Sadly, I just found out that my dad, Lt. Col. Ed Gund, USAF (Ret'd) passed away on 01 Jan 2021. Dad was in the initial cadre of F-104 IP's at Luke AFB, AZ in the mid 60's. He spent 5 years instructing German pilots. He said he didn't know which was more dangerous-the students or the planes. Dad loved flying the 104. Along with the F-86, the 104 was his favorites. I imagine the "Pearly Gates" got a rude awakening when an ephemeral Starfighter blew past them at mach 2.2. Clear skies and a nice tailwind dad.
Showed this to a family member who flew a 104G. You should have seen the smile on his face watching this. He was pointing out all the gauges on taxiing and clearly loving the flying. There’s something magical about these birds. They look like they’re going Mach 1 parked on the tarmac. Impossibly small razor thin wings. Just an amazing aircraft. That’s for taking us for a flight with you. And thanks for keeping the starfighter airborne
My Dad has over 4,000 hours in the 104 (various USAF and Canadian models) over 18 years of active duty in the Starfighter (4 years in the F100). I wish he was here to watch this video like Bill Gund's dad. Great video that really showcases what that amazing bird could do. Cheers.
Showed this to my dad-he's a 90 yr. young retired 104 IP. You should've seen his eyes take in every detail. He pointed out the altimeter winding up. Still has amazingly good eyesight.
@@xenophagia Dad & I have a standing joke. He flew fighters in th AF for 20 yrs. I served in the Army. When he asked me why I chose the Army over the AF, my reply was I wanted to be able to tell my children I served in the military! He still chuckles over that.
How impressive it is ! This remind me the fantastic airshows back in the 70/80's where the "104" was at the top 5 of the most incredible machines. Thanks for sharing !
Excellent. Cockpit noise level is pretty high. i guess i have always loved "dangerous" aircraft. The F-104 and the B-58 are two of my all time favourites. The sound of those engines and that wonderful and unique mid range Howl of that engine when throttling up or back. i'm former Air Force and i have always had a love affair with aircraft. Thanks for posting this.
ciao piercarlo. That reminds me, when we were in vacation in golfo di piombino, tuscany in the eighties. F104-pilots from grosseto made a little airshow for the people on the beach. First you could see a small static point just above the horizon close above the sea. Suddenly the point gets a small black cloud around and it becomes bigger. Seconds later the F104 reaches the beach in about 300ft, climbs up on the flames of the afterburner, and the noise is like hell on earth :-)
@@paidgovernmentshill_6950 Sorry sport, the F-104 climb rate is 50,000 ft/min, at par with the amazing EE Lightning. So, they both climb like a bat out of hell!
Such an iconic airplane I was lucky enough to see it fly along with the blackbird when I took my son then around thirteen years old to a air display at Greenham Common in the early eighties sadly we lost our son to cancer nine years ago but we do have wonderful memories
Ciao, da Friulano e da ex Armiere del 22° Gruppo Caccia Intercettori di Istrana, un caro saluto a Te e a tutti gli specialisti del tuo bellissimo gruppo "Starfighters" in America.
Spettacolo Comandante davvero impressionante. Spero un giorno di poterla venire a trovare in Florida ed ammirare da vicino il 104 ancora funzonante. Mi fa emozionare quando la vedo volare anche solo nello schermo del pc.
Ero con il Gen. Mainini e con tanti altri, il 13 aprile a Cape Canaveral . . . Grazie Piercarlo Ciacchi per averci fatto sognare con un tuo volo sullo "spillone" !
I remember being a child in Italy in the 70’s so many F104 flying and at quite low level too!!! I miss the sight... I am very interested to know what has been done to update cockpit and avionics: there is a nice LCD in the middle with some kind of GPS Map, it seems...
