F-104
Below you can see the cover of my new book about the story of the F-104 Starfighter in the Italian Air Force.
Five years from its last flight, an exceptional collection of the most rare and stunning images of 42 years of service, recalls the history of one of the most famous, loved and controversial aircraft of the Aeronautica Militare (Italian Air Force). The book, in Italian and English text, will also contain exclusive air-to-air images of the very last flight of an Italian F-104, taken on July 27, 2005! Italian Starfighters will be available from April 2010 and you will have the possibility to order a signed limited edition from this site at the very special price of 35 Euro. Worldwide shipping available. Italian readers click here.
Click here for ordering information
Between 2003 and 2004, Piercarlo Ciacchi, a former F-104 pilot currently flying with the Frecce Tricolori display team, produced a series of videos he took flying with the Starfighter from Grazzanise, where its squadron, the 18° Gruppo, was temporary deployed. The following one is dedicated to the world famous 9-99, the red special colour of the 9° Stormo; the first and only Starfighter in special colour scheme ever made by the wing based in Grazzanise. The video is titled “Un aereo speciale” (“A special plane”) and you can watch it all by clicking the below image:
Rocco Zaccardi, an F-104 enthusiast living in NY, wrote me a few months ago to tell me that he had written a screenplay where the F-104 plays a ‘leading’ role in the story. Read the full story and download the screenplay here: F-104 movie screenplay
Ugo Crisponi sent me an interesting collection of F-104 profiles (available here: http://cencio4.wordpress.com/2009/05/27/f-104-profiles-and-artworks/) and prints (available here: http://cencio4.wordpress.com/f-104-tribute/f-104-prints/).
I’ve obtained by Katshuhiko Tokunaga and by Gen. Gagliano of the Aeronautica Militare (Italian Air Force), the authorization to publish a selection of the images “Katsu” took in 2004 flying with the F-104 of the Grosseto-based 4° Stormo. All the 300 pictures can be found here: http://lowpassage.com/photo-archive/f-104-air-to-air-pictures-by-katsuhiko-tokunaga/
The external and internal differences of all the F-104 versions in service with the Italian Air Force can be found here (with all the cockpit layouts): Italian F-104 versions explained.
Here http://lowpassage.com/2009/04/02/air-to-air-with-the-f-104s-of-the-9-stormo-130503 you can the pictures I took in May 2003 when I had the opportunity to fly a mission on board an MB-339A of the locally based 609^ Squadriglia Collegamenti to take some air-to-air pictures of the F-104 Starfighter belonging to the 10° Gruppo of the 9° Stormo and to the 18° Gruppo of the 37° Stormo, that were both based in Grazzanise. The photo session was part of a 5 days visit to Grazzanise to prepare a report about the 9° Stormo that was published later that year on Aeronautica & Difesa (that you can read in Italian language here: http://cencio4.wordpress.com/works/il-9%c2%b0-stormo/).
Click here “A day in the life of the 9° Stormo of Grazzanise” to see the photostory of a day spent with the 9° Stormo in Grazzanise in 2003. This post provides a snapshot about the 9° Stormo and Grazzanise airbase in a day (actually the pictures were taken in 2 days, Aug. 12 and Sept 8 during a Sqn Exch with the Hellenic Air Force F-4 Phantoms) of 2003 when the F-104 was more than 1 year from its retirement.
Click here f-104-layout_low to download a pdf containing an interesting series of F-104 profiles by Richard J. Caruana, an established aviation author and illustrator. The profiles were published on MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL no. 41, December 2008 issue, within a feature that is dedicated exclusively to operational colour schemes worn by the F-104s serving with the Aeronautica Militare (Italian Air Force, ItAF). The file also contains detailed views of the markings, stencils, roundels and bagdes of the various Italian units that were equipped with the Starfighter.
Below, a preview of one of the pages of the .pdf files containing the work of Richard J. Caruana that
View a collection of about 250 pictures of the F-104 taken in 40 years by the Troupe Azzurra of the Aeronautica Militare (Italian Air Force) here: F-104 pictures from the Troupe Azzurra archive
Read about the MM6507, a presumed restoration project, in the Grazzanise scrapyard here:
Read about the misterious F-104 drag chute here: The F-104 (?) drag chute mistery
For a description of my flight with the TF-104 please read this post: Flying the TF-104G-M.
For a backstage description of some of these flights (and for more pictures) please read these posts: Airborne pickup (rejoining with an F-104) and Air to Air photography.
For the an interesting story about MM6930 Special Colour, read this post: F-104 MM6930 Special Colour: 999 or 9-99?
Articles and stories about the F-104:
- Memories of a fighter pilot: Col. Agrusti recalls his pilot’s life as interceptor in the midst of the Cold War
- Starfighter Swan Song: the last year of service of the F-104 Starfighter
- Grosseto airbase, home of the 4th Stormo (in Y2000): a description of Grosseto airbase and 4th Stormo’s operations with the F-104 in the year 2000
- Zombies: A collection of ItAF pictures depicting F-104 intercepting Soviet aircraft during the ’80s
- Italian F-104 patches: a collection of all the Italian F-104 related patches
- Il 9° Stormo: the last ItAF wing to fly the F-104
- Scramble!: Col. Agrusti recalls his pilot’s life as interceptor in the midst of the Cold War (Italian).
