted TF-104G-M 29.5.1997-19.7.1998 by 4°RMV; delivery date 20°Gruppo 19.7.1998; 4-40 17.7.1998-1.2.2000; IRAN 22.3.1999-21.12.2000; respray in grey camouflage scheme; delivery date 20°Gr 21.12.2000, 4-40 16.5.2002-21.10.2004, Pratica di Mare AB May 2004;last flight to Grazzanise 25.10.2004; withdrawn from use 26.10.2004; delivered December 2011 to the Starfighters Inc Team in Florida and got its civil FAA registration "N991SF" in January 2012; early 2014 it was painted in a light grey overall scheme with white company logos; currently being prepared for making it operational again; December 2018 noted.
Eye-watering! Breath-taking! What a bad-ass airplane! Thank you for taking us along, Piercarlo!!!
The leading edge of either wing is 7 feet!! That is just stunning. It serves to prove what I've been saying for years. Some wings work for the same reason that boat rudders work. The boundary layer is clamped by the mass of the rushing air. The only thing it can do is take the trajectory the control surfaces force it into!! It's just like flying you hand out the back window in you parents car!!
This is amazing. You read all about how it handles, and the theory about how high wing loading affects the way it flies - but seeing it, especially the control movements is just awesome.
The scream of the big GE engine brings me back to my days in the Norwegian Air Force. Awsome plain!
1st class demonstration. Thank you Piercarlo!
My God - this was fantastic! Since growing up back in the 70s, this was my dream airplane 👍🔥🔥🔥
2022, and it's still peoples' dream plane 68 years later.
I just found this, I'm so happy 🤣😎👍🇬🇧
You sir have made the F-104S become my favorite fighter aircraft.
Glad to see a Starfighter getting airborne. The right stuff.
My jaw fell on the ground to watch the calm radio comms while inverted. I was holding my breath for almost the entire time airborne. Incredible
Great video. My home town is home to the CA National Guard. I remember watching the F-106’s and the F-104 take off and land as our house was only two miles from the airport. I love how you walk through the gauges and what you’re looking for.
The howl of these planes is spine chilling. Incredible planes.
Thanks Captain Ciacchi . Explaining things to us viewers, talking to the backseater, to the control tower and flying the 104 in the same time is not so easy and require fast thinking and fast talking ! I hope to see other interesting videos here. Bye.
Thank you Tony!! Yes I try to do my best, not always easy.
I will try to do more, but most times the flights are for "clients" and we cannot obviously do anything else than what the mission requires...some times classified equipment is on board as well.
Grande Pier, vederti pilotare un “settantenne”, con la naturalezza che solo un manico come te può dimostrare, è una gioia per gli appassionati e per chi ha vissuto lo “spillone”. Grande anche l’integrazione nella strumentazione di apparati nav Garmin. Insomma, cieli immensi Pier. Il Penny.
Grandissimo Grazie!!! Un abbraccio enorme!
Most beautyful jet of all time. Love it!
I remember this aircraft as a dependant, living in Lahr Germany, in the 1970’s, when my dad was in the military. Brings back memories.👍 thanks for the video!
I am italian and I am PROUD of you Mr. Piercarlo Ciacchi. I love aircrafts...thank you for this lesson...and keep going.
I worked as aircraft mechanic from 1981 up tp 1985 on F104G versions at the MFG2 Eggebeck German Navy
I love to see this with that perfrect quality and cool camera views.
Thanks for this very unique viewpoint and all the infos. Absolutely rare insight. More please. ;)
Wonderful video Piercarlo. Thank you for posting it. My father worked with Kelly on the aircraft design, when he was in the US Airforce. He retired a Colonel, and flew the 104 and later F4. Two of the Starfighters Aerospace 104s used to be at St. Pete Clearwater, and was always a joy to see them fly. My fathers work with Kelly was related to the 104 original design being too fast, for the pilots. And his contribution was a redesign to make it easier to fly (I laugh watching how busy you are already) as well as a flight training and simulation program/process to teach pilots to handle the workload, and speeds the aircraft was capable of.
Sounds soooo cool! Glad to hear that! The 2 jets in S Pete are now in our hangar, although airworthy, we no longer fly them because it is hard to keep those older ejection seats updated...
What a beast! 83% to maintain airspeed with flap put on a base turn, that’s nuts!
Scary monster. Those tiny little wings needed bleed air to be blown over the flaps, to generate enough lift to stay up at "low" speed.
The flyimg missile - also called the widow maker.
Maybe there is a valve which turns off flaps bleed air under 83% of power.
