|
The
Starfighter Chronology of the Luftwaffe and Marineflieger |
|
 |
|
| 1957 December 14 | German Air Force team with Walter Krupinski evaluates the Lockheed Starfighter at Edwards AFB |
| 1958 December 8 | Oberstleutnant Rall makes his 1st flight in a F-104B Starfighter with Lockheed test pilot Lou Schalk |
| 1959 February 6 | contract signed for 30 F-104F trainer to be built by Lockheed, construction numbers: 5047-5076 |
| 1959 March 18 | Federal German Defense Minister Franz Josef Strauss signs contract for license production of 66 F-104G, |
60 aircraft for JaboG 31 and 6 aircraft for the CAT I tests at Palmdale
 |
|
| 1959 December 6 | 1st flight of 1st prototype F-104G, ex F-104A 56-0801, construction number 1089 leased by Lockheed |
| modified 1959 to F-104G configuration (bigger rudder) for system tests (flight controls), 1960 for NASARR-tests | |
| 1959 December | contract signed for 30 additional F-104G to be built by Lockheed, construction numbers: 2068-2097 |
| 1960 January 18 | 4./WaSLw 10 starts 1st transition course on F-104 at Norvenich AB |
| 1960 February 22 | German flight training in USA commences at Palmdale, California "Conversion Flight F-104F" |
| 1960 February 24 | 1st solo flight of a German pilot in a F-104F Starfighter by Oberstleutnant Rall |
| 1960 May 30 | 1st F-104F arrives in containers at Nörvenich AB |
| 1960 June 7 | 1st flight of 2nd prototype F-104G, ex F-104A 56-0790, construction number 1078 leased by Lockheed |
| modified 1959 to F-104G configuration for fire control system tests, 1966 sold to NASA | |
| 1960 July 14 | 1st flight of a F-104F at Norvenich AB (F-104F construction number 5055 BB+368) by Major Bob Faulkner |
| 1960 July 21 | official public presentation of the F-104 "Starfighter" at Norvenich AB (F-104F construction number 5055 coded BB+368) |
| 1960 July 22 | 1st flight of Luftwaffe pilots with F-104 "Starfighter" at Norvenich AB with German codes, one of them being OTL Rall |
| 1960 October 5 | 1st flight of F-104G at Lockheed factory, Palmdale, California (DA+101 construction number 2001) |
| 1961 March 29 | Luftwaffe loses its first Starfighter, F-104F BB+375 (cn 5062) at Korbach after engine failure, both pilots ejected safely |
| 1961 April 21 | Decoration of 3 wings with the names of famous World War I fighter pilots. |
| Jagdbombergeschwader 31 "Boelcke", Jagdgeschwader 71 "Richthofen", Aufklärungsgeschwader 51 "Immelmann" | |
| 1961 May 1 | 4./WaSLw 10 renamed II./WaSLw 10 |
| 1961 June 6 | Oberstleutnant Rall makes his 1st flight in a F-104G Starfighter at Palmdale |
| 1961 August 9 | 1st flight of a reassembled F-104G by MTT (DA+106), flown by MTT chief pilot James Leake Jester |
| 1961 August 10 | 1st reassembled F-104G by MTT DA+106 handed over for the Luftwaffe to General Josef Kammhuber, InspGenLw |
| 1961 October 5 | 1st flight of a MTT, Manching manufactured F-104G (KE+301) |
| 1961 October 16 | official public handover of the F-104 "Starfighter" to Federal German Defense Minister Franz Josef Strauss |
| and General Josef Kammhuber, InspGenLw (KE+301) | |
| 1961 October 3 | 2./JaboG 31 starts transition to the F-104G |
| 1961 November 10 | World speed record holder Jacqueline Cochran takes a ride in F-104F BB+383 (see
Q&A in notebook section) Pilot was Oberleutnant Bernd Kuebart |
| 1961 December | Olt Erhart Gödert, member of the Joint Test Force
at Edwards AFB, CA, flies as 1st German pilot below Sea Level with supersonic speed (in Death Valley, CA)
 |
| 1962 February 21 | 1st F-104G DA+106 arrives at Nörvenich, flown by OLt Schultz (construction number 2025) |
| 1962 April 13 | 1st flight of the Kommodore JaboG 31 Oberst Barkhorn with a F-104G at Nörvenich AB |
| 1962 April 203 | Squadron Leader (Staffelkapitän) of the 312 Squadron Major Neumann flies the 1st training flight of JaboG 31 "Boelcke" |
| 1962 May 22 | 1st tragic F-104G accident during take-off from Nörvenich after an engine failure, pilot ejected safely |
| 1962 June 19 | 4 F-104F crash during demonstration practice near Knapsack |
| 1962 June 20 | official commission of the 1st Luftwaffe F-104 wing: Jagdbombergeschwader 31 |
