How does a 7500 foot runway look from a Lockheed F-104 on final?

[@michaelsullivan1131]

I've been a pilot for most of my life. I think what inspired me was one day when I was five I saw four F-104s polished to a bright silver flying in formation over my house. They looked so amazing like spaceships. Starfighter was the perfect name. It was also the 1st fighter I got to sit in at an Air Force recruiting display. The wings were so sharp that they had to put covers over the leading edges. One thing I've learned over the years is it takes an extreme level of skill to fly the Starfighter. Flying one puts Mr. Ciacchi in the top echelon of pilots. World class. Thank you for keeping these pieces of history flying. And a thank you to Kelly Johnson (RIP) who designed this plane with a pencil and a slide rule. A true genius.

[@alanluscombe8a553]

Starfighters were such a neat looking plane for sure. I fly a pitts special and am building a sopwith pup from the airdrome company and the guy helping me is a retired starfighter pilot and he can fly anything

[@quackgarage9551]

You guys are heroes for keeping this thing flying. A real tribute to the aviation world.

[@perseus068]

Thanks Piercarlo & Co. for keeping the legend Alive. Please keep posting. Ciao

[@clintcannon1902]

My first thought was "that plane is thirty years older than the guy flying it". Nice video, well done.

[@PiercarloCiacchi]

ahahhahah unfortunately yes, and i am more worried about the pilot's age lol

[@samaipata4756]

Flying this rocket with foot rests, truly requires skill. Wonderful video thank you for sharing!😁👍🫶🇧🇬

[@gunterschneider8944]

Thank you Piercarlo, this brings back wonderful memories of many great flights in the F-104G (German Navy!)!!

[@PiercarloCiacchi]

That is awesome!!!

[@geekstradamus1548]

Is it true the Luftwaffe used them in n a ground attack role? Seems crazy. And thanks for your part in preventing WWIII!

[@gunterschneider8944]

@ Yes, the German Air Force and German Navy used the F-104G as Fighter Bombers and Recce aircraft.

[@binglamb2176]

Fantastic! I used to love watching the RCAF CF-104s here in Canada.

[@philippepalmers8132]

Thank you for sharing these beautiful and spectacular images with us !

[@robert-wr6md]

Beautiful. i love these little videos.

[@mustangsandwich]

I love the footage you are putting on on this amazing aircraft.

[@madbager1]

You guys are doing great work with an amazing aircraft 💪💯

[@federicopalazzi8462]

Che meraviglia! Please more…MORE OF THIS!!

[@bluehornet6752]

Used to fly out of KTIX quite a bit about 20 years or so ago. Doesn't look like that helicopter school is still in operation there, on the east side of the runway. In fact it looks as though there have been lots of changes. Great video, thanks!

[@dorsetdawn2652]

Crazy plane flown by a crazy Italian, what could go wrong! A Lot of scandals and deaths behind that plane, so hard to see past it, but still an amazing video. Being half Italian myself ( my wife and son) I can say Italians are some of the best engineers in the world, people just see the Pizza and spaghetti, but when Italians puts their mind to engineering, they have no competition! I have worked with engineers almost of every nationality in the world, but in engineering Italians are in a class of their own.

[@flyboy712]

I agree. My plane is Italian and wonderful, the Siai-Marchetti SF 260.

[@adrianpeters2413]

Totally agree , just try their cars ..I.e. LANCIA ...

[@kdavidsmith1]

The F-104 is an American aircraft

[@ShovelMonkey]

I absolutely love that hotrod!

[@bertg.6056]

I would love to come to Florida to watch you guys flight this incredible aircraft. Great video!

[@grassorob]

Che spettacolo! Grazie per la meravigliosa e preziosissima condivisione !

[@LaserGuy64]

I loved watching these while I was stationed in the EU.

[@Mr1963corvette]

The 104 along with the B 57 Hustler were such beautiful designed airplanes and fast. They looked sharp especially in the my polished silver aluminum skin. And only experienced and excellent pilots could fly them well.

[@Cajundaddydave]

That F104 is a rocket ship with winglets. One of my dream aircraft as a young model maker.

