|
On the 29 th and 30th
of May this year, at the Airport of Pratica di Mare a special open day was held
All good things have to come to an end
sometime and this also includes the flying career of one of the most
charismatic fighter planes in post-war aviation history. During 2004, the
Aeronautica Militare Italiana (Italian Air Force) will cease flying the
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter after a career spanning 40 years. Add to this
that in 1954 the Starfighter's prototype flew for time. Facts that can not
go unnoticed and the Italian Air Force is the last service anywhere in the
world to fly this jet. In order to allow a 40 year period in the Italian Air
Force to pass into history, an airshow was held at Pratica di Mare near Rome
featuring the F-104, but also of course other types in Italian service
The air show was planned for the Sunday.
Highlights during the show were the formation of nine Starfighter's that
made several passes and at the end of the show the red 'Ducati' Starfighter
flew in formation with the Frecce Tricolori. The show attracted many
visitors. Early in the morning, many people were waiting in front of the
gate to enter the base and an Italian TV-station broadcasted the show live
on television.
Flown as a tribute was a formation of the
Frecce Tricolori led by the red 999 F-104. After several passes they did the
missing manAfter the landing of the '999' came not
only an official end on the operations with the Starfighter within the Aeronautica Militare Italiana, but also worldwide
Naturally, Starfighters were much in
evidence at Pratica di Mare, with an F-104S-ASA, MM6943/4-1, sprayed in
exactly the same silver/white colourscheme as used on the earliest
examples in Italian service. Better known was the Starfighter for it's
tactical camouflage scheme, as applied to the museum exhibit from Vigna
di Valle, MM6501/3-11. Belonging to 3° Stormo at Villafranca during it's
flying days. From the two Starfighter units left in 2004, 9° Stormo from
Grazzanise, apparantly brought is famous Dugati red starfighter. The
MM6930/9-99 wears the red paint scheme adopted for the Ducati 999
motorcycle
In total 18 f-104s were on display, of
which 16 in flying condition. Six aircraft were displayed in a special
area called 'World Starfighter Meeting'. Three of these aircraft wore
special colour schemes.
From the base at Grossetto came the black MM6873 in a predominantly
black colourscheme celebrating 40 years of service with the Aeronautico
Militare. 20° Gruppo, the Starfighter training unit, painted
MM54253/4-20 in a blauw scheme. The airshow included a flypast of nine
Starfighters, among them three two seaters, with the characteristic
howling of their GE J79 engines. A sound that inspired so many
youngsters to become aviation enthousiasts....
Apart from this formation, the organization had more surprises for us. A
formation of a Tornado ADV, an EF-2000B Typhoon and a F-16ADF led by a
F-104S appeared from the south. After one pass they appeared one more
time. This time the F-104 broke up from the formation to climb out just
like in a 'missing man' formation.
Aircraft wise, Pratica di Mare's airshow had much to offer. Foreign
participants to visit Pratica di Mare included, apart from among others
British Harriers, Austrian SAAB 105's and a pair of Hungarian Mil
helicopters a duo of Turkish Air Force RF-4E Phantoms and a
MiG-29 from the German air force.
Anyway, the glorious weather and the many F-104's on show gave the
Starfighter it's farewell it deserved.
|
