CF-104 D, first flight in 33 years 28.09.2016

[@Nana-rk2xn]

I love the starfighter.. The sound is incomparable.What a fantastic shot.

[@peterfoster3283]

It was 33 years ago in 1984 that I last flew the CF 104D. 658 was the jet. Brings back great memories.

[@zx7gp]

Pics of your bird?

[@liordavidov5227]

Didn't think I'll ever see you here! I like your CF-101 photos over flickr.

[@zx7gp]

Anybody else smile when he rolled it?? Most beautiful fighter ever made.

[@RICKTUNE]

ME! Agreed!

[@Puppunanne]

Roll it last weekend in Pratica di Mare airport in Rome. Togheter with G91 , Efa , f35 . Amazing ..... absolutely amazing !

[@yamahabradley]

Best looking fighter ever.When I was a young teenager and going to Air Cadets in Ottawa, Canada they had a CF104 trainer at Uplands Air Force Base where we could go on Sundays to "fly" the Link trainer. It had a complete full size version of the front of the plane canopy and all. I remember distinctly that when you took off that rotation speed was critical. Using blown flaps and full afterburner the minimum rotation speed was 190 mph and maximum was 230 mph because the tires would disintegrate at higher speeds. Also just before you rotated the gear up you had to touch the toe brakes because for some reason the Canadian built version had slightly larger tires and at maximum rotating speed they would rub on the body as they retracted into the wheel wells if you didn't slow them down. It took me about ten tries to get the sequence right without crashing on take off. In the next room was the tracking room where there was a huge glass plate that had a large map of Eastern Canada. The instructors would ask us to fly a certain program and we would try but the glass had ink pens that would show the intended flight plan and another color would show where we actually flew and of course the plane was so fast and quick handling we would be all over the place Great memories for sure and that's 55 years ago.

[@hankhenry9199]

Very cool Robert, I never new that trainer existed, what an opportunity for a fellow Air Cadet. I was at Cold Lake, home of the CF-104, and my father Capt. C.J. 'Hank" Henry was one of the first instructors in 1961 and later a senior MTU test pilot. On one occasion the thin winter (-40C) grease was put on the axles by my friend LAC Jim Wrigley. Of course it being summer this grease vapourized blowing the main wheels off the axles. When informed of this fact my father opted not to eject and write off a million dollar aircraft, but instead landed the 104 on its main struts and the remaining nose wheel. The fuselage never touched the ground. New struts and wheels were installed and the aircraft flew again. When asked later, Dad said "it was just all in a days work", a very cool pilot. (Larry J. Henry)

[@EagleTwo758]

Was USAF TDY at Cold Lake in 1985. I loved that place! Lol

[@timmotel5804]

The most beautiful fighter aircraft ever built. Great Work Kelly and Team. Wonderful video. Thanks for posting this..

[@DigbyOdel-et3xx]

Agreed beautiful and sexy. There is no other fighter jet like the F-104. I grew up fortunate to see Canadian CF-104's at airshows in the 70's to early 80's. The sound, shape, everything about it is just awesome.🥰

[@timmotel5804]

@@DigbyOdel-et3xx I agree. AND, That SOUND!

[@frankthomas855]

Incredible aircraft, incredible scenery, incredible video!

[@ibidesign]

I wonder how many people on the ground, looking up, had any idea how rare a sight they were blessed to be seeing. Thank you for uploading this and keeping all the audio intact "as is" without layering music over it. Perfect!

[@andrewward9601]

Well done guys, I still can't believe you got a 104 flying again...! Being a licensed aircraft maintenance engineer involved with some historical aircraft flying here in England, I think it would be next to impossible to get a 104 flying in the U.K. I rebuilt the black Hawker Hunter WV318 that is resident in Norway and even they are still grounded! Well done chaps...!!

[@DennisRayWingo]

They could have just done like the guy in California did, take the engine out of an F-15 and stick it on. Heard that the USAF was very pissed as that engine made it faster than the F-15's... :)

[@tbwpiper189]

Even today, the CF104 looks sleek and lethal.

