How does a 15,000 foot runway look like from a Lockheed F-104? Landing at the KENNEDY SPACE CENTER

This video will show how a normal landing looks like at our Home Base at the Kennedy Space Center. With 15,000 feet (and 2,000 of overrun) even a landing with an F-104 seems easy and simple!
Base turn speeds with LAND FLAPS configuration are 200 Knots + fuel corrections, usually in the 220K scenario. Speeds on final are 175 Knots + corrections, but we usually keep it right at 200. Engine goes to idle ONLY after touch down, before that it stay at 83% minimum, usually however in the 90-94% scenario....or actually 100% during base turn.

[@royalbirb275]

175-200kts on final is absolutely insane, love it

[@troyledbetter6597]

Loved the video! Nice to hear J79 music.

[@garyowen9044]

Whoa. 200kt on final. Your ground rollout is faster than my cruise. 😊

[@zaktabak4460]

Always a pleasure to see Pier!!!

[@pilot482]

Thanks for showing all these about the Starfighter. I have always loved the Starfighter. Such a unique aircraft.

[@FlightSimMuseum]

Great camera angle and landing, thanks for sharing!

[@amirbadiei1784]

Massage of the day : Logic gets you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere . By the way smooth landing 👍👏👏 thanks for sharing

[@aerges6529]

Another great video, thank you Sir. All these videos definitely help us to develop our F-104 simulation for DCS.

[@ThePaulv12]

Work on the sound of the J79. In the F4 it sounds like a generic jet sound overdub.

[@theflyingfool]

Love the helmet message!!

[@wfeismann]

Great video, even better instructor! Thanks Pier!

[@WDXash]

Excellent! A friend of mine was an instructor on these in the Luftwaffe and then went onto Tornados.

[@massimilianomoretti1067]

Great video as always..Always beautiful to see an F104 flying ! Ciao !👍👍👋

[@madbager1]

Thank you for maintaining this beautiful piece of flying art❤

[@philippepalmers8132]

Very nice recording...thank you !

[@hotprop92]

The camera makes it looks like it's an open cockpit. Amazing plane and a great action shot, thanks.

[@MichaelNoack-z4o]

Yes a 104 Cabrio , lets ask lockeed😅

[@dasdguy7606]

That was fun to watch. Thanks.

[@andresteeg]

Great videos of a true legend.Thanks for sharing, keep going. Many happy landings.

[@mpetry912]

very nice. Amazing how flat the final glide is. Long roll out but you have to taxi back from Titusville ! thanks Piercarlo

[@JPH1786]

Great video! Wild to think an airplane is coming down final at 190 kts.

[@yanniskouretas8688]

Hey ! Hellenic Air Force WO (tech) here ... Extending the speed brakes over the threshold is interesting - Quite different than the F16 I'm used to see landing with the speed brakes already extended from the overhead break ...

[@PiercarloCiacchi]

Hello true! The F16 has much less drag in landing configuration, the 104 has so much drag configured like that, sometimes we are almost 100% power on base to final, so not much room for speedbrake!

[@sb_flyingC150]

Very cool! Keep the videos coming!

[@ChosenWon]

Great video. Thanks

[@avnut7]

So cool! Thank you for sharing with us!!!

[@kultursender6507]

Perfect landing! 👍👍👍

[@joncox9719]

STOL in a 104 looks easy!

[@kultursender6507]

The 104 is the most amazing aircraft. I would like to fly on along on the backseat one day - that one day!

[@AlessandroBartoloni]

Grande repertorio,Piercarlo

[@Zerbey]

What a huge privilege to fly this old lady into such a famous runway. I'm also astonished how quiet the cockpit is, is it that quiet in person?

[@maurizioc.3121]

Che spettacolo infinito. Come godi...

[@marcoribero]

Noto piccolissimi movimenti di barra tipo elicottero. Sempre una meraviglia.

[@kbuss10]

Hi Man, i found some of my old airshow photos from 2005, Hungary, Kecskemet airbase. One guy, chillin in a Frecce backseat... looks completely like You! he is wearing a Frecce overall.

[@fjp3305]

90-94% power on final. That's why the 104 makes so much noise on final.

[@Real_Claudy_Focan]

Barely no trimming required ! Impressive !

[@marcotiloca]

Lo spillone più che volare, saetta nel cielo blu... :)

[@AcroAirwolf]

Very Cool!

[@gotmilk91]

F104 is like the opposite of F22 and SU57

[@lunatico01111979]

Mandi Comandant 💪

[@dgavio]

Fantastico Grazie!

[@2Phast4Rocket]

90-94% power n final!

[@grafhilgenhurst9717]

I am guessing the drag chute is required for runways less than 9000 feet. And that the chutes have to get replaced on a regular basis. And that they are not cheap!

[@mnaeemsadiq]

❤🎉❤🎉

[@gregoryblyth318]

Good shit!😀👍

[@mattmalaspina6875]

Grazie

[@andreadambrosio9843]

Vista la corsa di atterraggio infinità mi aspettato di vedere apparire il casello alla fine! Comunque questi video sono a dir poco spettacolari….grazie.

[@PiercarloCiacchi]

Ahahahaha EPICO

[@JasonAGregg]

My kinda fun

[@in4merATP]

This thing must go through tyres like crazy. Is a long landing convenient for your hangar? What's the taxi time like? Even at 60kt (southwest nominal), taxi back would take three minutes.