[@av8rlyfe172]

Nicely done Pier! Thanks for sharing.

[@goatflieg]

What I would have given to be one of the guys holding short, watching your final approach. A memory for the ages!

[@interrestrial9815]

Okay, at last, I feel a twinge of envy. What a challenge and fun. Good video.

[@joeheitz1833]

One of the coolest things I've seen on the KZbins in a while...

[@grafhilgenhurst9717]

Question: How does a 7500 foot runway look to an F-104? Answer: Too short!

[@jaym8027]

I think I'd like the Lake Bed at Edwards. That's one fast airplane.

[@nerd2814]

That's MD-11 speeds this thing lands at, and the MD-11 amongst airliners was also notorious for high takeoff and landing speeds

[@grafhilgenhurst9717]

@@nerd2814 Somewhere I read that for runways less than 9000 feet, a drag chute was required!

[@craigwall9536]

Again: thank you for these precious videos!

[@JamesJoseph-u1y]

wow! That approach is REALLY flat! Nice video. Thanks for posting.

[@FlightSimMuseum]

Beautiful view, thanks for sharing!

[@valtermoras4317]

Complimenti per il video. Sempre una bella emozione vedere lo Starfighter che dopo più di 40 anni di guardiano dei cieli in Italia continua a volare.

[@mcahill135]

It’s called a “short field runway” for the F-104 Starfighter!😁

[@DNModels]

Keep those coming. They are priceless!!!

[@wokeupandsmellthecoffee214]

Fantastic this deserves a sub, lovely footage off a classic.

[@kwebmail2007]

A decade or more ago I lived on a flight path for PIE and I still remember being outside testing out a new camera lens when I heard this weird howl/whistle and as I watched, a pair of F-104's came into view. Probably have a few photos somewhere but it was a cool, serendipitous experience. These planes sound amazing.

[@dustinpierson490]

No HUD and working all the way through the groove. So fun fun to watch fast Vref approaches...

[@RuiPlaneSpotter]

Fantastic 👍🏼

[@clay1883]

I love the looks and sound of the F-104. I realize that you can't take a nap flying this one! It's not a Cessna150. My other favorite is the F-4 Phantom .Thanks for the ride.

[@elmoreglidingclub3030]

I’ve done e a go-around and landed at KTIX in a T-33. (Video on KZbin). Cool place. Cool plane, the 104. Nice video!!

[@Steu.-rl6ev]

Oh che piacere,che bel mestiere... come mi piacerebbe essere un pilota del formidabile Starfighter...mi affascina fin da quando ero bambino,andavamo al mare in veneto negli anni 80 e se ne vedevano una fraccata,anche a fare passaggi a quote non troppo alte e velocità mostruosa,con inevitabile risultato acustico!bei tempi e tanta nostalgia...😢

[@dwightholland5067]

Love it! Great sequence.

[@dcsworldgreece7929]

Woww man !!!! fantastic video !! thank you for you sharing sir !

[@rickyesch1586]

Basic training my first fighter plane displayed right outside our dorm. Wicked shape and design.

[@kmfiz]

What an awesome job you have Piercarlo. 175 knot final!! 120 is too fast for my citation.

[@FastJetPerformance]

Very nice in cockpit, great to see.

[@georgelevin6134]

My favorite military aircraft period!

[@AcroAirwolf]

Nice! Thanks! It looks small and it´s coming fast ;-)

[@MemphisBBQ640]

Wonderful video! Grazie mille!

[@woska7493]

Answer: short.

[@nicolacalophotography]

Mitico Spillone ! Emozione pura vederlo in volo !!

[@internationalf104society]

Very nice video!! Grazie Piercarlo!!!

[@johnsells6023]

Just love your content

[@sx300pilot5]

I have a neighbor that I fly formation with pretty regularly.. we are just up the road from KSC in Spruce Creek. He flew F-104s back in the day and talks regularly about it. He was sent to Germany when they were experiencing high loss rates to start and teach Fighter Weapons School to get their losses more in line.. He always says.. 35,000’ & 750kts = Mach 1.0. I’d love to get a little stick time in that thing…

[@kristyskirt9015]

WoW Must say Piier your on the level of The Thunderburds and Blue Angles with a lot of ol school Bob Hoover too.