[@mega12ax72]

Wow excellent video of my favorite plane the F-104 Starfighter😎 Gives me warm chills down my back👍👍👍

[@ringofthebrave]

I cannot tell what is more beautiful. The landscape or the aircraft.

[@christophergeorge8800]

IT STILL CAN'T BE BEAT FOR THE FASTEST CLIMB TO MAX ALTITUDE RECORD. GOD SPEED KELLY JOHNSTON.

[@Lavaman3682]

BEAUTIFUL. This. The SR71. The Beech Staggerwing. Prettiest 3 ever. And 2 are Kelley Johnson designs. I would love to hear one of these overfly me someday. Beautiful film.

[@StevePenney34]

Thanks for making this video. I was lucky enough as an RCAF Photo Tech to sit in the back of a CF-104D based in Baden-Solingen, for 8 flights over southern Germany. Quite a thrill and seeing essentially what I saw is fantastic. I remember once using a Pentax SLR to photograph a flight of 16 104s rehearsing for a flyby for some big military event.....the day of the event the area was below minimums and the flight was scrubbed but my pilot decided to do a solo flyby anyway...then, near the Autabahn we almost collided with a Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane hauling something slung underneath at low altitude in the mist.

[@TimmyBoyAZ]

Stephen, you wouldn't be referring to the Prince Phillip Presentation of Colours in 1973, would you? If so, my Dad was the lead jet in that flyover.

[@agemeijer5123]

I saw and heard this well designed fighter-jet in the 70's up in the skies in Fryslân. At Leeuwarden airfield they took the sky. The sound they produced while getting airborne was incredible. Windows in the houses were shaking when these aircrafts went supersonic. The silhouette of his plane is unsurpassed. Yes the F4 Phantom I also a beauty. The F104 is still my favorite. Great plane, small wings, high speed, sharp edge, thunderous presence, sharp design.

[@bchuntfish]

Love this jet, my uncle worked on them for the RCAF back in the 70's.

[@jonjonmanner3148]

My Dad Was part of the 58th Tactical Fighter Training Wing, Fighting 69th,back at Luke AFB,IN Pheonx,AZ in THE 70S,I grow up with this plane,man it brings back memories,THANK YOU

[@TVBSZ]

Jonjon Manner This is the Canadair CF-104 Starfighter built under licence for the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Cold War.

[@TimmyBoyAZ]

Hi JonJon...My Dad was in the same squadron at the same time. In fact, the F-104 on static display at Luke AFB has my dad's name on the side of it. I live about a mile from Luke in Litchfield Park. If your dad is (hopefully) still with us, ask him if he know Gary Blake. Cheers!

[@TimmyBoyAZ]

DJ TVBS...correct! Our time on Exchange with the RCAF in Baden Solingen Germany in the mid-70s was one of our favorite assignments. My dad was with the 439 Tigers...great people...great times.

[@Kestrel-zc1du]

wonderfull video, wonderfull aircraft, wonderfull work You done, thank You guys!

[@jamesmagnum]

Kudos for the effort and great footage, thanks for sharing.

[@teddyjuliussen5534]

Its nice to see the 104 I worked on in my past in RDAF coming to life again in Norwegan colours

[@perseus9968]

Wow, amazing video and the coolest plane ever IMHO. When I was a kid I used to spot the italian F104S almost everyday at an Airbase nearby and I still remember the howl of the J79-11A of the F104G, then replaced by the F104S, F104ASA and F104ASA-M. The italian wings kept the glorious F104 in service until 2003 ! Unbelievable.

[@WCOG053]

Wow! What a gorgeous jet!

[@stuckzipr]

Wow RoNAF! Excellent work! Now we need to see a flypast with F-35, F-16, and F-104!!

[@vanbeekzwart]

Amazing!! Well done!

[@ottovombaum2993]

Great. I love this plane! It has the best design ever!

[@RGB06084]

It's beautiful where ever this was shot.

[@rvborgh]

i have fond memories of the F-104 drone drowning out my dad's sermons in Taiwan when i was young :) What a beautiful aircraft.

[@clayvanalstyne7805]

Coolest jet engine howl ever!!!