@@Nikola16789 - no, the flight manual for that aircraft states the BLCS butterfly valve opens when the flap actuator is on LND setting. Manual also recommends holding 88% RPM until the flare, and then smoothly reducing to 83% for touchdown.
@@rinzler9775 Funny enough, the first SLCM was basically a cut down Starfighter -
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SSM-N-9_Regulus_II
One of the things that amazes me about this aircraft is the incredible strength of those paper-thin wings.
Man, short final in that plane looked wild. What a gorgeous jet! Thanks for sharing!
35 years ago, my flight instructor “Bagpipe” (TAF Col. Ret) RIP, took me up in a similar one. Most amazing flight of my life.
This was wonderful to watch. I remember often seeing the F104 in the early 80's fly over our house near Nuremburg Germany.
I lived in Baden Baden i watched them everyday
I was visiting my cousins in Brachtendorf in the Eifel in the late 1960s. Loud bangs could be heard every day when they broke the sound barrier. I assume they took off from the nearby Büchel airfield. Memories.
My Grandpa did all the testing for this aircraft, he also was a big part of the Zell launch program in West Germany. Eldon Brown "Brownie" was his call sign. I miss him dearly!
"Man in a Missle"
Now I know why they are called this!
This is one of my all time favorites. So many records and I think the first multi record holder. So nice to them still flying.
What are some of the main reasons these flew for so long.....and well....still do?
Thank you Mr. Ciacchi!
Fly well but landing... different story ask the Germans they lost loads in landing accidents.
@@foxxy46213 my dad is from bavaria and hes still joking about it: i you want a starfighter you just need a pond and patience lol
@@foxxy46213 The aircraft was very different from any of its predecessors. All Air Forces that utilized it had high accident rates until the training caught up....
@@PiercarloCiacchi Thank you so much for sharing this video - you are a fantastic pilot and it was wonderful to listen to you explain what was happening. Happy flying Sir.
Sean and I served together in the USAF 53rd Fighter Squadron in Germany. Great video, cool jet and awesome missions by your Starfighter crew.
Freitag is a great dude for sure. Prost Sean!
Please make more flight videos like this with the F104!! Legendary plane!!
I love this! The 104 has always been one of my all time favorite planes ever!
Excellent video. When Piercarlo Ciacchi started talking, I immediately thought, "They guy must be a former F-104 pilot with the Italian AF" as they flew them well into the 80s
Yes very true. We flew them until 2005 in Italy....in 1980 i was 5 lol.
Great to see all the how it is done shots! I still remember standing just below a Starfighter afterburner pass at Zestienhoven airport at an airshow somewhere around 1985 (I was 20).
I was torn between covering my ears and taking a picture with my camera. Covering my ears won, although my chest was shaken anyway, man that sound! I did love it though 🙂Later i spend 1.5 years doing my military service in the Dutch airforce, experienced the phasing out of the Northrop NF-5 (T-38 like), those were so elegant! And the the adoption of the F-16's, beautiful (still!)
But the sheer power of the F-104, the rocket with wings is just amazing (I had a 1:32 scale model in my teens)
Just my opinion...the F-5 and F-104 are the sexiest looking fighters ever made. Sooooo Sleek.
@@AirMorgan. I do not disagree!
I served with Sean in the USAF, stationed in Germany during the 1990s. Keep 'em flying sarge!
Worked on F104s at George AFB in the 60tys😎😎
Piercarlo, grazie per condividere le senzazioni a bordo dello Spillone 🚀 😊👍🇮🇹🍻
Favorite jet when I was a kid. Thanks for the video!
My dad was a F-104 pilot......amazing AC
What a great video, thanks for taking us along!
This is by far the coolest video i've seen in a long time. This Jet is bonkers. I had no idea the speeds and power required to keep this thing in the air. thanks for sharing! subscribed.
the F-104 was/is a sexy plane! thanks for a great video Piercarlo! that was an incredible ride (from my couch). Grazie!
Fantastic. Thanks for the flight.
This is one of the most incredible videos I've ever seen. You are just an incredible airman and it is so entertaining seeing you be an absolute expert in such a remarkable aircraft.
I’ve never seen one flown before, just fantastic. I have loved the looks of these since I was a little girl! Thanks.
your my kind of girl...are you taken yet? ha ha...
Great video! I saw the F-104s of the starfighter demo team once as a kid back in the late 90s early 2000s. Loved seeing it from the pit with the commentary. Looking forward to more videos like this.
Starfighter is one of my favorite planes!!!♥️
A rare insight. Thankyou. :)
Thanks for taking the time to make and share this absolutely awesome video 😎
What an absolutely brilliant insight into flying this amazing aircraft.