Other F-104 related posts:
- New F-104 restoration project discovered
- F-104 Graffiti Art
- F-104 Graffiti Art update
- The F-104 boneyard
- Grosseto Airbase
- Air-to-Air photography with the F-104D in 1964
Some panoramic pictures with F-104s can be found among pics published in the following posts:
27.11.00
Flying in the backseat of a TF-104M from Grosseto airbase, along with another Starfighter of the 20th Gruppo.
12.05.03
Flying along the 104 of Lt. Enrico “Maio” Maiorino and then formating above Gaeta with Lt. Aurelio “Alì” Covotta, Flaviano “Ciga” Conti and Piercarlo Ciacchi.
On the ground…at Grazzanise
The last days
Smoking in the sky…
I took this picture on 19.09.03, a few minutes after the official roll-out of the first and last Special Colour of the X Gruppo. Piloting the 104, c/s “Picca 01″, Lt.Col. Bruno Strozza, cdr of the 10th Gruppo; I was flying on the MB.339A of 609^ SCS, c/s “Jolly 11″, piloted by Col. Gianpaolo Miniscalco, cdr of 9° Stormo. Pictures taken during that flight were used as front cover pics of two magazines (Air Forces Monthly e Aerei), articles on the 9th Stormo and F-104 (AFM and Aeronautica & Difesa) and for the 2004 calendar of 9th Stormo “F. Baracca”.
The “999″ on Sept. 18th 2003. The colour scheme was an idea of Lt. Andrea Turco, a Ducati fan:
The F-104 999 making a quick taxi on Sept. 18th, the day before the official roll-out. Pilot was Lt.Col. Strozza, 10th Gruppo Cdr:
Pilots of the 10th and 18th Gruppo (this latter temporary deployed to Grazzanise), in front of the 999 together with Col. Miniscalco and Gen. Del Meglio:
The MM6930 no longer wearing code “999″ but “9.99″ at Grazzanise on Apr. 07th 2004 (first time with red and white tip tanks):
Close up view of the code “9.99″ at Pratica di Mare on May 29th 2004 during the International F-104 reunion (pilot Lt.Col. Strozza):
Marvellous weblog David.
Thanks for sharing
Sad view on fased out F-104 Italian Air Force.
cheers,
Pauljos
the Netherlands
Good morning David ,
I am located in the south of France at Orange near Avignon .*
We have an aircraft Museum and we display 23 jets including
an Italian G-91R .Please note our web site address :
http://www.musee-a5e.com .Your web site is very interesting , we can found many informations . I ask you your help because we are looking for a F104 .Could you send me the phone number of the 9th stormo .
With best regards
Claude .
Hi Claude,
first of all thank you for your interest in my website and congratulations on you Museum.
Dealing with your request, if you’r looking for an F-104 I think it might be better to try to contact the Italian Air Force Public Relations Office (Ufficio Relazioni con il Pubblico, URP, in Italian):
Ufficio Relazioni con il Pubblico (URP)
Palazzo Aeronautica
Viale dell’università, 4 – 00185 Roma
Tel. (+39) 06-49866626
urp@aeronautica.difesa.it
Hope this helps,
David
Hi David
Can you give me some road directions for the F-104 (MM6785) just off the GRA please. I will be in Rome for 2 days only for the airshow at P d M in May
Many thanks for any help at all
Ade (York -UK)
Hi Ade,
it is quite easy: you have to take the A91 highway (“autostrada Roma Fiumicino”). Proceeding from the airport towards Rome you take the exit towards “Magliana Vecchia” then, at the roundabout, keep the right and take the first exit to continue along Viale Parco dei Medici. You will find the aircraft around 1 km on your left side, in the car parking area of a supermarket.
Hope this helps,
David
Grande David, sono Maio…
Come stai? Scusa se ho perso un po’ i contatti…qui a Latina l’attivita’ e’ abbastanza frenetica!!
Complimenti per il sito…foto eccezionali!!!
Le guardo con gioia e con un (bel) po’ di malinconia!!
Ti mando un abbraccione enorme!!!
A presto
MAIO
Hi,
This is Ali, Retired CMSgt, Türkish Airforce, I’ve taken some İtalian F-104 photos İn Cigli Base (İzmir) want to have them?
Best Regards
Erik,
che piacere risentirti! Tutto ok. Parlavo di te con Angelo Corallo l’altro ieri a Trapani ricordando i vecchi tempi…..
Ci sentiamo via mail o cell.
Un abbraccio,
David
Hi David and All
Many thanks for the directions for MM6785 F-104 i hope to have a look at it when iam next in Rome in a few weeks
All The Best
Ade (York -UK)
Ciao Davide,
sono Mario da Grosseto. Nelle foto ho riconosciuto alcuni punti di rullaggio dei velivoli del “IV” avendo lavorato in linea di volo per 15 anni. Ho abbandonato la vita del meccanico con una scelta difficile, ma guardo queste foto molto volentieri e con molta nostalgia. Complimenti!