[@pedrorafaelp]

its amazing how norweigians keept preserved all this time that aircraft and put it back sussesfully in operational conditions.

[@JohnS916]

Something about the F104 that inspires a lot of airplane buffs. It defines where "mean machine" came from. Great work my Nordic kin, per Ancestry.com!

[@walhalladome5227]

What a cool airplane.

[@matsewunderlich]

INCREDIBLE !!!!! Thumbs Up! in 10Km Distance to my Home (Germany) there were based the Canadian Air Force F-104`s (I think till 1986) after this Time... F-18...Since 1995 the Airport is Civil called FKB - Now we have here the "Starfighter Museum"... so cool to see this Plane flying in 2016 !

[@jwaustinmunguy]

matse wunderlich You must live near 4 Wing, Baden Solengin. My brother Dave went to the Canadian High School there for one year.

[@matsewunderlich]

Hallo John, this is correct - and now this is called FKB (Airport=Flugplatz-Karlsruhe-Baden) if you look to my KZbin Channel here we have still interesting Traffic.

[@BsEIYxin]

Landing that thing for the first time without an instructor must be terrifying :D

[@Thunder_6278]

Damn, she looks good. over 70 years old, still cuts a figure. With new avionics, radar and improved engine, this can be a 4 1/2 Gen fighter. Wonder if Lockheed-Martin is watching.

[@jksmithiii]

What an awesome aircraft...

[@syl19281]

Really cool aircraft 🇨🇦👍

[@rovo7249]

awesome

[@sanfranciscobay]

On the radio prior to take off, the F16 Pilot said to the F104 Pilot "Please don't make me look slow."

[@1MrErling]

F-104 = one of the fastes jetfighters, ever!

[@peterlaanguila6089]

Oh man, that howl!

[@Condor1970]

That's not an airplane. It's a missile with a human being strapped onto it. Oh, if only I was a multi-multi-millionaire. :o)

[@pongo1969]

Well said! It was a fantastic job of Kelly Johnson

[@MisteriosGloriosos922]

nice!!!

[@sanfranciscobay]

Was this video taken from the F16 that was flying next to the F104?

[@tommyhvalberg]

SanFranciscoBay yes.

[@alexstewart9068]

Badass

[@fordkrazy100]

awesome aircraft...ahead of its time

[@backpackerthrulife8497]

The F-104 is basically a huge jet engine with small wings and cockpit.

[@edletain385]

Did Norway do something to the engine? It didn't sound like the RCAF 'Starfighter moan' I remember from CFB Cold Lake.

[@telosfd]

Excellent video. how many kilometers is that runway?

[@espenjoh]

telosfd length is about 3 kilometres + 600 meter asphalt before threshold that mil aircraft uses.

[@timdowling9196]

Beautiful plane- what was the chase plane that the video was taken from?

[@ThePaulv12]

Didn't you notice? For landing the clip is nicely changed to a ground camera. The chase plane appears to be a two seat F-16.

[@tommyhvalberg]

The chase plane is indeed a f16.

[@mafumix]

F104 forever

[@1MrErling]

Who are the 7 stupids with 'thumb down'?

[@Mike-01234]

F-104 was all engine couple of fins on each side called wings.

[@shaunwatchorn3814]

The award for stating the obvious goes to ........

[@larsgottlieb]

Here, they were affectionally called pregnant hairpins mounted with razor blades ..

[@rossdiehl6022]

pilots called them "gillete razor blades"

[@falconeaterf15]

Is the F 35 really that bad Canada?

[@sanfranciscobay]

0:38 The video says 75 seconds in afterburner. In Full Afterburner, the J79 Turbine Engine burns 1.5-2 gallons per second at $5 per gallon. 75 seconds x 2 gallons per second = 150 gallons x $5 per gallon = $750 worth of fuel burned in 75 seconds. Have you gas credit car ready at all times.

[@docwill184]

SanFranciscoBay Thanks, fuel management is real interesting Hw many lbs./gal. does it carry and how long can it stay aloft

[@docwill184]

SanFranciscoBay what's the burn at cruise?