This is one of my favorite aircraft of all time and I had the opportunity to met a guy that flew these back in the 1960s. He told me that they were originally designed to come off the ground and climb to 40 thousand feet in 2 minutes to intercept enemy bombers which he said it was very good for that. But as a dogfighter, forget it!.... he told me because of the short stubby wings it was just not a tight turning aircraft and made a joke that it took half the state of Texas to make a 90 degree turn in it. Its biggest asset was its speed, climb an altitude it could reach. It also had short-range but he went on to tell me that of all the aircraft he flew this was his favorite
I used to be at McConnell AFB in Wichita, KS. to pickup a friend who worked there. I saw 104's landing from the pattern and as i remember ( it was a long time ago) i was amazed at how close to a stall they were landing. The plane's tail was very low at a high angle of attack. Does anyone know if that's the way they land or is my memory faulty? Yeah, this jet is basically a rocket ship. Kelly Johnson and staff struck again.
Remember the 104 at Edwards AFB in 59 ,dont walk into the wing Ha. they looked to be all eng and fuel tanks. Had to help pick up one up on sad day RIP.
Well sir, it is a joy to watch your videos and see mastering different airplanes ✈️, but it has been a long time since the last one. When are you posting again? Thanks 🙏
Penso che poter continuare a volare su quella macchina anche dopo un'esperienza da militare, debba essere una gran bella soddisfazione. È vero piacere poter vedere questi video. Grazie
I'm just curious, how much it takes to keep a vintage jet like this airworthy? I mean the engine maintenance alone, how many J79s are their left in the world
I think the F4 Phantom had a similar howl. The Oklahoma National Guard, 1978-1982 had F4 Phantoms and F7 Corsairs at Tulsa International and I loved the howl the F4s had when landing. It sounded almost demonic.
...the company provides special training and Research & Development services. There are 6 airworthy F-104 in the same company, it is based at the Kennedy Space Center ;-)
Wow. That's amazing. My father is a former 104 pilot. So I grew up with a certain excitement for this awesome and unique plane. I will certainly forward the links to him. Thank you very much for the quick reply!
ANYONE know anything about Col. "Bud" Anderson, the first commander of the HSFTC at Murioc after WW2? His book TO FLY AND FIGHT talks about his fun qualification flights in the F-104 above mach 2. I am trying to find out if he really is a cousin of my late father Captain Gordon Chester Anderson, who did not go into testing but left the service the day his golfing buddy Maj. Bong was killed in an early F-80.
F-104 pov cockpit flight recorded in recent tech; an absolute gem for 104 fans, we could appreciate more of these.
looks like the top glass instrument is a "standard" garmin ?
@@fluke9 he means the f-104 using updated standard equipment besides age old equipment
Sadly, I just found out that my dad, Lt. Col. Ed Gund, USAF (Ret'd) passed away on 01 Jan 2021. Dad was in the initial cadre of F-104 IP's at Luke AFB, AZ in the mid 60's. He spent 5 years instructing German pilots. He said he didn't know which was more dangerous-the students or the planes. Dad loved flying the 104. Along with the F-86, the 104 was his favorites.
I imagine the "Pearly Gates" got a rude awakening when an ephemeral Starfighter blew past them at mach 2.2. Clear skies and a nice tailwind dad.
sounds like a great guy and a great life.
Salute
Thanks for sharing, he had a ball Im sure. May he Rest In Peace.
@@kmfiz Probably at the O Club hoisting a few with Chuck Yeager.
@@billgund4532 Yes he is!
Showed this to a family member who flew a 104G. You should have seen the smile on his face watching this. He was pointing out all the gauges on taxiing and clearly loving the flying.
There’s something magical about these birds. They look like they’re going Mach 1 parked on the tarmac. Impossibly small razor thin wings. Just an amazing aircraft. That’s for taking us for a flight with you. And thanks for keeping the starfighter airborne
My Dad has over 4,000 hours in the 104 (various USAF and Canadian models) over 18 years of active duty in the Starfighter (4 years in the F100). I wish he was here to watch this video like Bill Gund's dad. Great video that really showcases what that amazing bird could do. Cheers.
Holy shit is that a lot of time in the same jet. Dude got to fly two of the deadliest jets and lived to tell the tale now that’s bad ass!
