What are the odds in 2025 to see a réal flying Starfighter…?

Well, it’s not zero, as there are still a few of these legendary jetfighters active. The Norwegian Starfighter Foundation has their TF-104 airworthy and still await the challenge with the ejection seats to get her up in the skies over Europe.

In the USA you have Starfighters Inc, based at Cape Canaveral… in Florida. Florida is also the homestate of the big SUN ‘n FUN Fly-in & airshow where we will fly the Skyvan photoship!! So yes, what are the odds?

For the photographers who flew with us onboard the photoship in our SUN ‘n FUN project, the idea did not even cross their mind. For our photoflight directors of our own crew, neither! But Skyvan pilot Vince and Eric had worked out a little evil plan to make this dream a reality.

With the great help of Cyrill Wipfli, Starfighters Inc Boss Rick ‘Comrade’ Svetkoff and famous F-104 pilot Piercarlo Ciacchi we put a plan together to make it possible to see THE legendary Starfighter in the air!! So we’re able to offer one of the ‘coolest beans’ in any project we will fly this year right away!

The photoflight on Wednesday was announced to all as a join-up with an L-39, but that changed once we were airborne with the Skyvan. We did not fly to our designated ‘photo join-up area’ but headed more towards Cape Canaveral to meet ‘the legend’ in person. At this moment our photoflight directors did realize something special was about to happen!

As Skyvan pilot Vince could track the jet on Flightradar 24, we knew the TF-104 was airborne and heading our way soon.

And there is was…the iconic smoke trail, the very distinctive shape of a rocket with small wings and THAT howling sound when the Starfighter passed a first time underneath the Skyvan. Adrenaline and happiness level went up by factor 10, with every new pass.

Piero had briefed with us that he would make one slower pass with the gear down – so also producing a lot of smoke at the ‘lower’ speed – but what really nobody expected to see from a Starfighter photomission is the 10 memorable seconds the jet actually hang on to the Skyvan in a steady position!!! 100% magic and another dream off the bucket list.

Needless to say it was an absolutely awesome day for all of us, and we do have a new item now on the bucketlist… to do it all again next year!