[@steveanderson9290]

Wow. The first time landing an F-104 must be, um, exhilarating.

[@TheGeorgiaRover]

It takes some serious skills to pilot a bullet. Awesome!

[@maurizioc.3121]

Madonna mia....godi come un canguro vietnamita!!!!! I parametri motore si vedono bene... stupendo video.magari a farne ancora tanti. Un 104 in volo nn si vede più. Grazie e saluti da Roma.

[@masmainster]

Legend has it he is still trying to land this thing.

[@n176ldesperanza7]

Yikes! Thanks for the ride!

[@kultursender6507]

I would like to accompany you on such a flight in the back seat. It has always been my dream.

[@RubyS.1]

Incredible

[@federicobeghetti]

KTIX😍 Grande Pier!

[@stevis8264]

I flew F4s and F16s in the USAF. The thought of flying this jet in the pattern scares me to death.

[@josephpadula2283]

My father , an Air Force Captain in Tactical Air Command , was in an F-104 chasing a UFO that was spotted on radar in the 1960’s . He finally got a look at it he said it was huge ! Other jets were sent to help but did not get there in time . Ground control told him to shoot it down if he could not get it to land . Before he could shoot a strange light came on and the Starfighter began to shake and he was not able to control the plane . It began to be pulled Toward the UFO! Anyway that is all he remembers . I went on to be a successful Astronaut that I am sure you have heard of as I headed the first Saturn probe mission . They made a documentary about this called Tomorrow is Yesterday …… Look it up as I can not put in a link . Colonel Shawn Jeffery Christopher

[@JohnVHRC]

What a rocketship

[@jaybailey4334]

That’s so so cool

[@rex8255]

The first word that popped into my head upon reading the title was "Short"

[@emanuelealessiocotardo9343]

Grande Pier! Ciao!

[@swerne01]

Wow! Nerves of steel. This plane has higher takeoff and touchdown speeds than the SR 71.

[@Steeyuv]

‘Flaps up at 350kt’. I’ve never flown an aircraft that would even reach half that speed!

[@andreadambrosio9843]

Video stupendo come sempre, complimenti. Sorrido al pensiero di quanti suoi ex colleghi pagherebbero per un'altro ultimo volo sul 104 in barba alla quinta generazione🤣

[@ManMythIcon]

Ayyyyy the Valiant Air Command 😃😃😃😃

[@GigaBit-i2j]

Very Nice

[@DominicCast007]

Great flight as always Pier ! ... Was the afterburner ever used in this flight?

[@PiercarloCiacchi]

Very briefly on the go around....

[@davidr.wilson8194]

Thats frightening,I would need so much training

[@patrickshaw8595]

She's old but still badass. People look up when they hear it. When they see it they look for the cable holding it up because no way are those little wings supporting anything . . .

[@williambrewer6346]

You could have made that one, no problem! Happy Landings 😊

[@marcoribero]

Sempre spettacolare. Un enorme peccato non voli più nessun 104 in Italia. Dalle parti del Monviso quando eri di servizio in Italia hai mai volato? Mi ricordo i 104 che arrivavano da Ghedi e poi passavano bassi in coppia vicino a Saluzzo. Mannaggia che nostalgia.

[@thewatcher5271]

That Was Nice! Thanks For No Jibber Jabber Or Crappy Music. Thank You. (Like #453 - Comment #64)

[@richardschindler8822]

Thst thing probably used more fuel in that go around than my car uses in a year, LOL. Love it!!

[@av8tore71]

Some people have all the fun especially in a 104

[@johngjacobi]

Wow!

[@chuckhoward3626]

What a Hot Rod! Be Cool, Stay Cool,

[@LouMartucci]

I thought maximum airspeed below 10000 MSL is 250 KIAS? Does F-104 have special dispensation?

