Scenes Gallery (the old days)

Beneath a number of photographs showing groups of pilots, crew and sceneries during the old days. All photos have a strong historical value and for that reason we try to get all information of these photos complete and any help is appreciated. We will add photos now and then and keep them in chronological order as much as possible. This means that at the start you will find photos around the prototypes and at the bottom of the last page photos regarding the Italian latest operational aircraft.
We hope you all enjoy this section as much as we do!! Please note that at the bottom you will be able to navigate through all the scenery pages sofar...

XF104

(1954-1955) Rudy Thorn & Flight Test Team with XF-104 number 786. In the middle, standing in a flightsuit is Tony Le Vier (Near the inlet) but other people I do not recognise. This photo has been taken probably in March or April 1954 during first test flights at Edwards AFB. Behind the XF-786 (left of it on the photo) there is the F-94C 50-957 that was the chase plane during the testflights.
Who are all these persons in the group? Please tell us. We would like to know and mention this with this photo in the future.
XF104
(1954-1955) XF-104 number 786 Ground Checks at Edwards AFB. Note the strange way the computer bay door was opened with the XF. This photos has been taken probably in March or April 1954 during first test flights at Edwards AFB, when the serial was applied on the forward fuselage of the aircraft.
Who recognizes the people on the photo?
JointTestForce
(1961, Edwards AFB) This photo shows a group of NATO testpilots at Edwards AFB, California in front of one of the early manufactured German F-104G Starfighter. The pilots are the members of the Joint Test Force Category II Flight Test Program on the F-104G. Pilots standing from left to right : Capt. Franco Bonazzi (Italian AF), Maj. Steve Cailleau (Belgium AF), Oblt. Erhard Gödert (Luftwaffe), FltLt. Bob Ayres (Royal Canadian Air Force), Capt. Al Crews (USAF), Capt. Matje Janssen (Royal Netherlands AF). And kneeling from left to right are : Maj. Heinz Birkenbeil (Luftwaffe) and Maj. Norvin "Bud" Evans (USAF).
JointTestForce

(Spring 1962, George AFB) This photo was taken during the 1st Provisional F-104 Training Course at George AFB in Spring 1962. It was the first course done at George AFB with F-104D/C aircraft, by the 4443rd CCTS. Major Crenshaw was the CO at that moment.
When the 434th TFS "Red Devils" of the 479th TFW George AFB, 831st Air Division disbanded on January 3, 1962 it became this initial F-104G training squadron designated as 4443rd CCTS. This unit conducted training for German type transition pilots in about 23 hours training in the F-104D from 1962 until May 22nd, 1964. Lateron this 4443rd CCTS moved to Luke AFB and came under control of the 4540th CCTG at Luke AFB, Arizona effective August 1, 1964 with F-104G/TF-104G as the initial MAP/NATO F-104G training unit. The 4443rd CCTS and the 4540th CCTG disbanded on September 30, 1966.
People on the photo are (backrow left to right) FW Zülsdorf, ObLt Overhoff, ObLt Kabas, Hptm E. Menzel, FW Schickram, ObLt Pötter, Lt Strosetzki, Hptm Boehm, Major Jackson (USAF) and (front row left to right and all USAF instructor pilots) Capt Messerli, Capt Ghee, Capt Gunn, Maj Crenshaw, Capt Smith, Capt Durst, 1stLt Nelley. (Photo by late Ehrhardt Menzel)
KeyWest 1962
(1962, NAS Boca Chica, Key West AFB, Florida) This photo was taken of the 476TFS temporary on deployment to Key West, Florida during the Cuban crisis. It shows a lot of pilots. Aircraft seen during the deployment included 56-896, 56-933, 57-927 and 57-929. The Pilots on this photo are Top row, left to right : Woody Halsey, Albert Eels, Larry Knox, Dick Plummer, Karl Hoffman, Keith Davey, George Wooddy, Jim Folston, Bill Kaa, George Schustad, John Soler, Ray Holt, Bob Jones, Tom McInerney, and Norm Huff. Front row, left to right : David Groark, George Wells, Wayne Hauth, Lt. Col. Howard Dale (Sq. Commander), Joe Nevers, Bill Linihan and finally Tom Delashaw.
Sharkmouth B
(1966, Homestead AFB, Florida) This photo is of the A Flight, 319 FIS, taken at Homestead AFB FL in 1966. In the front row you find Walt Bjorneby, Al Brown, Bill Lessard and Buddy Jones. Back row is Jim Casto, unknown pilot, Ted Stuart and Howard Turner. When this photo was taken, Walt Bjorneby was on 5-minute alert, since he is wearing his spurs, life vest and alert badge. Buddy Jones came to the 319th from the NATO F104G Stan-Eval team, so some of the European people may recognize him. Al Brown coached a USAFE A10 team from the UK that won the NATO Weapons Meet one year. The nice sharkmouth painted on this F-104B (99% sure the 57-1310) was done because the 14th AF Commander, B/Gen Bennie Putnam, was coining down for a ride in the airplane.
The 319FiS F-104B models were used in training and checks. Each pilot got an instrument check under the hood once a year within the squadron and since they had about 36 pilots, there was a continual flow of replacements as the men got reassigned. A normal tour was about 3 years in the squadron so they had 12 new guys per year. Also the B models got the J79-GE19 engine becoming the fastest two-seaters in the world. (Photo courtesy Walt Bjorneby)
MM6658
(June 1966, China Lake NAS) This photo was taken at China Lake in June 1966 when 331st FIS was performing AIM-9 Sidewinder tests with three aircraft. Two of them were 56-824 and 56-858, the third one was a two-seater. Since 331st FiS had two two-seaters operational by that time, it must have been one of these (F-104B 57-1302 or 57-1304).
The photo shows the 4 pilots assigned to this project. Also 16 squadron men have been assigned to support the testing in different roles. From left to right you see Lt.Col Pat Green (Project Officer), Major Wesley Brown (Detachment Commander), Major Kenneth Read and Capt. William Malloy. The 104 in the background is 56-824. (Thanks to Gary Verver and article inside the Rocketeer dd 10 June 1966)
56-833