That was fantastic!
Thanks for taking me along!
Amazing! Thanks so much and great job guys!
As a Canadian, I have a love for the F-104, such a beautiful plane.
Best looking and sounding jet ever! Awesome video!
I just cannot think of anything more amazing than being allowed to fly the hottest airplane ever built.
Beautiful video! Thank you for sharing this wonderful aircraft!
Thanks guys, that was loads of fun to watch.
Excellent video, one of the best I've seen.
Such a beast! As a young kid, I loved the F-104. Wonderful video! Thank you for keeping this beautiful bird alive and flying
Grazie! I tuoi video sono entusiasmanti, io amo il 104! E' un'emozione unica ogni volta! 🤙
Wow. Incredible. Thank you so much for taking us with you.
Thank you Darkstar! I will try to do more as more flights with "no customer" become available!
Fantastic video! So glad to see a starfighter up and flying well done
Già! ....è come guidare una Autobianchi Bianchina con sopra un 12 cilindri Ferrari....ci vuole competenza e tanto Coraggio !!! Stupendo aereo e quanto longevo, Grazie Mr Ciacchi per questa bellissima condivisione. Nic from IT
My gosh, all these years later, an absolutely beautifully stunning a/c!🙏🏻
Just a flying work of art. Beautiful !
I've been to 40 airshows in New England, and I've only seen this type fly once. I'll never forget it. I read somewhere the leading edge of the wing is as sharp as a razor.
Sloane, this is true. My Father was an F4 pilot with the RAF and organised the RAF Leuchars air display. There was a German 104 Starfighter that came in to do a display. We walked around the aircraft parked up due to display the next day and amongst them was the 104. I couldn’t believe how sharp the leading edge was! The other highlight was a Mosquito that I had a chance to look in the cockpit of. As a kid it was a dream world!
That was the best pilot I have ever watched. Great stuff thank you !
In Italy we call it the "flying coffin", a friend of mine, liutenant of the 36th italian fighter squadron, died in 1997 during the take off for engine failure...
In 26 years of service we had a dead pilot every year...
many more in car accidents.
Thanks for the great video, brings back memories of working on the instrument systems. I was lucky enough to be stationed at George AFB 1963 / 1965 with 104 C’s & D’s. During this time, we took a squadron to Moron Spain, two squads to Da Nang Vietnam, & then to Taiwan. Loved that plane, one of Kelly Johnson’s ‘Skunk Works’ creations!
Awesome walk through video. Thanks
WOW! That was incredible!
Very nice and informative video Piero!!! Always like to see your vids, like you be there with you!!! Enjoyed every minute of it!!!
As a kid I grew up in a small rural village next to an airbase where a squadron of these was in operation in the 70's. I saw them fly almost daily ... I dreamed of being and astronaut and flying one of these one day. It never happened, I became an astronomer instead and my most daring mission was raising my two daughters as a single dad. I don't regret a thing, and watching this was a treat😊Thanks for sharing!
Brilliant video. Thanks for uploading
What a beast. you can't beat these old birds thanks for sharing
Wonderful! Wonderful! The inside shots, one cannot see any wings!
Consummate professional and supremely qualified in the F-104. Fantastic video, BRAVO!
One the greatest videos ever. Thank you all.
Wow, one of the best onboards I've seen for a long time. I normally fly a Piper Saratoga, but have had a couple of instructor flights in a Folland Gnat and a Hawker Hunter that were awesome. A flight in an F-104 is definitely on my bucket list. Probably never happen but we can dream, with the help of such videos, thank you! :)
That was just the best. I felt like I was getting lessons but so much to take in.
Che bel video, grazie Piercarlo di condividere questi contenuti.🛩
🔥Starfighter🔥
Unreal. You sir are blessed to have the skills to fly this beauty.
Black Beauty indeed, what a sexy airplane! Thanks for sharing the ride footage!
Awesome video, Pier! You explain everything so well!
Irritating voice and accent
Nice flight! Hard to believe that tiny wing keeps that rocket in the air. Great mini lesson Mr.Ciacchi!😎
Fascinating! I can't be the only person watching this with my head over to the right though? 🤣
Beautiful aircraft! I remember seeing these in the 70's.
Great looking example, and a TF..
That's pretty special to see in 2022..
And with R&D, wow. I can think of more then one reason why..
Thank you for the video
Great video! One of my favorite planes!
Thank you for this detailed startup and flight video. Very nice airplane. Very good camera shots...
Your instructions are so great that I think I can fly one. Beautiful aircraft. Thank you
Great! I saw the first two-seater a few years back!
Brilliant. Thank you.