The Starfighters (1964, full movie)

If you've seen or even just know about this god-awful boring flight movie, chances are it's because of Mystery Science Theater 3000. Otherwise this would have just faded into existence.

[@freegw1]

Dad flew the F-104. He loved it! Only the best got to fly it and you had to be on your toes at all times. I flew the F-4 and F-16. Both dad and I flew for the airlines and had great careers. I miss dad very much. I was literally born a fighter pilot. It was in the blood.

[@12345fowler]

Did you both asked many windchecks in your carrers ? Just kidding and congrat.

[@yourdrummer2034]

You had to be a REAL fighter pilot to fly this rocket, or it would make you pay!! 😎👍

[@yourdrummer2034]

I am not a fighter pilot, but which plane did you like flying more? F-4 or 16?

[@allgood6760]

It has been said a fighter pilot has a killer instinct.. would you agree?

[@jacksaloman9513]

Good for you

[@bentilbury2002]

German joke: How do you get hold of a Starfighter? Answer: Buy a field. Wait.

[@280StJohnsPl]

One of the most beautiful aircraft made. In 1969 I was a T-37 crew chief at Perrin AFB and one morning while at the end of the flightline four F-104s from Webb AFB taxied by....wow, what sight. As they passed we T-37 crew chiefs all pointed up hoping for a vertical takeoff. The pilots all laughed and waved and to our surprise and delight.....they did ! I went on to crew F-4s and saw several of the world's best flight demonstration teams but seeing those F-104s going straight up was incredible :)

[@ammrmosa314]

I feel that life in 50s till 60s was best days for living in this planet

[@altoncrane9714]

I agree 110 percent.

[@silasmarner7586]

As a child I lived in SoCal in 64-66. Even from my perspective (which included viewing nighttime rockets tests at rocketdyne!) it was a pretty amazing time even for a four year old! I was hip to all the jive . But could you imagine being an F104 pilot, socal, convertible, everybody drank and smoked, skinny ties, skinny people, all rowing in the same direction. And the nookie was neck deep for these pilots I'm sure. I say, scream, "Hallelujah!".

[@nemojedermann2845]

Especially after the CIA murdered JFK!

[@marekstanek112]

Only if you were in the western block. Not So much in the east.

[@Redwhiteblue-gr5em]

Great film to preserve the history and era of the F104 and the US Air Force. I always thought the late 50s and early 60s was the pinnacle of the greatness of our country.

[@newdefsys]

Everything started going downhill after the 1968 revolution.

[@raymondmartin6737]

I was not a flying officer, such as these fighter pilots in TAC, but was in SAc, 1969 to 1973, at end of the Vietnam War. At the time of this film I was a freshman in college in Air Force ROTC, graduating in 1968. So this film is interesting to watch.

[@nohandleforme....]

Whether you think it's a good movie or a bad movie is purely subjective. As an Air Force veteran and a lifetime aviation enthusiast, I love movies like this. This one happens to feature one of my favorite aircraft. Several years ago I was fortunate enough to attend an air show where three F-104 Starfighters put on a very cool show. I would love to see them again, but I believe they quit flying and are now leasing their jets to NASA.

[@ajdutari]

It's a good wholesome story proclaiming USAF values. A flashback to the way it used to be in the 1960's. I liked it.

[@kennyspaulding796]

Here Here. 🍻

[@kidmack3556]

Me too! Just what I was looking for. While watching it I could almost taste those cheeseburgers and french fries served at the NCO Clubs at Travis and Hickam when my step-dad took me with him to pickup his buddies coming home from serving overseas. I despised mystery science... whatever thousand = Disrespectful, defacing jerks.

[@chrismarshall6956]

Me too . Look at top gun. This is what people want

[@Jens-Viper-Nobel]

It was something back then. But the 104 had a nick that I personally saw as a child in the 60's in Denmark. The widowmaker. On that occasion, he managed to pull out of it unscathed, but everybody knew something had happened yet again with the widowmaker. I saw him maintaining level flight while passing over the suburbs I lived in, and then, out of nowhere, the plane started a continuous, clearly uncontrolled even to a child like me, barrel role across the sky. I expected his wings to come off right quick, because that was the only time I ever saw them flapping like a bird wing. Not litterally of course, but even with the speed he rolled it was clear that the wingtips were moving up and down, lateral to the fuselage. And that was actually what told me that it was uncontrolled and way out of design limits. Because even a kid like me with no science stuff in my backpack yet knew that with the short length they had, they were not supposed to move visibly like that at a distance view of about a 1000 to 1300 yards and about 1500 to 2000 feet up (altitude mentioned in the news). So that's why I though he was gong to loose the wings and go straight down. We later heard in the news that he landed safely back at base and the 104 was back in business in just a couple of days and that the cause was determined to be a malfunctioning control surface (not specified) on the starboard wing, though we never found out if it was an unforeseen tech glitch or poor maintenance. But that is also the time I personally realized why they were called widowmakers. I never really liked the type after that. It was a scary sight to see for a 7 year old kid. My favorite type in the RDAF was the F-35 SAAB Draken. It was a beauty to look at in and of herself, and it was constantly underestimated by both NATO and Warsaw pact opponents during it's service with us, creating quite a few embarrasments for USAF and Sovjet pilots over time.