(Early 1967, Edwards AFB) During the Cuban crisis the USAF ADC decided to deploy a squadron of Starfighters in Florida as MIG cap. This became the 319th FiS at Homestead AFB. Since the Russian and allies got information about the capabilities of the F-104A Starfighter the USAF decided to upgrade them with more powerful engines. This gave the "enemy" an attack uncertainty. They selected the J79-GE19 engine also in test with the F-104S version developed during that period. The F-104A 56-833 (See photo) was used to test this GE19 configuration and here it is seen takin g off from Edwards for a zoom testflight (see pilot with zoom helmet). It arrived at Lockheed in January 1967 for modifications. After the test project it was finally also delivered to 319 FiS, where it arrived in April 1968.
The F-104S version got bigger inlets to improve the volume of inlet air entering the engine. The F-104A was just keeping the normal inlets and so the question rose, wasn't that a problem? Walt Bjorneby, ex 319FiS pilot, explained :
"Since the F-104A Starfighters were so light the need for extra air wasn't a factor. Their takeoff roll with the -19 was about 2600 feet at 186KIAS. As soon as the bird was airborne it was getting all it needed. A fact is that the fuel control and the PT2 sensor at the compressor inlet go together to keep the fuel-air ratio where it is supposed to be. The intake size limitation on the ground at 100% rpm is going to result in pressure lower than ambient due to the choking effect. But once airborne the fuel flow rises as ram air comes down the intakes. Forex the fuel flow during run-up with the brakes locked on the runway at 80F and 100% is about 8500 pph; but once flying it rises until at 600KIAS at 500 AGL it's up around 12,000-12,500. The fuel-air ratio for proper combustion and control of heat in the engine is a fixed ratio somewhere around 55-60 to 1. If it goes much above 60 the fire will go out; if it goes much below 55 the engine will overtemp. What that means is that the thrust developed is proportional to the fuel flow, so at 600KIAS the thrust has increased about 25%". (Photo: couresy Lockheed Martin)
435TFS
(Udorn, Thailand 1966-1967) This great groupsphoto was taken at Udorn Thailand of all the personnel of the 435th TFS. It is just too much to mention all these names. But historically this is a very interesting photo. Aircraft seen on the photo are the F-104Cs 56-936 loaded with people and behind the 56-891 and 56-892. (Click on the photo for a bigger one).
Udorn
(Udorn, Thailand 1967) The famous "donut" photo which we received from Rodney Trimble. The pilots on the photo are from left to right (standing) Capt Bill Sedor, Col. Robert T McIntosh, Col. Vernon Sandrock and Maj. Karl Hoffman. Sitting from left to right are Lt. Tom Mahan, Lt Addison "Ace" Rawlins and Roger Wicker. "Ace" Rawlins once explained: We were flying really long missions and the seats were hard and a bit uncomfortable after 3 or 4 hrs. Our missions were averaging 5 hrs with some going as long as 8 to 9 hrs. The life support types told us the reason the cushion was hard was to reduce back injury upon ejection and of course it was not legal to use a soft cushion. Anyway, I got an inner-tube from a start unit tire and tried it out. Worked fine and caught on fast. I honestly don’t know where the donuts in the pictures came from – possibly the hospital. My first flight was a big learning curve and I figured out right away that you didn’t need much air in the tube cause it expanded as you went to altitude. I had too much air in it and had to release some. Lesson #2 was to place the valve stem in the front so you could get to it to release air and to have your survival knife handy in case you needed to puncture the donut. After a flight or two the air was set right and didn’t have to be changed any more. It made a big difference on the long flights and most of the pilots began to use them.

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