On Sept. 8, Matteo Marianeschi visited Istrana where he discovered the following preserved F-104G. According to the information he got during the visit by a pilot, the aircraft had arrived from Dal Molin Museum in Vicenza during the summer. The aircraft has a dual colour scheme: on the right side the aircraft wears the code 3-01 of the 132° Gruppo belonging to the Villafranca-based 3° Stormo; the left side wears the code 3-31 of the 28° Gruppo of the 3° Stormo. The weird thing is that on both side there’s the famous Strega (witch), 28° Gruppo emblem (and radio callsign). The aircraft is serialled MM6577, however this serial was reported in Cervia, even if a further visual check did not provide any confirmation of the 3-01/6577 being there. If the serial is authentic, the aircraft belonged to the 154° Gruppo of the 6° Stormo in Ghedi when the it made the last flight in 1982.
Istrana preserved F-104
Related Articles
Three HH-3F cleared to fly
The Italian Air Force (ItAF) has ordered the return to their homebases of the 3 HH-3Fs of the 15th Stormo, that were on a deployment airport when all the “Pelikans” of the Aeronautica Militare were […]
HH-3F crash caused by the fracture of a main rotor's blade
On Nov. 12, a first report about the HH-3F crash that costed the life of 8 POB (read also An Italian HH-3F crashes in France killing 8 POB & “Mammaiut”: all the ItAF HH-3Fs grounded) […]
Display pilot
Some of the most rare and interesting patches are the Display Pilot / Display crew ones worn by the pilots of the RSV (Reparto Sperimentale Volo, Test Wing) of the Aeronautica Militare (Italian Air Force, […]