| 1963 April 9 | Jagdgeschwader 71 "Richthofen" receives the 1st Starfighter, KH+112 (cn 9012) was flown by Oberleutnant Manfred Fischer |
| The second F-104G HK+114 (construction number 9014) was flown by Oberleutnant Diether von Olleschik | |
| 1963 July 15 | 1st deployment of 2nd squadron JaboG 31 to Decimonannu, Sardegna for special weapons delivery training (until August 20) |
| 1963 November 1 | JaboG 31 "Boelcke" assigned to NATO |
| 1963 September 10 | official commission of the 1st Marine F-104 wing: Marinefliegergeschwader 1 at Jagel AB |
| 1963 November 11 | first F-104 flight of Marinefliegergeschwader 1 at Jagel AB |
| 1964 February 17 | II./WaSLw 10 moves to Jever AB with 16 F-104F |
| 1964 April 1 | First F-104 student sortie flown under USAF/German AF F-104 Starfighter Foreign Military Sales (FMS) Program |
| 1964 May 12 | 1st F-104G for JG 74 lands at Neuburg AB, KG+303 (cn 8203) was flown by W. Diegmann of ErpSt 61, wing code JD+102 |
| 1964 June 1 | 312 Squadron of JaboG 31 "Boelcke" assigned to NATO in the Strike role |
| 1964 June 8 | 1st F-104G arrives for JaboG 34 at Memmingen AB |
| 1964 September 7 | September 7,-18, 1964 first Squadron Exchange with F-104G of the Luftwaffe |
| 312 Squadron operates with 92nd Tactical Fighter Squadron (TFS) at Bentwaters, Great Britain | |
| 1964 October | 1st F-104 transition class 65-H starts at Luke AFB (Graduation on June 4, 1965) |
| 1965 February 2 | JaboG 36 receives the 1st F-104G (serial number KH+156), flown by Kommodore LtCol Kmitta |
| 1965 March 17 | Marinefliegergeschwader 2 at Eggebek AB receives the 1st RF-104G from Fiat, Turin, |
| flown by Kapitänleutnant Karmann (serial number KC+141, construction number 6630) | |
| 1965 June 2 | DA+103 (construction
number 2055) flown by Hptm Siegfried Heltzel has a Mid-air collision with
a DO-28 D-IBEW near Koblenz. The Do-28 D-IBEW crashes, Hptm Heltzel manages
an Emergency Landing at Norvenich AB. With the landing speed of 435 Km/h (270 mph) he marked the fastest landing speed ever reached. This Emergency landing got an entry in The Guinness Book of Records in 1988. |
| 1965 June 11-25 | JaboG 31 takes part in the 4.Tactical Weapons Meet at Chaumont, France |
| 1966 May 16 | JaboG 33, 1st wing of Luftwaffe with 25.000 flight hours on the F-104G |
| 1966 August 28 | JaboG 31 reaches 25.000 flight hours on F-104G |
| 1967 March 8 | Contract with Martin-Baker was signed to re-equip the entire German F-104G force with the Martin-Baker seats |
| 1967 April 1 | Marinefliegergeschwader 2 at Eggebek AB establishes a second squadron with the F-104G Fighter Bomber variant |
| 1967 November 13 | Tactical callsign change ordered |
| 1968 July | 20+38 (c/n 2045) is the 1st F-104G of the Luftwaffe with 1.000 flight hours |
| 1968 March 22 | JaboG 32 marks 25.000 flight hours of F-104G operations |
| 1968 August 2 | JG 74 marks 25.000 flight hours of F-104G operations, flown by OLt Pohl |
| 1968 August | JaboG 33 marks 50.000 flight hours of F-104G operations |
| 1968 September 24 | First successful use of a Martin Baker GQ-7 seat to escape from a German F-104G of JaboG 33 took place at Ramstein AB |
| during an emergency landing the pilot ejected safely through the fireball and was not injured, 22+02, construction number 7072 | |
| 1968 December 19 | JG 71 "Richthofen" first year with 10.000 flight hours on F-104s |
| 1969 April 15 | AG 51 relocates from Ingolstadt AB to Bremgarten AB according movement orders dated March 28, 1968 |
| 1969 August 19 | GAF
recorded the 100,000th flying hour in the F-104 at Luke AFB (flown by
Technical Sergeant Ralf Pilawa)
|
| 1969 September 1 | Exercise "Cowboy" long range navigation flight to Luke AFB, USA (until September 11), flight leader Oberst Stöcker |
| 1969 September 23 | AG 51 reaches 50.000 flight hours on F-104G |
| 1969 October 10 | contract
signed for 50 additional F-104G to be built by MBB, construction numbers:
7301-7314; 7401-7436 |
| 1970 June 25 | JG 71 marks 50.000 flight hours of F-104G operations |
| 1970 October 29 | JaboG 31, 1st wing of Luftwaffe with 75.000 flight hours on F-104G |
| 1970 September 10 | WaSLw 10 marks 50.000 flight hours of F-104 operations, flown by Hptm Reiner Karlstedt |