[@CAPEjkg]

Long gone are those days unfortunately

[@terenceharper5612]

I flew submarines in the Navy instead of jets because of my not perfect eyesight, but have always been a plane nut. My favorite two cold war era jets still are the Lockheed F-104 and the Vought F-8 Crusader. Like typical Airforce, there were a lot of glamour-shots in this film.

[@-jeff-]

20 years in the USAF and, until now, I never saw this movie. As soon as the guy said "I'll supply the dexidrine, no charge" I knew exactly why.

[@marbleman52]

I was enlisted and in a Navy aviation squadron permanently land based at N.A.S., Norfolk, Va., in the early 70's. We went on a lot of TDY to other bases for war exercises. I was a Plane Captain for our big A-3 Skywarriors. One day, I was out at the fuel pits, which were right off the runway, waiting for our planes to come back from exercises. A 104 was taxiing by, heading for the parking area. Compared to our A-3's, which were the largest Navy plane to ever deploy aboard a carrier, this 104 was tiny. It was still bright & shiny and great looking.

[@kevenneely8631]

My father was an instructor at Luke Air Force base in AZ for the F-104. He was also an instructor for the F-100. I miss him.

[@emeraldaisle2927]

The best damn opening of a movie ever! I saw one of these F-104 aircraft on display outside near Dallas along with the F-105 Thunderchief. Beautiful planes that looked more like rockets with little wing area.

[@NavyCWO]

I was raised in an Air Force family. We lived several years at Randolph. As an Air Force brat, and airplane nut, I hung out along the flight line whenever I could. Joined the Navy out of high school and for six years flew as crewman on EC-121M, EP-3E, EA-3B, C-1A, US-2B, SH-2F and SH-3G. I remember the F-104 as being a very hot; but dangerous aircraft.

[@bobcaruso1368]

I was stationed at George AFB flying Wild Weasels. Kind of cool to see footage of the base in the '60s. The high desert was one of the most beautiful flying in the country.

[@davewitter6565]

I don't remember seeing this movie as a kid. Dorky back story, but 1st rate plane pix. I didn't realize the 1st operational squadron was based at Hamilton AFB in February 1958. I was born on base in 1953 and grew up in Novato. I can remember hearing sonic booms and seeing the occasional high, speed low altitude pass. I heard there was a system to lock your flight boots into the seat frame prior to ejection. The 1st seats ejected downward and later models upward. Must have been a hell of a ride.

[@genewalter5022]

When I was in U.S.A.F.E. in the 70's. Germans, Italians, and Dutch, flew F1047G's. They were always a site to behold when they took off. Always seemed to have some N.A.T.O. F104's around. You just can't forget the sound of that GEJ79-19 in afterburner.

[@spokanetomcat1]

I was with the 626 Tactical Control Flight (Mobile Radar) USAFE in Bremerhaven northern Germany 1979-81 and watched German F-104s doing touch and goes at Luftwaffenstützpunkt der Marine, Navy Air Base, Cuxhaven. So much fun to watch.

[@childofthecreatorgod9962]

When I was in the U,. S. A. F. in the early 1960's we flew KC-97 refueling tankers out of Cape Cod, Mass. ad RC-121' AWACS.

[@jimwalsh8520]

It was the most useless aircraft really. The USAF did not like it. The engine was not good, at high alpha, not enough air could get into the intakes causin flame outs, usually on final, the first versions had the wonderful ejector seat that went out through the bottom. So then along came the Lockheed scandals where, the jets the USAF did not want were sold with huge bribes to the German defence minister, the King of Holland and it was called the widow maker because it was sold as an IDS which it totally useless at. Only the Italians tamed it. Out of 1500 sold to Europe, 45% crashed.

[@genewalter5022]

@@jimwalsh8520 I always thought they were a death trap. Never liked a aircraft that didn't have a 0/0 ejection system. I worked on the flightline, and all we ever had were N.A.T.O tourist's everyday. Got to see them all. Still was a sight to behold.

[@jimwalsh8520]

@@genewalter5022 Wing loading too high, impossible aspect ratio and the USAF are not fools, they saw it as you did.

[@nate61]

❤ so happy to see a movie about I didn't know existed😊made my day

[@Paladin1873]

Yep, I saw it in the theater when I was nine years old. I only remember one scene, where a pilot demonstrates how thin the wing is by splitting a piece of paper in half on the leading edge.