[@PiercarloCiacchi]

Tires last for approx 4-7 landings...and they are $1500 each! The hangar is at the end of RWY 15, that's why we roll out to the end.

[@markhardy6738]

RC 104 STOL 3 to 5 mph

[@1986.Mattia]

💗💗✈✈

[@RALTBOB1]

Your flights are very enjoyable and educational. Thank you. Where did the saying on your helmet “Logic will get you from A to B Imagination will take you anywhere” come from?

[@codymoe4986]

It's a quote attributed to Albert Einstein, according to an internet search...

[@Andrea-v7j]

In Italia hanno demolito tutti gli Amx biposto, i pochi sopravvissuti sono finiti come gate guardian in alcune basi😮...Che spreco incredibile

[@marcotiloca]

Obbediscono ad ordini (disordini) "superiori"... 😑🤌

[@sanfranciscobay]

1:40 Says 90-94% Power is typically needed on landing.

[@jpatt1000]

Since Cape Canaveral doubles as a wildlife sanctuary, how worried are you about bird strikes? (Especially since there are several large species in the area like the Sandhill Crane, Bald Eagle, American White Pelican and Ospreys that could really ruin a Starfighter's day.) Does Kennedy have personnel that occasionally go and clear the area around the runway? Do gators ever go sunning on the runway surface? (I would suppose that would be more of an evening activity for them though.) Basically, how does the wildlife affect operations there?

[@PiercarloCiacchi]

It's kept well under control.

[@PiercarloCiacchi]

so far seems to work fine.

[@oxxnarrdflame8865]

Freeken short 😊

[@PiercarloCiacchi]

More to come soon....almost ready a full supersonic flight from start to finish!

[@knightonwarbeck1969]

How is the runway surface? Can you squeeze out 15 landings before changing (main gear) tires? And, what is the fuel reserve for landing, 800 lbs? And if you need to go a "go around" how much fuel is burned? And... I am a bit surprised your visor is up on landing, losing the engine and ejection would be hard on the eyes at 200 knots. Was there any rules/procedures for this while in the Italian Air Force?

[@PiercarloCiacchi]

Tires last around 5-7 landings. Touch down fuel depends on the type of flight/mission. Usually never below 1200# for KTTS.

[@kbuss10]

your vid inspired me to fly the colimata f104 for xplane using KTTS as a base. real weather is mostly awesome and the plane is quite nice, i dont know if the contacted you for testing the actual product or you ever tried that. altho i feel its more forgiving at low speeds than it shoud be. and when i go below 82% on flaps 2, it always drops the right wing and pulls to the right. i guess thats more random in real life... also i guess you guys tried it in the ITA airforce what its like when you loose the flap blower?

[@PiercarloCiacchi]

With flaps on LAND you are not supposed to go below 835 POWER. That is a minimum. so there's the reason why the rolling. Power goes below 83% ONLY AFTER TOUCH DOWN.

[@kbuss10]

@@PiercarloCiacchi so you guys didnt even try it ;P? i mean at a more safe altitude

[@Sundog12]

Pier can we fly together next time I am home?

[@justingaskins3440]

Is there a flight schedule, perhaps where you fly over the warbird museum? My dad has been tryna get pics of u guys flying , but given ur location in kennedy I dnt think he allowed 😂

[@PiercarloCiacchi]

When we come it is not exaclty planned. We try to add approaches there for training if at the end of one flight we have some fuel left for it.

[@justingaskins3440]

@PiercarloCiacchi thank u for taking the time to respond and for the info !!!!

[@earlchapman8729]

Is aerodynamic braking ever used with the 104 on landing roll out or is there not enough clearance with the bottom of the tail to do it?

[@PiercarloCiacchi]

...not really, it does not help the tires...

[@fgonzalezdiaz]

Ciao Piercarlo! When someone rent a flight (flyastarfighter), are you the instructor? Greetings from Buenos Aires!

[@soulfunkjazz]

90% thrust on final? Would you need the afterburner for a go around?

[@PiercarloCiacchi]

Only if conditions dictate.

[@stevenoujaim1422]

What’s Vref with a double utility/flapless?

[@PiercarloCiacchi]

No Flap Landings are possible from a 10 NM final, so you can plan for at least a 5 NM flat straight non maneuvering approach. Speed on final for that is 230Knots (minimum) plus corrections...let's say 250-ish.

[@Delta898Alpha]

How it is possible that the airplane does not accelerate during the descent with a power setting like this ? is the drag that high in landing config?

[@Thunder_6278]

There are fighter pilots, then there's F-104 pilots. Yes, this plane needs your constant attention, no daydreaming allowed. I hear those spurs already....

[@axiomist4488]

Runway can handle a B36 . That's how wide they are .

[@chriscarbaugh3936]

Can you pay for a flight ar Starfighters Inc.

[@PiercarloCiacchi]

Training is possible, minimum requirements are FAA pilot license....

[@Wofl01]

The F 104 is like a brick with engine, is the engine gone it falls out of the sky Like that.

[@kbuss10]

mostly long i guess :)

[@Off-The-X]

Using public infrastructire for business while natives struggle to find a home. Love the priorities. While you make $, set some aside, I will be down to collect, it wont take a court!