On my honeymoon in italy I loved watching the F-104's flying around the country....
Showed this to my dad-he's a 90 yr. young retired 104 IP. You should've seen his eyes take in every detail. He pointed out the altimeter winding up. Still has amazingly good eyesight.
Big hug to him!
@@PiercarloCiacchi Thank you!
@@billgund4532 I thank him for his service!
@@xenophagia Dad & I have a standing joke. He flew fighters in th AF for 20 yrs. I served in the Army. When he asked me why I chose the Army over the AF, my reply was I wanted to be able to tell my children I served in the military! He still chuckles over that.
In that case, your granddad is a badass! :)
How impressive it is ! This remind me the fantastic airshows back in the 70/80's where the "104" was at the top 5 of the most incredible machines. Thanks for sharing !
Mi ricordo di lei quando volava alla PAN, pony 3 5 8 9! Sempre nei cuori Friulani! Spero che lei abbia sempre il Friuli nel suo cuore!
Great memories with my F_104.One of the best aircraft ever 💞🕊️
Salve Com.te non pensavo che lo spillone volava ancora negli USA. Che spettacolo
That zoom climb was incredible. What an aircraft.
A rocket..... more than a plane😅
The altimeter was spinning like crazy during that climb!
You could use the altimeter as a back-up cockpit fan at the rate it was spinning!
How cool an uprated 'glasscockpit' 104! Never knew they did such a thing
You can do anything you like if you re-register the plane as "experimental."
@@mqbitsko25 These specific Starfighters are owned by NASA, so they most definitely had an easier time with getting them upgraded for this.
I don’t think I’ve ever been more jealous of another human being in my life👍
What a bird!
So glad we’ve got on of these airworthy in Norway too. The amazing 637 project. 👍💪
Excellent. Cockpit noise level is pretty high. i guess i have always loved "dangerous" aircraft. The F-104 and the B-58 are two of my all time favourites. The sound of those engines and that wonderful and unique mid range Howl of that engine when throttling up or back. i'm former Air Force and i have always had a love affair with aircraft. Thanks for posting this.
Mamma mia che aereo😍, fossi nato 10 anni prima, l'avrei visto di persona.
ciao piercarlo. That reminds me, when we were in vacation in golfo di piombino, tuscany in the eighties. F104-pilots from grosseto made a little airshow for the people on the beach. First you could see a small static point just above the horizon close above the sea. Suddenly the point gets a small black cloud around and it becomes bigger. Seconds later the F104 reaches the beach in about 300ft, climbs up on the flames of the afterburner, and the noise is like hell on earth :-)
that climb rate is just.....insane
i mean, what do you expect from a Mach 2 interceptor?
The EE Lightning could smoke it ;-)
@@paidgovernmentshill_6950But only for 7 minutes
@@paidgovernmentshill_6950 Rate of climb: F 104: 240m/sec vs Lightning 100m/sec
@@paidgovernmentshill_6950 Sorry sport, the F-104 climb rate is 50,000 ft/min, at par with the amazing EE Lightning. So, they both climb like a bat out of hell!
Such a beautiful and distinct sound.
Such an iconic airplane I was lucky enough to see it fly along with the blackbird when I took my son then around thirteen years old to a air display at Greenham Common in the early eighties sadly we lost our son to cancer nine years ago but we do have wonderful memories
It is called 'a missile with a man in it'.
Fantastic video, thanks for the ride.
Something I would never even dare to hope for... to ride an F-104. Better than I thought. Thanks!
Ciao, da Friulano e da ex Armiere del 22° Gruppo Caccia Intercettori di Istrana, un caro saluto a Te e a tutti gli specialisti del tuo bellissimo gruppo "Starfighters" in America.
The coolest pilot alive... Very rad
Amazing. What a climb rate... wish that was my daily routine! Thanks for sharing!
Spettacolo Comandante davvero impressionante. Spero un giorno di poterla venire a trovare in Florida ed ammirare da vicino il 104 ancora funzonante. Mi fa emozionare quando la vedo volare anche solo nello schermo del pc.