[@kennyspaulding796]

I was 9 in '67 on a boy scout outing at Wright Patterson AFB. Went through the museum don't remember if they had the F104 then but when I got to the gift shop something made me buy the model kit. I thought that was the coolest looking jet in the world. Then came the F4 Phantom.

[@molivroman9806]

I worked as a military ATC in the 70's. Whenever a 104 or 06 entered the pattern, everybody else had to move over because their landing speeds were so high. Those stubby short wings do not offer much lift. Working a flight of 3 was a real handful.

[@AshleyPomeroy]

I remember reading that it had a system that blew engine air over the flaps to increase lift - which made it incredibly difficult to land if the nozzles were blocked for some reason. Especially if only one side was blocked. And if the engine failed at altitude the pilots were ordered to eject and not attempt to glide to a landing.

[@lundsweden]

By the sound of it, they were only good for gliding straight down!

[@allgood6760]

Thanks I didn't know this movie existed... the F104 is a cool plane.. sleek and chic 👍

[@eshelly4205]

In 1983 I was in Canada at Cold Lake when I was in the US Marines. We did a joint exercise and they flew the Starfighter. They called it the widow maker

[@maxsdad538]

And George AFB , now known as Victorville Airport, is STILL out in the middle of Bumfuck, Nowhere (Victorville, CA). I never flew in there while in the USAF, but I flew in there with the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department on search and rescue missions with Army Blackhawks (for refueling only). The ONLY thing open besides flight ops was the snack bar at the old bowling alley. But there was a surreal feeling about walking around what's left of the old airbase. And what little still remains was right out of this movie. Hard to believe that you're only 30 miles away from The Inland Empire and the eastern edge of the 19 million population strong Greater Los Angeles Metropolitan Area.

[@mydogspots]

I lived there in the early 60s as a child, we lived in Victorville and my father flew out of George AFB. I loved going onto the base during the summer playing in the hangers. Playing Pilot in my dad's jet. I still have the 104 Starfighter pins, patches, and models. And the family photos from Arm Forces Days with the jets lined up on the tarmac. I loved it when my brothers and I were out playing and the 104s went ripping overhead, waving as if our dad could see us below!

[@proteusnz99]

I think one of the Lockheed test pilots summarised the F-104 pretty well: “It’s a very honest airplane, it will not forgive any mistakes”. A product of the Korean War frustration at being outperformed by MiG-15s, everything was sacrificed for pure speed, but it produced (in the F-104A/C models) a rather limited interceptor with inadequate radar. The version sold overseas (F-104G/J/S, CF-104) got better radar, and was actually quite an effective strike aircraft in skilled hands. But terribly unforgiving of errors.

[@richardc7721]

It's a B at best, but I like it. I entered the Air Force in 76, during interesting time, Air Force was still downsizing post Nam and changes, lots of changes. I regret I didn't stay, by 38 I could have retired, then by 58 retired from my 2nd career, law enforcement, with 2 incomes and loads of benefits. My grandsons followed me by joining up, just not A.F. They followed my dad, the Corps He had been a WW 2 vet of the Pacific, Silver Star, Bronze Stat, 3 P.H.s

[@tiamatxvxianash9202]

I appreciated the strong message in this film about making way for the next generation of American leaders. The new 104 pilot whose dad was trying to steer and even babysit him into his new career. This father, who was an "Operation Tidal Wave" member, which made him nothing less than a secular saint in the postwar aviation community was nevertheless way out of line in meddling in his sons future. The statement of; "Under a great tree, nothing grows" was very evident in this case. Fortunately, the entire chain of command within the 104 unit did all they could in protecting the interests of their young protege from his father's concerns. Rightly so, they empowered him to sow his own career seeds in this new field of aviation. From a former aircraft mechanic that spent 2 years on the CF 104 in the mid 1980s, I enjoyed immensely my walks in that forest of the jet age that they all helped to create.

[@user-od6lk8rt3s]

Forget Top Gun! excellent aerial views, zero special FX, a real jewel. Who cares about the plot? with one of the best looking A/C ever

[@TWOCOWS1]

Starfighters had the worst records for crashing, although they looked so totally fantastic in their silver skin. One "Star"figther was even featured in the "Star"Trek original series due to its impressively handsome, manly looks

[@allandavis8201]

They remind my of the all female ‘Angels Sqn’ from the tv series “captain scarlet” by master puppeteers Gerry Anderson and Sylvia, it was a big hit in the United Kingdom, don’t know about the rest of the western world, and alongside ‘Thunderbirds’ and ‘Joe90’ they were a big part of my growing up in the 60s and early 70s.

