THE F-104
Designed in the 1950s by the legendary Kelly Johnson at Lockheed, the F-104 was a ‘right stuff’ jet operated by the U.S. Air Force, NASA, and over a dozen foreign air forces until officially retiring from government service in Italy in 2005. The F-104 can operate at speeds in excess of Mach 2 and holds the current altitude record of 31.6 kilometers. It was the first aircraft to simultaneously hold the world speed and altitude records. Its brute-force flight capabilities made the F-104 a go-to aircraft for NASA astronaut training in the 1960s and gained it the nickname ‘missile with a man in it’ (a tagline subsequently trademarked by Lockheed).
Starfighters’ fleet features some of the latest production F-104 jets, obtained from Italian Air Force along with an inventory of spare parts and support equipment. Our fleet includes both one- and two-seat versions—fully certified/permitted by the FAA.
The Italian-made F-104S is the most capable model, able to achieve sustained speeds of MACH 2.2 in both level and climbing flight profiles, and altitudes in excess of 100,000 feet.
Our jets are maintained by a flight crew that includes aeronautic and aerospace professionals, FAA certified technicians, mechanics, engineers and pilots. Our team also has multi-force, international military experience, able to execute tactical airborne services and dependable support for government and commercial customers.
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