[@jamesmccleery4999]

JP is about 7 lb/gal, this AC did not have long legs!

[@sanfranciscobay]

Your answer may be found here: www.airplanedriver.net/study/f104.htm

[@rossdiehl6022]

like the calif. hot rodders say "speed costs money, how fast do you want to go?"

[@ApoTroll]

*tears*

[@ThePaulv12]

How's the high landing speed? F-far out.

[@rossdiehl6022]

Quite tolerable

[@wadeadams2775]

Wats rotation? Just over 200 mph? So..240 over the numbers...then 50% lower..don't wait for ground effect

[@sblack48]

Is this a private aircraft or did the air force get it airworthy? If it was the airforce what was the reason?

[@espenjoh]

Private owned.

[@rossdiehl6022]

the norwegians were very pleased with the 20 years the F-104 was in the inventory. The 104 was in the inventory for 7 years before they lost their first 104 Then they lost 4 a/c, one guy accounted for 3 of them.

[@rossdiehl6022]

They were very happy with the 20 yrs.of service out of the 104.

[@kimisdaman]

It would have been cool to have the crews do a "LeMans start", and see who had the wheels in the well, first.

[@MicrophonicFool]

I know this is a very Canadian thing to say... I couldn't tell from the video whether this was a 104 purchased from lockheed or whether was one built by Canadair. For us there is a very real difference.

[@espenjoh]

Hi, this was purchased from Canada, and built by Lockheed. Canada didn`t have a production line for two seaters. So CF doesn't always mean built in Canada....

[@rossdiehl6022]

eventually the engines were canadian, lovenly assembled and slightly more powerful

[@mikepeebles924]

looks too good to be true looks like battlestar galactica animation I hope it is real

[@dominiqueroudier9401]

3:58 risky .. business for caméraman🙋👍👍 remember XB70 valkyrie

[@altonriggs2352]

Product of the Skunk Works.

[@52templar]

Nice airplane. I prefer in the unpainted version. A small missile.

[@wingwalker13]

...yippie!! :-)

[@jimgroves3752]

wingwalker13 y

[@zacktong8105]

Boy this was the toughest fighter aircraft to fly ever built. Look at the short wing span. The Germans lost lots of them.

[@Keyswiz71]

They did, but when Johannes Steinhoff had them grounded the investigation found it wasn't so much the aircraft that was the problem, it was more training and procedures that were suspect due to the complexity of the F-104 over the previous generation of aircraft operated by the Bundeswehr. Once they ironed out those issues, the attrition rate fell markedly and by 1967 there were just 2.4 accidents per 10,000 flying hours which compares very favourably with other NATO air forces of the period. I definitely recommend the book "German Starfighters" by Klaus Kropf which discusses the operational problems the German military encountered in the early days of the F-104's service.

[@longsweep1]

Is this bird still in flying condition? Because I can't find any news about that current situation

[@MagnarNordal]

It has been grounded since November 2018 because the ejection seats need new rockets.

[@xfire7]

@ 1.06 a bird passes between them .

[@GVBiggs524]

I saw a tail hook on the belly when they did a fly under to inspect the undercarriage in flight, that would make this 104 an 'E' model,

[@rossdiehl6022]

Sorry Gary, they all had hooks

[@siegfriedgreif1533]

Da die Starfighter nach 2016 fliegen konnten diese nicht so schlecht gewesen sein wie ihr Ruf.

[@whirledpeas3477]

All is great except a 104 should be silver

[@Kvannkjos]

This was the color used by the Norwegian Air Force when this aircraft was in service.

[@karinlefevre9988]

Want to own an F-104? Buy some land in Germany HAHAHAHAHA!

[@TimmyBoyAZ]

Not funny. Unless dead fighter pilots is a laughing matter. I have a sense of humor, but when you know some of the effected families...not funny.

[@rossdiehl6022]

toward the end of the 104^s they had a smaller accident rate than the F-4.

[@MrRathel]

Whats the big deal? It seems that this people like to burn money with this thing.

[@12vibaba]

it has to be in your blood to understand

[@crazeeborg]

I absolutely love this a/c. It should be nicknamed F-104 Howler