GRANDISSIMO!!! UN SALUTO DAL FRIULI E DA CODROIPO!!! ❤️
Absolutely loved this video, every second of it!
Bellissimo Pier! Il mito Starfighter vive ancora anche grazie a te!
F-104 "Starfighter" ❤️❤️❤️
Bellissimo video Piercarlo, che ricordi quand’eri alle Frecce Tricolori. Un Gran Saluto ☺️☺️☺️👋🏻👋🏻👋🏻 Massimo
The best pilot of f104 are in italian air force!this is Ciacchi!
Grazie!
ma che spettacolo!! Grazie per aver condiviso questo video e complimenti!!!
That saying on the helmet is so lovely !!!!!!!!
Einstein would approve. !!!!!
wow what a great flight with the 104. The flight over the run way and then up to the sky ohhhh man how i like this.
To me the 104 is the most beautiful aircraft in history....love it
It howls not unlike the Avro Vulcan...beautiful.
Ero con il Gen. Mainini e con tanti altri, il 13 aprile a Cape Canaveral . . . Grazie Piercarlo Ciacchi per averci fatto sognare con un tuo volo sullo "spillone" !
I remember being a child in Italy in the 70’s so many F104 flying and at quite low level too!!! I miss the sight... I am very interested to know what has been done to update cockpit and avionics: there is a nice LCD in the middle with some kind of GPS Map, it seems...
Wonderful wonderful, thanks a million.
Thanks. Great Video,Flight,and Airplane---Lockheed F-104 Starfighter.It is my favorite Jet Fighter.
Nice video !my love F104! Taiwan protector！
This is one of my favorite aircraft of all time and I had the opportunity to met a guy that flew these back in the 1960s. He told me that they were originally designed to come off the ground and climb to 40 thousand feet in 2 minutes to intercept enemy bombers which he said it was very good for that. But as a dogfighter, forget it!.... he told me because of the short stubby wings it was just not a tight turning aircraft and made a joke that it took half the state of Texas to make a 90 degree turn in it. Its biggest asset was its speed, climb an altitude it could reach. It also had short-range but he went on to tell me that of all the aircraft he flew this was his favorite
I was there in this type of aircraft.....F-104G and TF-104G In Greece!!!!! Sound is the first!!!! Good Luck!!!
Bellissimo, mi prende il cuore, anche da passeggero un sogno!
Great video, thank you!
Grande! Ricordo lo spettacolo quando si fiondavano nel cielo di notte e vedevi il dardo del postbruciatore sparire di colpo.
Verry good climbing. Old but verry good jet ever
Wow that was great! Thanks for posting!
We need more videos, please, from you. Thanks 🙏
Great video! It is as if the viewer is inside the cockpit!
Come girava l'altimetro!!!! Grazie per aver condiviso!!!!Fa sempre piacere vedere lo spillone!!!!
Very cool... Thanks!! BTW, AgentJZ makes all kinds of videos about the J-79 engine that powers the F-104.
I used to be at McConnell AFB in Wichita, KS. to pickup a friend who worked there. I saw 104's landing from the pattern and as i remember ( it was a long time ago) i was amazed at how close to a stall they were landing. The plane's tail was very low at a high angle of attack. Does anyone know if that's the way they land or is my memory faulty? Yeah, this jet is basically a rocket ship. Kelly Johnson and staff struck again.
Remember the 104 at Edwards AFB in 59 ,dont walk into the wing Ha. they looked to be all eng and fuel tanks. Had to help pick up one up on sad day RIP.
We had them at GAFB Back when I was there in the 60's
Thank you for adjusting the camera angle!
Bonsoir, merci beaucoup pour ce partage.👋👏👍😍😍😍😍
That altimeter! Damn. What a sweet jet.
Spettacolo puro!!
Well sir, it is a joy to watch your videos and see mastering different airplanes ✈️, but it has been a long time since the last one. When are you posting again? Thanks 🙏
Such a shame they’re not operational anymore. What a beautiful aircraft!
