Balls....

http://www.aerodrome-gruyere.ch/video/touch-roll-touch/

That looked like a particularly good way to be one of the legion of excellent aviators killed in 104s.

Missile with a man in it!

I remember seeing the Italians still flying the F104s out of NAS Sigonella in 1990.



Holy Shit!

From Wiki:

The operational service of the Starfighter ended with its retirement by the Italian Air Force in May 2004, some 46 years after its introduction in 1958 by the USAF.

Youth is wasted on the young......  

I know who Bob Dornan is





 

What nations insignia is on the Starfighters?  Belgium?

F-104 was one of my favorites a real hot rod of the skys for it's day at Mach 2, but not too good a dogfighter (those tiny wings gave it speed, but took from it's ability to maneuver.  

The Red Chinese shot down a couple of US F-104s in Vietnam, and the Pakistanis lost a fair number to India in combat.

Kind of a Major Bummer too with the Lockheed Downward Firing Ejection Seat.  

It was "Zero-Zero" seat and situation.   As in  "Zero" clearance to use it when you most needed it (landing or take off or low level attack missions) (the main use of the European Star Fighters), so pilots have about "Zero" chance to get out alive.

Glad the Euro Users went to a true Zero - Zero upward firing seat to give the pilot a chance.