Starfighter The Fighter The Enemy Dreaded

[FOOLS_NIGHTMARE]

The F-104 provided a big moral boost to the PAF in the 60s and caused the enemy to dread to its core. Sure enough, it was a top-of-the-line, high performance aircraft, but it had certain limitations.

The F-104 was a ‘senior’ aircraft. Only the top pilots got the honor of flying it (much like the PAF F-16s today).

The F-104 has had many honors to its name, including the famous low-level sonic boom over Amritsar by Flight Lieutenant (later Air Marshal) Farooq Umar.

The F-104 Starfighter is still remembered as one of the PAF’s best-performing and most-loved machines. It provided the PAF of the 1960s the prestige and thrill that comes with operating a top-of-the line aircraft, which the Starfighter was.

 

[Apocalypse]

Undoubtedly the sexiest machine which sported the Pakistani fin flash. If it wasn't for the lack of spare parts we could've used these well into the 21st century, with it's unmatched rate of climb and thrust to weight ratio. It was and always will be the best interceptor. Had we retained them, these Starfighters could have easily shot down the Mach-3 capable Indian Foxbats over Islamabad in the late nineties. I believe we should have a historical squadron like the RAF BBMF just to showcase this marvel of aviation and other like these.

 

[Aamir Hussain]

The enemy had the Mig -21, a mach 2 fighter just like our F-104. And I believe they more Mach 2 a/c in inventory than PAF in 65'

 

[undercover JIX]

The F-104 was a ‘senior’ aircraft. Only the top pilots got the honor of flying it (much like the PAF F-16s today).

The F-104 has had many honors to its name, including the famous low-level sonic boom over Amritsar by Flight Lieutenant (later Air Marshal) Farooq Umar.

F-104 one of my all time fav.

So Flt.Lt is a Senior and Top Pilot?

 

[Sineva]

Yeah,now if only it hadnt had some "interesting"[ie potentially deadly] handling characteristics.....oh,and a tendency to kill its pilots.Still it did survive in military service [italy] right through until 2004,which is pretty amazing considering its problems and attrition rates with some [most] militaries that used it.
I think if it had been designed purely as an interceptor right from the get go it would`ve been a far more successful machine even tho they wouldnt have sold nearly as many,tho a lot more pilots would`ve been alive as a result.
Best nickname [canada]:The Aluminium Death Tube

 

[FOOLS_NIGHTMARE]

Yeah,now if only it hadnt had some "interesting"[ie potentially deadly] handling characteristics.....oh,and a tendency to kill its pilots.Still it did survive in military service [italy] right through until 2004,which is pretty amazing considering its problems and attrition rates with some [most] militaries that used it.
I think if it had been designed purely as an interceptor right from the get go it would`ve been a far more successful machine even tho they wouldnt have sold nearly as many,tho a lot more pilots would`ve been alive as a result.
Best nickname [canada]:The Aluminium Death Tube

In the West German Airforce it was nicknamed the Widow Maker. Luckily for the PAF professionals we had a negligible attrition rate.

 

[Apocalypse]

It was knows as the Widow Maker in the Luftwaffe as they used it for ground attack roles for which the Starfighter was obviously not built. In the PAF however, it was affectionately called "Badmash" (Hooligan).

 

[FOOLS_NIGHTMARE]

So Flt.Lt is a Senior and Top Pilot?

You are right here i have deleted it thanks.

 

[Cuirassier]

Undoubtedly sexy but had an average combat record with us.

 

[FOOLS_NIGHTMARE]

Undoubtedly sexy but had an average combat record with us.

Agree ,but sometimes the mere sight of the BADMASH does the job !!!!

 

[Apocalypse]

Undoubtedly sexy but had an average combat record with us.

Starfighters shot down Six Indian Jets and made one surrender at Pasrur, with two losses due to enemy fire. 3:1 is a pretty decent kill ratio.

 

[Cuirassier]

Starfighters downed/air arrested 3 confirmed jets in '65, with 1 loss.

In '71 it only managed an Alizé kill, with 2 losses. (All A2A)

Starfighters shot down Six Indian Jets and made one surrender at Pasrur, with two losses due to enemy fire. 3:1 is a pretty decent kill ratio.

 

[Windjammer]

Starfighters downed/air arrested 3 confirmed jets in '65, with 1 loss.