Awesome!!
Crazy! New sub! Amazing videos!
How nice is that LCD in the middle! Imagine if they had that with the old F-104!
That would have been the only shitty thing about the F 104 then.👍
For a minute there l thought l was going to have to watch the entire video upside down !
great vidéo
What a beautiful etheral moment at 5:50 - altimeter spinning, Starfighter soaring up to the Sun!
Amazing! That was about 19.5k ft, right? What a cool job. Glad to know you!
How did you get to know him?
Bloody Brilliant. .!!!
Thank you for the awesome videos! Maybe the engineers knew a thing or 2 back in the 1950'S.
the F-104G is my Favorite jet
Please more videos of the F-140
Cool!!!
Penso che poter continuare a volare su quella macchina anche dopo un'esperienza da militare, debba essere una gran bella soddisfazione. È vero piacere poter vedere questi video. Grazie
Amazing to see one work like intended and not loaded with junk and abused as a dive bomber.
If this is former RCAF CF-104D number 632, I took a ride in the back seat in 1964.
It's a newer one from Italian Air Force
Logic will bring you from A to B.
Imagination will bring you everywhere.
Love that ghostly howl !
Nervo 63 Same as on the F 4. That howl I’m referring to. Especially on a bank from a 4 bird approach. I was at McDill on the Phantom in 67.
Up till the stars...simply Starfighter! The rocket fighter
Wow amazing bird !
Great vid, thank you. Looks like she's flying on the pre-stall buffet all the time or is that normal F104 vibration?
Bellissimo Video!
I love the Starpencil!
I'm just curious, how much it takes to keep a vintage jet like this airworthy? I mean the engine maintenance alone, how many J79s are their left in the world
That was great!
While working on them, I wondered a lot what it would be like to fly in one.
I love the plane....
Watching this from inside a cf-104!
Nice quote on the helmet
Hello, what altitude was reached on that ascent? Beautiful video and more beautiful plane, greetings from Costa Rica
Love the F-104 howl!
I think the F4 Phantom had a similar howl.
The Oklahoma National Guard, 1978-1982 had F4 Phantoms and F7 Corsairs at Tulsa International and I loved the howl the F4s had when landing.
It sounded almost demonic.
@@wms1650because it packs the same engine, even better - 2 of them!
Miracle, F-104 with an ND, i never could imagine this. Superb! Is this an Italian F-104?
Pretty sure it is. They'd need to use the newest models
Digital display in an f104, crazy modernization for 50s tech. Well at least minus the BUFF and kc135 lol.
No vabbè.... io vorrei sapere come è possibile il fatto che volate ancora con l'F-104!!! Massimo rispetto e tanto di cappello!!!
What are the two brass bullet shaped objects in the cockpit? Do they blast the canopy open in case if ejection?
Yes Sir!
Nice panel.
Could someone please tell me the story behind the video? How comes he has a flying 104?
www.starfighters.net
www.starfighterstore.com
...the company provides special training and Research & Development services. There are 6 airworthy F-104 in the same company, it is based at the Kennedy Space Center ;-)
....and sometimes i happen to fly it just for recurrency just like this flight in the video.
Wow. That's amazing.
My father is a former 104 pilot. So I grew up with a certain excitement for this awesome and unique plane.
I will certainly forward the links to him.
Thank you very much for the quick reply!
Talk about a lag instrument...that VSI is lagging like crazy during the zoom climb! Was that stick shaker when leveling off after the zoom?
Awesome never seen an altimeter wind up so quick! Why does it vibrate after levelling out after the climb?
ANYONE know anything about Col. "Bud" Anderson, the first commander of the HSFTC at Murioc after WW2? His book TO FLY AND FIGHT talks about his fun qualification flights in the F-104 above mach 2.
I am trying to find out if he really is a cousin of my late father Captain Gordon Chester Anderson, who did not go into testing but left the service the day his golfing buddy Maj. Bong was killed in an early F-80.