OVER THE TOP

An F-104C of the 479th Tactical Fighter Wing, stationed at George Air Force Base, California, during the early 1960, roars heavenward into the winter sky of the Mohave Desert. The F-104, nicknamed "The Missile with a Man in it," was considered by some to be an exceedingly dangerous aircraft to fly. Those who flew it, however, would for the most part agree that it was an aircraft which when flown within the limits of its performance envelope would outperform any of its contemporaries. The F-104 was truly a record breaker. It set records in straight away speed time, time to climb for seven different levels and in May, 1968, an F-104A hit an average speed of 1,404 m.p.h. on a two-way course. A year later, an F-104 reached an altitude of 103,395 feet. The F-104C was introduced in 1958 and had a more powerful engine as well as a removable boom on the left side of the fuselage to facilitate air to air refueling. The F-104 was used in numerous NATO countries, including Germany, Britain, Italy and the Netherlands. In all, the F-104 was operated by 15 air forces throughout the world.