The Starfighter Serials

F-104S:
d/d 29jan73, 36° Stormo - 12° Gruppo "36-10" (nov73-nov75), 4° Stormo - 9° Gruppo "4-1" (1976-1977), 53° Stormo - 21° Gruppo "53-16" (feb78-may82), 36° Stormo - 12° Gruppo "36-11" (apr83-may87)

F-104S/ASA:
d/d 07nov88, 5° Stormo - 23° Gruppo "5-41" (nov88-oct93), storage (nov91-dec95), wfu 1995, preserved on two small poles as gateguard at a car-dealer in Avola, which is near Catania (Sicily).

Note:
This aircraft was build at Fiat-Alenia and received three times an IRAN in 1977/1978, 1982/1983 and 1987/1988:
IRAN 1 : 1977 till February 27th, 1978
IRAN 2 : May 19th, 1982 till March 21st, 1983
IRAN 3 : May 20th, 1987 till October 26th, 1988 (including ASA conversion)
Finally it was struck of charge with 3098 flying hours and put on storage at Rimini. Lateron it received CFE treatment and was sent to a scrapdealer at Bentivoglio where it was first noted in July 2003. It received a tail from ex MM6789 and radome from MM6915 and since August 2007 it is seen on display at the entrance of a car-dealer in Avola still coded with serial 5-41 and 101 gruppo markings on its nose.

In June 1981 the MM6807 participated in the NATO Tiger Meet held at the USAFE AirBase Bitburg. (photo by Peter Doll)

The very first code used by MM6807 was 36-10. It is interesting to see that also the next number 36-11 was used by the aircraft mid eighties. Here two photos. First as it was seen during a squadron rotation in 1983 at Twenthe Air Base while landing on June 28th. Then on the next photo it is seen in April 1985 at Gioia Del Colle when the old big serial 36-11 had already been replaced by the newer layout 36-11 which was a bit smaller. Note the 315 squadron still on the tail which it received during that mentioned squadron exchange in 1983. (Photos by Eric Tammer and the IFS)

After modification to F-104S/ASA it only served with one code, being 5-41 of 23 Gruppo at Cervia. Here it is seen landing on an unknown Base in 1989.

In the winter of early 1991 the MM6807 with code "5-41" landed in Cervia due to fog circumstances at Rimini AB. The pilot went back to Rimini by car. During the night crews from 8 Stormo painted new codes and markings on this aircraft. Next morning the pilot came back to Cervia AB to fly back MM6807 to Rimini AB. However he was shocked when he saw the new markings on the aircraft. The 8 Stormo numbers were soon removed, but the snake of 101 gruppo stayed. (Photo via Paolo Maglio)

Currently the aircraft can be found preserved at Avola. On the nose still the 101 gruppo marking can be seen on this photo taken in August 2007. (Photo Riccardo Vestuto)