[@TWOCOWS1]

@@allandavis8201 "Thunderbirds"-that masterpiece of Sci Fi puppetry, is a total classic, Allan. Itz like a total wow

[@rodneypayne4827]

Only the German and Italian airforce had issues( Italy fixed theirs by enlarging the tail and wings) and that was due to conversion from the F86 and F84 to this hotrod. Pakistan and Taiwan had no issues,engaging Migs in combat and had adequate training from scratch on the 104 so all of the issues the other countries had was down to training and experience. A comparison was done by the USAF on safety and accidents of century series (F100-106) and found that the Starfighter was better than the 101,105 and 102 with the 106 having the best followed by the 100. Context matters and in the USAF heavy lobbying for the F4 hard started so the Starfighter was discredited by the upper command,added to the fact that the role it was designed for was changed to long range interception with missiles therefore not very useful for bomber interception.

[@TWOCOWS1]

@@rodneypayne4827 glad you mention Germany, since they lost more pilots to this uber-handsome plane than anyone else. One even suffocated the pilot and then flew on on its own all the way to Norway before crashing.

[@briancooper2112]

Great episode

[@paaat001]

The acting was laughable, the music pure punishment. The flight footage and the "F-104 howl" were more than worth it. The scenes at George AFB were also pretty good. BTW Chuck Yearger was wing commander there at about that time for real.

[@kennyspaulding796]

I agree with everything you said. And I still love it.👍✌️

[@ThomasDohertyJD]

You are wrong. The lounge music makes the movie. This is a Cold War movie on acid.

[@DeFilmKater]

In West-Germany, the F-104 Starfighter was called "Widowmaker" with good reasons. Far too many crashed into ground and even the son, Joachim his name, of the famous politician Kai-Uwe von Hassel died because of such an accident in 1970. Joachim's mother committed suicide about one year later. We were always afraid, when again a starfighter rushed in only a few meters above the rooftops of the houses. Luckily I've never witnessed such a crash then.

[@keithad6485]

It is very sad and I feel for the mother who lost her son to an F104G crash. It seems the Luftwaffe were the only airforce to have this high number of crashes problem with their F104G. Other airforces did not seem to have this disaster record like the luftwaffe. What was different about the German use of this aircraft? Does anyone know?

[@ryanmedic789]

A guy I knew in high school lost his father in a 104 in 1968. Unfortunately I did witness a T-33 fly into the ground August 21, 1963 during Air Force Day CFB Gimli.

[@rotax636nut5]

I know there were some issues with these planes but boy they are something else in terms of the visuals and the performance, this fighter jet is a young boys dream, just the look of these jets must have increased recruitment into the air services no end!

[@frankcalifano7970]

Saw an Interview of an Italian Air Force pilot who flew from Sigonella Air base in Sicily to Rome in 15 minutes. His smile said it all!

[@paulmazan4909]

Anyone that can watch an F-104 fly and be bored evidently was never in the Air Force.

[@68orangecrate26]

Thanks for posting!

[@envitech02]

I've not seen this film before but I believe this the "Top Gun" of it's time. Beautiful jet, flies like a dream at high speed, but stalls like a brick. Further, due to its stubby wings, it doesnt tolerate crosswinds or vortex very well.

[@nicolaandria522]

You can check the footage of the fly of one of the XB-70 prototypes to prove the bit about the vortex.

[@packardexelence]

THEY HAVE ONE YOU CAN FLY IN THE PS-2 GAME AERO-ELIET!!! IT ALSO HAS AN F-4 & F-86;---UNLIKE THE HEAVY F-4;---THE F-104 IS BASELY UN-CONTROLABLE BELOW 200M.P.H.& YOU MUST TOUCH WHEELS AROUND 179 TO PROTECT THE LANDNG GEAR!!!!; THE F-4 PREMITS (some) LINE-UP AT 189; & LANDS SWEETLY--166--170!!!!

[@danielheald411]

The miniscule wings on this flying J79 make the wings on a Viper seem huge by comparison.

[@genewalter5022]

That's so true. Just ask the crew of the B-70. I know that they always came into land...hot....when I was working flightline.

[@packardexelence]

@@genewalter5022 I JUST GOTTA ASK;----DO YOUR KIDS KNOW WHAT A SPECIAL-AIRMAN YOU ARE????;--I MEAN; COME ON ; YOU WORKED ON A BASE WITH---A STAR-BOMBER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@davidgiles4681]

This was the era of "speed". Todays' jets are slower than those jets. Experience has proven maneuverability is lost with speed. One needs (just a bit slower speed) to fight and not turn so widely. But, those jets were sleek and they did serve as very good interceptors.

[@earlwyss520]

The F-15 is faster and more maneuverable than the F-104, I've seen it in person while serving in the USAF & stationed at a Turkish AB with F-104s assigned to it. We had a GA. ANG unit fly in with F-15s, and one afternoon I sat out side the all ranks club watching the F-104s & F-15s do touch and goes. The F-15 would pull up, & turn, the F-104 would pull, pull, pull up, then turn, turn, turn some more. The F-15 made two passes in the touch and go before the F-104 made it back for the first time.