| 1970 December 7 | JaboG 33 marks 75.000 flight hours of F-104G operations |
| 1971 February 17 | JG 74 marks 50.000 flight hours of F-104 operations |
| 1971 May 10 | 8 F-104F make the last flight to Erding AB |
| 1971 June 26 | JaboG 32 represents the Luftwaffe at the Aviano Airshow, Italy |
| 1972 June 14 | "Doc Charly", Dr. Karl-Heinz Schneider flies his "First Solo" with a F-104G, he is the first "Flying Flight surgeon" |
| 1973 February 6 | JaboG 31, 1st wing of Luftwaffe with 100.000 flight hours on F-104G |
| 1973 March 1 | JG 71 marks 75.000 flight hours of F-104 operations |
| 1973 May 14 | JaboG 33 marks 100.000 flight hours of F-104 operations, flown by Maj Peter von Stackelberg at Erding AB |
| 1973 September | JG 74 marks 75.000 flight hours of F-104 operations |
| 1973 November 22 | Decoration of JG 74 with the name of famous World War II fighter pilot Jagdgeschwader 74 "Mölders" |
|
The decoration "Mölders" was withdrawn on March 11, 2005
and the wing was renamed Jagdgeschwader 74 |
|
| 1974 January 11 | 20+01 (c/n 2001) 1st F-104G of the Luftwaffe with 2.000 flight hours |
| 1974 September 19 | JG 71 "Richthofen" last F-104 flight, pilot Hptm Harry Giese, fly-out to Erding AB |
| 1974 October 7 | JaboG 34 marks 100.000 flight hours of F-104 operations |
| 1975 February 14 | JaboG 32 marks 100.000 flight hours of F-104 operations |
| 1975 September 5 | MFG 2 marks 100.000 flight hours of total flying operations |
| 1976 December 1 | JaboG 32 marks 200.000 flight hours of total flying operations, a/c 21+01, pilot Major Adi “Oberst” Obersteller |
| 1977 September | JaboG 31, 1st wing of Luftwaffe with 150.000 flight hours on F-104 |
| 1977 November 9 | MFG 1 marks 100.000 flight hours of F-104 operations within Luftwaffe and Marine combined, pilot Kommodore KptzS Scholz |
| 1979 October 15 | JaboG 31, 1st wing of Luftwaffe with 175.000 flight hours on F-104 |
| 1979 October 18 | JaboG 33 marks 175.000 flight hours of F-104 operations, 3 days later |
| 1979 November 30 | JaboG 32 marks 150.000 flight hours of F-104 operations |
| 1980 October 2 | MFG 1 marks 125.000 flight hours of F-104 operations |
| 1981 April 7 | Oberstleutnant "Yogi" Söldner of JaboG 32 marks 3.000 flight hours of F-104 flying, he finally reaches 3.814 flight hours! |
| 1981 October 29 | MFG 1 last F-104 flight; MFG 1 accumulated 131.915 F-104 flight hours |
| 1982 April 21 | JaboG 31, 1st wing of Luftwaffe with 200.000 flight hours on F-104, flown with the oldest F-104G 20+01 |
| 1982 April 3 | JaboG 33 marks 200.000 flight hours of F-104 operations |
| 1982 September 17 | JaboG 32 marks 200.000 flight hours of F-104 operations |
| 1983 March 16 | Last official flight at Luke AFB - Deactivation of the 69th TFTS and 2nd Luftwaffe training squadron |
| 1983 April 30 | JaboG 31 last F-104 flight; JaboG 31 accumulated 211.421 F-104 flight hours |
| 1983 August 14 | MFG 2 marks 150.000 flight hours of F-104 operations |
| 1984 April 18 | JaboG 32 last F-104 flight; JaboG 32 accumulated 204.986 F-104 flight hours, flown with the "weiß-blau" F-104G 20+36 |
| 1984 May 9 | "Kommando F-104" within LVR 1 at Erding AB, flight continuation unit for pilots waiting for Tornado conversion |
| 1985 May 30 | JaboG 33 last F-104 flight; JaboG 33 accumulated 231.900 F-104 flight hours within 23 years, which is a record for a wing |
| 1985 December 5 | MFG 2 marks 200.000 flight hours of F-104 operations |
| 1986 August 11 | MFG 2 exercise "Farewell" long range navigation flight with the "Vikings" to NAS Moffett, USA (until August 21) |
| 1986 August 25 | MFG 2 last F-104 mission after 4.228 flight hours in total during the last year |
| 1987 May 26 | Last flight of Marinefliegergeschwader 2 |
| 1987 October 23 | Last operational flight of a German Luftwaffe F-104 with JaboG 34 at Memmingen AB |
| 1988 September 19 | "Kommando F-104" last F-104 flight; "F-104 Kommando" accumulated 9.895 F-104 flight hours |
| 1991 May 22 | Last flight of a German F-104 with WTD 61 at Manching AB, 98+04 ex 26+60 (construction number 7406) |
 |
|
Any
contribution is highly welcome, please contact
the webmaster  |
|
| copyright: Hubert Peitzmeier | |
| update: @ June 26, 2011 | |