In '71 it only managed an Alizé kill, with 2 losses. (All A2A)

Wrong, F-104s accounted for Five confirmed and two probable.


1971 Pakistan-India War

Air operations in 1971 Pakistan-India War commenced with a preemptive strike by PAF. In the 1971 War the F-104 was also used for deep penetration strikes against enemy airfields and radars. Two F-104s each attacked Amritsar and Faridkot Indian Air Force Radars. The attack on Faridkot Radar was led by Wing Commander Arif Iqbal, who not only damaged the Radar but also shot down an IAF Krishak aircraft.

On 4 December, Squadron Leaders Amanullah and Rashid Bhatti attacked Amritsar Radar. They met with stiff resistance but managed to shoot down two aircraft, an Indian Gnat and an Su-7. The pilot of the Gnat, Flight Lieutenant J Preira was Killed in Action. On 08 December, Flight Lieutenant Manzoor Bokhari intercepted an IAF Canberra and shot it down. On 10 December, Wing Commander Arif Iqbal, while attacking the Indian Harbour of Okha, shot down an Alize aircraft of Indian Navy. Its crew members, Lieutenant Commander Ashok Roy, Lieutenant H S Sirohi and AC O Vijayan were killed in action. PAF lost two F-104s along with their pilots, Wing Commander Mervyn Leslie Middlecoat and Flight Lieutenant Samad Changezi both were awarded gallantry awards of Sitara-e-Jurat (roughly equivalent to the British Distinguished Flying Cross). Flight Lieutenant Bharat B Soni, a MiG-21 pilot was credited with having shot down Wing Commander Middlecoat while Flight Lieutenant Arun K Dutta, another MiG-21 pilot was awarded the claim of having shot down Flight Lieutenant Samad Changezi.

 

[blueazure]

useless pencil plane which was nothing more than a brain exercise of kelly johnson at skunk works .

sorry .

the -104 could climb and thrill but simply wasnt able to Turn , just look at those wings FFS

Eric hartmaan. Top German ace in ww2 with 352 kills and survivor of 10 crashes literally hated the 104 in the new bundeswehr and begged for it's removal.

The only inspiration in the paf 104 love story is the skill and dandiness of paf pilots who dogfighted in this other wise flop machine

 

[Cuirassier]

Wrong, F-104s accounted for Five confirmed and two probable.


1971 Pakistan-India War

Air operations in 1971 Pakistan-India War commenced with a preemptive strike by PAF. In the 1971 War the F-104 was also used for deep penetration strikes against enemy airfields and radars. Two F-104s each attacked Amritsar and Faridkot Indian Air Force Radars. The attack on Faridkot Radar was led by Wing Commander Arif Iqbal, who not only damaged the Radar but also shot down an IAF Krishak aircraft.

On 4 December, Squadron Leaders Amanullah and Rashid Bhatti attacked Amritsar Radar. They met with stiff resistance but managed to shoot down two aircraft, an Indian Gnat and an Su-7. The pilot of the Gnat, Flight Lieutenant J Preira was Killed in Action. On 08 December, Flight Lieutenant Manzoor Bokhari intercepted an IAF Canberra and shot it down. On 10 December, Wing Commander Arif Iqbal, while attacking the Indian Harbour of Okha, shot down an Alize aircraft of Indian Navy. Its crew members, Lieutenant Commander Ashok Roy, Lieutenant H S Sirohi and AC O Vijayan were killed in action. PAF lost two F-104s along with their pilots, Wing Commander Mervyn Leslie Middlecoat and Flight Lieutenant Samad Changezi both were awarded gallantry awards of Sitara-e-Jurat (roughly equivalent to the British Distinguished Flying Cross). Flight Lieutenant Bharat B Soni, a MiG-21 pilot was credited with having shot down Wing Commander Middlecoat while Flight Lieutenant Arun K Dutta, another MiG-21 pilot was awarded the claim of having shot down Flight Lieutenant Samad Changezi.

I was talking about confirmed kills, with enemy acceptance. Krishak doesn't count for me as it was not a combat fighter. The IAF lost 1 Gnat in A2A in '71, that being F/O Nirmal Sekhon's to a Sabre. Couldn't find any acceptance of a Canberra kill to a Starfighter, rather credited to Atta's Mirage III.