[@martin5504]

On exercise with the British Army in Northern Germany in 1971, I remember being strafed by these Starfighters. We were told they often crashed.

[@pencilpauli9442]

Yup, nearly a 1/3 of the Luftwaffe F-104 fleet lost to accidents: "The Germans lost 292 of 916 aircraft and 116 pilots from 1961 to 1989, its high accident rate earning it the nickname "the Widowmaker" from the German public." (wiki)

[@mrjockt]

There used to be a joke going around when I served in West Germany with the RAF “How do you get a Starfighter, buy a German farm and just wait, one’ll crash there eventually”.

[@pencilpauli9442]

@@mrjockt Black humour at its morbid best lol IIRC The German F-104G variant had a Martin-Baker seat. The early Starfighters had an ejector seat that exited via the floor!

[@icecold9511]

What the hell was a starfighter doing strafing? It is an interceptor. Not even close to its designed role. Low maneuverability for that. Good way to lawn dart.

[@mrjockt]

@@icecold9511 Lockheed persuaded the Germans that they could turn it into a ground attack aircraft………they lied.

[@roberthunter5045]

I remember reading about Eric Hartman when he was released from the Russians . He became head of the West German Air Force. He campaigned against the adoption of the 104's saying they were too hot for the German pilots. Many crashed ! Chuck Yeager flew one setting an altitude record . It was when he had a problem and bailed out with his helmet on fire resulting in facial burns.

[@BGCflyer]

...flying's like making love...once an operator has a little experience, he things he's an expert!....ahh you gotta love the 60s!!!

[@trob0914]

I missed seeing the F-104s on USAF active flying status by about 7 years, I was SAC anyway but I witnessed plenty of demos over the years! I have to say Kelly and Lockheed built an outstanding aircraft!!

[@thatguyinelnorte]

At an airshow in England in 1979, I saw a pair of West German 104s do a high-speed head-on near miss (on purpose) with a lateral separation of about 100 feet. Pretty adrenaline-generating...

[@VulcanDriver1]

They were the German Navy Vikings display team.

[@xzqzq]

Of all the planes available to them, the AF Museum at Wright-Patterson has a F-104 on a pedestal in front of the museum....

[@user-cn5so7jj3z]

Great movie 🍿🎥 thanks for the upload

[@raymondyee2008]

This movie and “Blue Tornado” are among the movies that prominently show the F-104.

[@kennyspaulding796]

Never seen Blue Tornado. I wonder if I can see that on you tube.

[@spokanetomcat1]

I believe the KC-135a tanker is out of McDill AFB Florida. Very few tankers had hose and drogue booms. Was stationed at Wurtsmith AFB 1981-82, March AFB Riverside California from November 1982 to January 1990. Fairchild AFB January 1990 till retirement 1996. Been around tankers for a long time.

[@KyleCowden]

Flew Space-A on one out of Tinker about 6-7 years ago. They got that dude up in the Class A and punched it. What they briefed as a 9.5 hour flight was barely 7. 'Course the difference between then and now was the high bypass turbofan engines and the retrofit so that the flight engineer station was a desk. My daughter, who was taking lessons in a Cessna at the time got invited into the cockpit and later they parked her in the boomer's pod.

[@spokanetomcat1]

@@KyleCowden I have fallen asleep in the boomer pod on a very long flight. Woke up to see the grand canyon directly below me from the boomer window.

[@KyleCowden]

@@spokanetomcat1 Man what a view that had to have been! In my daughter's case I'm not sure she would've been retrieved they were so casual about it. She said that, as she was taking pictures of the pacific, she accidently kicked the ejection button that they had showed her and it scared her. I explained later that it would have been pinned unless there was a refueling mission involved. As it was we had a couple of crated engines and one family brought a padded picnic blanket and played Uno most of the way. That crew was awesome.

[@earlwyss520]

@@spokanetomcat1 I deployed to Maron AB Spain from Eaker AFB Arkansas during Operation Desert Shield aboard one of our KC-135s. As soon as it was safe to move about, three guys claimed the boom pod, and went to sleep. The rest of us had to contend with troop seats. Also I watched a ground crew change a KC-135's "SAC" probe for a "TAC/NATO/USN" drogue at Clark AB Philippines some time while I was there 1988-90.

[@spokanetomcat1]

@@earlwyss520 Fairchild MMS received your MHU-196 bomb trailers from Eaker, AKA Blytheville AFB. just before I retired.

[@user-xy2bc9ms2c]

I really enjoyed this movie, a great historical account of the F-104, in my opinion, with necessary "love scenes" thrown in to make it more than just a documentary. :^) I'm really glad that they made some movies like this or most people would have no real knowledge of the aircraft in mention. I especially enjoyed the aerial re-fueling scenes .. How the times have changed since this movie was made! Those were definitely better days, now that a person looks back! Thanks for sharing this video ..