[@filippomariottinitrader]

Grazie per questi video, sono un fan dell'F104, uno degli aerei militari più belli secondo me! Posso chiedere se esso viene ancora impiegato per scopi operativi e se si quali?

[@phillipzx3754]

2D doesn't do this landing justice. 🙂 A 3D version (for VR) would be nice.

[@geekstradamus1548]

They built the Starfighter for one thing. Being able to land it safely was an afterthought.

[@knightonwarbeck1969]

Burner at the end to help get through the drag of 200knots and help with positive rate of climb out to 250 knots? The J79 has 4 stages of burner. Did you select MAX burner for those few seconds? And if you did, why come out of burner at only 250 knots? On take off (clean aircraft I believe), burner is kept in until at least 300 knots, same with T/O flaps? You didn't need burner because your overall weight was low because you burned off a few thousand pounds of fuel? Thanks Piercarlo. Loving these videos.

[@PiercarloCiacchi]

Briefly burner to help the go around.... I would keep it on ALL DAY LOMG lol, bu the fuel is never enough...that's why..

[@DavidLee-j8u]

Seems impossible to meet the speed restrictions of FAR 91.117... do you need special waivers, or do you have a blanket exemption from those?

[@PiercarloCiacchi]

Yes, max speed is 250 knots unless manufacturer specs dictate otherwise. Min maneuvering speed for the F-104 is 325 Knots with Flaps on T/O, which is Pattern Speed.

[@Plydrms]

that thing is like flying a rocket!

[@CommanderStarblaster]

What a life!

[@dogsbd]

I was looking at pattern, gear, flap speeds for the F-104C in the manual a few months ago, if my memory is correct the pattern/flap speeds are higher for your jet, or am I possibly remembering the numbers incorrectly?

[@PiercarloCiacchi]

Uh, not sure, I would not know the C model, but yes those are the numbers off of our manual...let me take that back, Base turn is 200 + fuel, final 175 + fuel....we do like to be faster on final....

[@dogsbd]

@@PiercarloCiacchi Thanks. Is there a minimum RPM for the blown flaps to be effective? I seem to recall that they only function at 80% or above, or a similar number.

[@Surestick88]

Why two hands on the stick when you're pulling up during the go-around?

[@PiercarloCiacchi]

That's just me....not sure lol, I have a better feeling. I do that in most my aerobatic flights

[@theflyingfool]

OK, what's written on the back of your helmet? Great video too thanks!

[@rdavis43]

I think it reads: . Fantastic video, insane speeds for the landing approach/go around flap settings when you think about the era the 104 was first flown.

[@Andrea-v7j]

Spettacolo 😊, peccato che in italia non esistono cose simili...Anche gli Amx che hanno ritirato da poco potrebbero essere usati così

[@tapio_m6861]

Is that display in the middle a retrofit? This looks awesome! Stay safe.

[@gianluigi7619]

Fai sempre video stupendi, complimenti. Lo spillone in livrea Centenario rimarrà con quella livrea? Grazie

[@PiercarloCiacchi]

Si fino a quando gli stencils durano!

[@massimovolpe]

​@@PiercarloCiacchivorrà dire che vi manderemo quelli di Icaro dell' RSV 😀

[@r.p.3192]

Phewww pretty high VRef… 😳

[@daneelolivaw4323]

What is the reasoning for the low and flat approach at such a high power setting? Is it only to have a vertical speed low enough to land without flare, or are there other considerations? Thanks for the great video.

[@nielsdorhout058]

Imagine living there and hearing the howl of the F-104 when its overhead 😇

[@jimanderton6684]

Pattern speed is 325 kts? Faster than the Vne of anything I've ever flown

[@Carlobubbio-nh8cz]

GRANDE Piercarlo! Solo una domanda: avevi tirato giù il carrello? ❤

[@PiercarloCiacchi]

Si SI carrello giu'.

[@Carlobubbio-nh8cz]

GRAZIE Piercarlo per la risposta ed un grande in bocca al lupo per il proseguo del tuo bel progetto con un compagno d'eccezione F104 Starfighter. GRANDE ❤

[@phillp7777]

who is he ? what's he do for job living rly ?