Salut à tous
Je suis philoux104@hotmail.com de Liège (Belgique) Depuis 20 ans je vais en Italie pour suivre le F104 qui a volé chez nous aussi. J’ai réalisé +/-50 h de film (du temps de Miramare) et j’en recherche d’autres encore. Ma vie a tourné autour du 104 et un GRAND MERCI pour ce site magnifique
Ciao David..mi chiamo Paolo, ho 38 anni e abito a Montale (MO).
Ho installato l’ADSL da poco e il mio amore per il 104 mi ha portato velocemente qui per la prima volta..che dire CHAPEAU !
Sono letteralmente estasiato (è tutto il pomeriggio che mi leggo i tuoi report..mia moglie è inviperita)..e sbavo di invidia..sei uno dei pochi che può dire veramente ‘io ho volato sul 104′..e non con la fantasia..
Io invece ero uno dei tanti con il naso all’insù in quel triste pomeriggio di Pratica del 2004…ed è ancor più triste vedere le foto del boneyard di Grazzanise …Dalle mie parti ci sono 3 spilli..uno all’aeroporto di Marzaglia..uno nel cortile di una piccola azienda vicino Vignola..l’ultimo nel piazzale della facoltà di ingegneria dell’Università a Modena
Perdonami se non scrivo in inglese ma non vorrei fare brutta figura in un ambiente così international..il mio inglish è un tanto sgangherated..you know..
Volevo giusto salutarti e inchinarmi davanti a tanta ricchezza di materiale … è bello che tu lo condivida..
At salòt
Grazie Paolo,
ti ringrazio dei complimenti. Mi fa piacere tu abbia trovato interessante il mio materiale.
A presto,
David
Ciao David,mi chiamo Marco,dopo aver letto molto dei tuoi articoli ho deciso di scriverti anche io,devo farti veramente i miei complimenti per i tuoi report.Sono un ammiratore per chiunque abbia avuto a che fare con l’F 104,sono gia un pò di anni che ho in mente un progetto,quello di ricostruire il cockpit dello spillone,e la parte più difficile è quella di recuperare la cellula esterna,intendo la sezione che va dal vano avionica fino al cono,con questa mail volevo chiederti,se puoi,una dritta nella sua ricerca…
Ti ringrazio anticipatamente,e ancora complimenti per la tua vita e per le emozioni che trasmettono le tue parole…
Ciao David!!
Mi chiamo Giovanni e ho 17 anni e sono un fan del 104,sapresti dirmi che fine hanno fatto gli ultimi special livery?
Cioè gli ultimi 104 con livree commemorative che sono:
_Nerone (lo spillone che commemorava i 40 anni di servizio)
_ il 999
_ lo special color del 20°gr
_ lo special color del 23°gr
Spero che non siano stati smantellati come gli altri 104…
Comunque ottimi repertori,sono una vera gioia x gli occhi di un giovane appassionato!!!
cordiali saluti =)
Ciao Giovanni,
ti ringrazio dei complimenti. Mi fa piacere che siano interessanti per te i miei report!
So per certo che sono in buone condizioni il 9-99 e gli special del 9° e 20° Gruppo; non ho notizie dello special del 23° Gruppo purtroppo….
Provo ad informarmi,
a presto,
David
Grazie delle info!! mi sa che visiterò più spesso il tuo sito x avere aggiornamenti continui nel campo dell’aviazione ;)
cordiali saluti =)
Giovanni
ciao david sono eugenio e se possibile scambiare qualche notizia sul 104……… sto raccogliendo una lista che nessuno fino ad ora ha fatto…… proprio per i modellisti piu’ accurati… solo per intenditori insomma…..
Ciao Eugenio,
con piacere. Scrivimi pure via email all’indirizzo che trovi anche in homepage. Io sto preparando un libro fotografico sul 104, che ripercorre la carriera dello Spillone in Italia, dal 1963 fino all’ultimo volo avvenuto il 27 luglio 2005.
A presto
David
Ciao Davide.
Che dire.. Grazie, grazie per farci vivere ancora questo splendido Puro Sangue.. Sono particolarmente affezionato al 104 il mio sogno …
Grazie davvero..
Ruggero.
Salve.Flap tutto velocita 160 non riesco a far atterrare il mio 104.Consigli?
Giuseppe.Ammiratore e conoscente di Bruno Strozza quando era a Grazzanise
I have worked on the F 104 G Starfighter in the German Navy, this Side is BEAUTIFUL.
Thanks Jens
Hey David, lovely blog – what is little known in the West is that in my part of the world ( I’m Indian) the forces of democracy and tolerance ( India) flew Soviet types and the forces of Dictatorship and Religious intolerance ( Pakistan) flew NATO types – the irony! – Well, the PAF F-104s had a good record in air combat against the InAF, – though one was shot down in a turning fight by a subsonic InAF Mystere who also went down – but the F-104G was very much outflown and shot down by the InAF MiG-21FL with a Gsh-23 gunpack in the 1971 Indo-Pak war