[@SliceofLife7777]

The star of this movie was designed by Kelly Johnson. The people were just props. This is an Airforce recruitment movie. See? Even your grandparents Hollywood had an agenda. I love the F-104 though. The movie got the engine sound right. Cut out the cardboard acting, it would be worth watching again.

[@Wag2112]

I agree !! Kelly is like Gene Roddenberry - or Arthur C Clarke , P-38, 104, A-12 ( SR71 )

[@tommissouri4871]

I had the feeling through most of it that it was not for public viewing when made. Too much info on what things were and how they worked and so on. More like a "less boring" training film than an entertainment film.

[@arober9758]

Very good job fellows!! Always seemed to have some N.A.T.O. F104's around. You just can't forget the sound of that GEJ79-19 in afterburner.

[@hueyman624]

Boring? Really? This movie has great air to air cinematography. It was actually filmed on an AF base and featured real airmen. No hokey Hollywood BS, I think its a great time capsule. And they are still using the KC-135 six decades later. I'm a Huey pilot but never saw the Huskie really fly. It has the same engine as the Huey. The Modern K-Max is a modern derivative of the Huskie. And Mary was a fine looking girl, this was her only movie.

[@kennyspaulding796]

I wasn't a Huey pilot or tech but have been around them and wondered about the strap hanging under the right wing as the 104 was moving out at 1:15:30 because I've seen remove before flight ribbons on the Huey's when they are not in use. In the early '90s I was in the Air Force reserve at Grissom AFB where KC-135's ruled the roost. I had no idea they were around long enough to be in this movie.

[@1ambrose100]

1964, the US at peak military and economic power but the beginning of the long long slide into chaos, corruption and decay.

[@Bhakti-rider]

I dodged the draft by enlisting in the Air Force in '64. In '66, before I was sent to Tan Son Nhut, a Phantom crashed maybe 200 yards from my barracks (in which I was at the time) at Davis-Monthan.

[@robertcameron2808]

What a great movie great aircraft great pilots.

[@keeshahdarkfurr8328]

Put a large enough engine on it and even a brick will fly.! Starfighters won a lot of air combat competitions.

[@johnfenske9339]

Loved the aviation scenes ... Fun to watch, ok plot, but the background music was terrible! It would have been better with no music at all! But, still worth it to see 104's fly😊😊

[@keithad6485]

F104, one of my top five fav aircraft. Still have the 1:48 scale model I made as a teen in the 1970s. B52 also in my list of top five.

[@timdodd3897]

I saw a NASA F-104 at General Dynamics in Ft. Worth. The day the F-16 XL flew, and Thunderbird No:1 came out of the paint booth. Plus an F-111 in for repairs! Good times.

[@mydogspots]

NASA used the F-104 as a chase plane for the Space Shuttle !

[@EvidenceandReasons]

best line from the movie: "don't spank her too hard"

[@kennyspaulding796]

😆🤣.

[@cateclism316]

When Chuck Yeager flew some of these planes as a test pilot, he mentioned how small the wings were. "We wondered how in the hell they'd stay in the air."

[@marekstanek112]

Which was purely rhetorical. The answer Is obvious: alpha plus airspeed means lift.

[@VistaThaiGuy]

One shot deal...recon or first strike...sleek birds...saw them in Takhli RTAB back in the days.😎

[@Turloghan]

I must admit : at these times 50's to 60's there were a real though , masculine MEN. They even acting like guys maded from wood, but this didn't make them bad actors, but true warriors in their job environment. And these planes...super 👍.

[@videomaniac108]

I was surprised to see "B-1 Bob" Dornan in this.

[@nemojedermann2845]

I remember my first flight on a Starfighter. It was a doozie! I had that puppy at angels 35 mach 2 when, darn, the fan belt broke! I was to far over the Pacific to glide back to base but luckily the good old USS Enterprise was passing by and I managed a text book landing! Darn but they were out of spare fan belts but luckily I managed to repair that bird with a pair of nylons my wife had asked me to wear for luck and gee whiz I made it back to base! Like I said, a real doozie!😊

[@F-14_Jockey]

Never remember seeing this film, these people do not appear to be actors. As an aero engineer, I gotta shake my head seeing the 104 being used as a bomber, the powers that be, can always be counted on to screw up anything they get their hands on. The 104 was designed as an air superiority fighter, not a landscape architectural tool.

[@rossrosen6282]

The two women were married to air force pilots The dark-haired actress husband was killed in air force plane crash in 1963.

[@pinetree9343]

Not sure if this movie ever had much of a plot. More like a motivational film about the starfighter. Which, of flying today, would still be formidable against nearly all air forces in the world, as would be even the p51, p38, f86 and possibly all the planes flown in WWII

[@user-pf3wz1kl6c]

The F104 is a well-known supersonic fighter in Japan, too. It was also called "the last manned fighter. I'll avoid rating it as a "movie"(^-^; However, I think it is highly valuable as a valuable documentary film of the F104.

