I mean they have to offer group rates right?

Starfighters offers flight training and backseat time in an F-104. Gotta' figure out how much blood I can part with. Maybe I have a friend or two I can sell to human traffickers...something.

I'm sure my wife would be fine with it. I have good life insurance.

quote:

F-104 FLIGHT TRAINING INSTRUCTION OVERVIEW

This limited-access flight training is designed to enhance confidence and flight safety through comprehensive ground training sessions and back-seat flight operations. This course provides a one-on-one overview of the aircraft’s key systems, pre-flight, in-flight and post-flight procedures, safety protocols, physiological and human factors, and the fundamentals of piloting the legendary F-104.

The time required to complete F-104 Flight Training varies, but in general, pilots should allow at least three days to complete the program.

Training Includes

Equipment fitting and operation, egress and ejection seat training, life raft and survival training, ground school, cockpit familiarization and pre-flight and post-flight briefings.

that would be a hoot

Yep. Hootin' and howlin' in a Zipper.

Back-seat only? Better be giving a pretty good discount for that.

I am down! I have a left testicle I can part with.

Yep, riding a missile with tiny wings would be a rush. I couldn't afford the fuel for a 30 second flight let alone a longer one, so it'll never happen.

Jim

Those tiny wings had such a sharp leading edge that they were covered to protect ground crews from injuries.

quote:

Originally posted by Jimbo54:
Yep, riding a missile with tiny wings would be a rush. I couldn't afford the fuel for a 30 second flight let alone a longer one, so it'll never happen.

Jim

Aw c'mon. don't give up. 30 seconds would only cost about 12 dollars or so...for the fuel that is. LOL. You got this.

I have a friend who flew a lot of the old Century series fighters, with a lot of time in the F-102 and F-106's.

He told me when he did his transition into the F-104 he had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach the entire time. Did not like the aircraft at all.

Dammit, I did NOT need to see this! I've always loved the F-104.

quote:

Originally posted by Jimbo54:
Yep, riding a missile with tiny wings would be a rush. I couldn't afford the fuel for a 30 second flight let alone a longer one, so it'll never happen.

Jim

The F-104 flys like a wad of keys.

I have good news and bad news.

The good news is that they will offer SIGForum members a special group rate if 15 members sign up.

The bad news is all 15 members have to fly in the back seat at the same time.

I used to watch the F104's fly out of CFB Cold Lake all the time - what a rush watching them take off, as much fun watching them land...

spindly little gear

got a chance to see them up close and sat in the cockpit of a lot of them - all slightly different

the visibility with the canopy down was pretty spectacular - you were sitting right up front and on top - almost nothing to obstruct the view except directly over the nose

If I remember right, you wore a pair of spurs on your flight boots that were connected to the take up reels at the bottom of the ejection seat, if you had to leave the airplane while it was still in the air it yanked your feel to the seat so they wouldn't flail about

The don't say how much the sessions are on their website - I am guessing is a $20,000 experience

24 October 1977 - F-104RB - Red Baron - Darryl Greenamyer - World absolute low altitude speed record of 988.26 mph (1.590.5kmh)

With his own build hybrid F-104 Starfighter powered by a former US NAVY Phantom J-79 engine, Darryl managed to reach an official world absolute low altitude speed record of 988.26 mph (1,606km/h) at Mud Lake near Tonopah, Nevada.

Link to F104 Records:
http://www.i-f-s.nl/f-104-records/


Wiki link on F104 low altitude record
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N104RB_Red_Baron

quote:

Originally posted by nhtagmember:
The don't say how much the sessions are on their website - I am guessing is a $20,000 experience

Does that include the checkride for the type rating?

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:
Those tiny wings had such a sharp leading edge that they were covered to protect ground crews from injuries.

I've been up close to a few of them, and those leading edges are just as sharp as advertised. The last one I saw had metal shields attached to the leading edges, but there was a slight gap that allowed us to rub our fingers on them. The people with me were amazed at how sharp they were.

Surprising to me was that the cockpit was actually quite roomy, especially compared to the F4-C Phantom II, which was cramped by comparison. I fit in the F-104, but not the F4-C.

During the time I was flash frozen at K.I. Sawyer, the Canucks would come down and visit us with the Starfighter. When they left they often did a high speed climb. I wanted to break out in song with O Canada!

I will have to read their website again - might be nice to get a type rating on a 104, but where can you actually use it?



getting seat qualified and going through the high altitude chamber isn't a huge deal...

quote:

Originally posted by nhtagmember:
I will have to read their website again - might be nice to get a type rating on a 104, but where can you actually use it?

You can never tell when it might come in handy.

^^^^^^^^
https://www.trade-a-plane.com/...4270&s-type=aircraft