INTO THE THIN AIR: F-104 Starfighter World Altitude Records
INTO THE THIN AIR: F-104 Starfighter World Altitude Records
By Stephen Chapis
When Lockheed Skunk Works unveiled the XF-104 in 1954, it possessed out of this world looks and performance. In 1958, just months after the F-104A entered service with Air Defense Command (ADC) Lockheed and the Pentagon decided to prove the latter by making a series a series of world record flights. In this article, the first of two-parts, we will hear first-hand accounts from three pilots that flew their Starfighters into the deadly upper reaches of the stratosphere.
MAY 7, 1958- WORLD ALTITUDE RECORD
It wasn’t intentional. The feat occurred after the pilot was forced to eject.
The story of the “Cornfield Bomber,” an aircraft that landed without a pilot, might not sound very impressive in today’s age of drones and increased automation. The narrative changes drastically when one key piece of information is added: this happened in 1970, after the pilot was forced to eject from a jet he had last control of.
The bizarre event, on February 2nd, 1970, to be precise, took place during a training sortie for the 71st Fighter Interceptor Squadron out of Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana. Three pilots in F-106 Delta Darts took to the sky for a two-on-one combat training exercise. A fourth was a last-minute scratch from the flight schedule after an equipment issue on the runway, leaving instructor pilot Captain Tom Curtis flying solo against fellow instructor pilot, Major James Lowe, and 1st Lieutenant Gary Foust (at the sticks of the “Cornfield Bomber”). Regardless of the h
The F-106 actually proved that the need for such aircraft was simply overstated.
Here s What You Need To Remember: The F-106 Delta Dart proved to be the last dedicated Air Force interceptor, and the aircraft were gradually retired by the early 1980s. Some of those aircraft were converted into target drones and designated QF-106A, while six were retained by NASA for test purposes and used throughout the 1990s.
Throughout the Cold War, the United States Air Force continued to develop interceptor aircraft to address the threat from Soviet bombers. This included such aircraft as the Convair F-102 and the North American F-108, and finally, the Convair F-106 Delta Dart, which was designed to be the “Ultimate Interceptor.” But in the end, the F-106 actually proved that the need for such aircraft was simply overstated.
Thousands of name errors possible in new Korean War remembrance wall, advocates fear 1 hour ago Snow-covered statues in the Korean War Veterans Memorial are seen on March 14, 2017,in Washington, D.C. (Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images) Next month, the Korean War Veterans Memorial on the National Mall will have a new focal point a remembrance wall featuring the names of approximately 36,574 Americans who died supporting the war and more than 7,200 Koreans who died while augmenting the Army. Their names will be organized by rank and respective branch of service, demonstrating how the war’s burden fell unevenly across the military.
Thousands of name errors possible in new Korean War remembrance wall, advocates fear marinecorpstimes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from marinecorpstimes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.