[@davidslaughterii1401]

Boring? On this I have to disagree. I actually enjoyed the film very much, and I definitely thank you for posting it. You are right, it would have faded into obscurity (especially since I never watched MST3K, but am familiar with it). I was born into the USAF life, as my father served from 1972 to 1992. While I never saw the F-104 Starfighter at any point during my youth on various instillations, both at home and abroad, I had heard many stories, not all good ones. Of course, my first introduction to the Century Series was the F-106 Delta Dart, which still remains my favorite of all the birds my father maintained.

[@jamesroberts2115]

Check out the "spurs" on their flight boots. Locks in their legs to the seat by cables to keep them from flailing during an ejection.

[@Adriatic1290]

I love the CF-104/F-104 so this was amazing

[@user-sj8jo7lx3z]

F15に更新される1980年代まで日本では使い続けました。旧式化して尚、比類無き上昇力に惚れ込んだパイロットが沢山いました。

[@deltaveedesignconsulting7697]

The F104 was designed to be the first stage of a heat seeking missile aimed at Tu95's coming over the pole. The horrible safety record came from Lockheed's greed in promoting it as a multi role fighter to boost sales, which overloaded it with ordinance.

[@maxsdad538]

Tu-95 Bear didn't come "over the pole", they came east from the old Provedenia Air Base and through Alaska, or through the GIUK (Greenland, Iceland, UK) Gap from Murmansk. Bears from Murmanks were also deployed for extended TDY's to Cuba.

[@deltaveedesignconsulting7697]

Yeah yeah. Poetic license.

[@earlwyss520]

@@deltaveedesignconsulting7697 Hey, I understood what you were trying to get at. The 104 was an Interceptor, that someone thought would make a great all around fighter jet, that it failed at. Funny thing though, I was a USAF Security Policeman, and my 3rd duty assignment was to a Munitions Support Squadron at Balikesir AB Turkey 1991-92. The TAF was still flying F-104s out of Balikesir when I was there. So as young as I am, 53, I've actually seen operational F-104 Fighters flying.

[@deltaveedesignconsulting7697]

@@earlwyss520 I saw one do four point rolls at an airshow at George AFB near Victorville CA. Now a logistics hub for air freight carriers.

[@robertlyon8876]

Truer word have never been spoken .

[@OdeeOz]

I remember a lot of Pilot Error accidents in 104's being flown in Germany, in the lat 50's. They'd get disoriented in Fog & Clouds. Go inverted, and _pull up_ straight into the ground in the Rhine Valley.

[@mnpd3]

I didn't know the thing could slow down enough to be refueled in-air. I didn't fly them, but the F104G I knew was really a rocket with 7-foot fins euphemistically called "wings." Landing it required flying it into the ground and using a drag chute to stop. The pilots either thought ahead of the plane, or ended up dead. At the time I don't recall anything that could get away from the 104, or anything it couldn't catch.

[@jakerazmataz852]

"Missile with a man in it." I don't think it's so much the 104 slowing down, as the tanker trying to keep up.😁 The freaking stall speed is 198mph. I don't know what altitude that is at.

[@CaptHollister]

6:55 Col. Potter looks younger than when he was in Korea.

[@kensmith8492]

This really felt like a recruiting moving.

[@reijiminato8762]

NGL If Tony Scott (RIP) and Co. made Top Gun a documentary, it would look like this

[@stevesloan7132]

Beautiful aircraft. Especially in polished aluminum with those incredibly cool USAF markings! Just standing still on the ground they looked like a rocket ship that could take you to the stars.

[@kennyspaulding796]

That's what I liked about all the jets in the early 60's that polished mirror look.

[@DellAnderson]

The look like the inspiration for some Star Wars ships.

[@josephpadula2283]

This is the plane the Enterprise took the pilot out of after the tractor beam caused it to break up in original Star Trek. F-104

[@talltanbarbie5136]

I actually found this on old VHS before I saw the MST3K version, looks like the same tape :)

[@kennyspaulding796]

Oh God. There's a MST version? I have GOT to see that.

[@talltanbarbie5136]

@@kennyspaulding796 Oh Yes. It's rather infamous. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bYXQYpafe9ZompY

[@marekstanek112]

This movie reminded me of the french series 'Chevalieurs du ciel'.

[@dd.greenefilms2598]

I enjoyed this feature.

[@vitoc.7180]

Il primo velivolo che ho preparato per il volo , resterà sempre nel mio cuore 💓💓❤️ f104s dopo tanti anni e arrivato il tornado e con lui e finita la mia carriera di capo velivolo, tanti bei ricordi

[@kdkatz-ef2us]

A silly movie but it makes me nostalgic for the 4 years I was in.

[@earlwyss520]

With the level of bad acting, close ups of the aircraft, along with its capabilities, I'm not entirely sure that this film wasn't a joint USAF Recruitment/Lockheed F-104 Sales video not so cleverly or well disguised as a movie.

[@zingwilder9989]

This was a low budget recruiting film. It served its purpose at the time it was made.

[@spaceranger3728]

It was also the movie where the world learned about corn detasseling!

[@SkyhawkSteve]

I grew up in Iowa and detasselled corn too... and was not expecting to hear about it in a movie about the early days of fighter jets!

[@RW_Recorder]

For a while(years), there were frequent sonic booms produced by 104’s. And several times, I saw a tiny bright dot leaving the tip of a 104. It was 60’s in Taiwan.

[@kennyspaulding796]

I remember as a kid playing outside or working dad's rigerus dawn to dusk gardening detail, hearing sonic boom's a lot. Why did they stop, was they causing damage to the atmosphere or was it people complaining?

[@RW_Recorder]

@@kennyspaulding796 I think it was partially because the situation across Taiwan straight ease down a bit. Besides, the commies in China were a little busy over Vietnam at that time might be the cause as well.

[@mydogspots]

My dad few it in Vietnam, had a very hidden flights over there, they few supersonic flights over downtown Sam-City! @@RW_Recorder

[@RW_Recorder]

@@mydogspots Salute to your dad. 104's is tricky to fly, many pilots sacrificed, including at least one of my neighbors.

[@KyleCowden]

That's one sexy plane. Added in Edit: The procedures were actually very accurate and that Husky helicopter was a bird before its time.

[@ogukuo72]

The F-104 is such a beautiful fighter for me. Too bad it did not last in the USAF.

[@toomanyhobbies2011]

Great F104 video, just skip through the rest and enjoy. The cold war was in full-swing at that time and these movies were made to encourage American citizens and discourage our enemies. I think the F104 could carry a Genie, but I didn't see it here, of course our enemies knew we had an air to air nuke on interceptors. There's a great image of an F106 firing a dummy Genie.

[@stevelewis7263]

I always think the Starfighter looks better with its tip-tanks fitted

[@jgrazzi]

I remember seeing this when I was a kid also. The one thing I’ve always remembered is that snap of the head when they release brakes. Just to piss off the wife I did the head snap in the car when the light turned green. 😁

[@7thkansascav468]

Not boring if you love vintage militaryt aircraft. When I was a kid building model planes in the early 60 the F-104 Starfighter was one of the coolest models to build along with the B-58 Hustler. Never saw a real F-104 but I got to see a B-58 fly over while on a boat tour of the locks at Sault St. Marie at fairly low level in the late 60's. According to the tour guide it was a pretty common occurence.

[@alantoon5708]

22 years before "Top Gun"...

[@beverlychmelik5504]

Still, lots of good footage and sound of F-104s

[@donaldconnolly220]

My dad built f104 starfighters at Lockheed skunk works....... I would years later at a military base..... Figure that it was cool to walk around behind and f-104 that was idling while the pilot was shooting the s*** with another guy.... I was probably a good hundred feet behind the damn thing the plane was really low to the ground. . And it was built with an angle that pointed the jet at the asphalt the tail end of it........ I guess it helped with Lyft on takeoff.... The sun was going down and it was getting dark so you could see the red glow coming out the after burner which was not engaged of course cuz of the jet was just idling...... And I went walking along thinking that it was cool to do what I did.... I walked right into the exhaust it was like walking into a blast furnace of a brick wall..... The next thing I knew I was a good 75 ft from there down further than I was and I'm laying on the ground with a scalding hot flame going over me..... Luckily nobody noticed.......

[@ronaldlavender1137]

A remake of this movie would be great. The congressman son's angst is due to his not being certain if he's a man or woman. The married guy is just accompanying his wife who is the pilot learning to fly the ac.

[@jklmn101]

You forgot to somehow make something racist, like the way the plane seats were or something.

[@blkft]

😄😄😄😄👍

[@Redwhiteblue-gr5em]

And the wing commander will be a black woman. And the three pilots would be a white woman, an Arab and a Mexican. And the soundtrack will be rap music.

[@JeffreyLWhitledge]

The guy who plays the air traffic controller is really good.

[@dave8599]

NASA used to have some of these bad boys painted white with a blue stripe. very cool.

[@teosensenigallia5828]

at take off you could feel the After Burner induced vibrations in your stomach!

[@cpip]

A movie about fighter pilots in which a good third of it is just people on the phone talking to each other.

[@Shades14]

They just don't make movies like this anymore.

[@manateemax5439]

Slow the playback speed down and it makes Major Bob and Col. Flattop sound like they've had a few too many at the Officers' club.

[@shamaimjamil21]

What a classic era