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Flying with the TF-104G-M - November 2000 April 11, 2009

“Mix 153, Grosseto Tower, line up and wait runway 03”. It is November 27th 2000, I’m strapped in the backseat of the TF-104G-M MM54558 “4-48” of the 20th Gruppo piloted by Capt. Andrea Truppo, an Instructor pilot (IP) of the 4th Stormo. I tighten my oxygen mask, lower the dark visor of my HGU-55G helmet and give a final check to the camera that I hold in my right hand. The aircraft passes the arresting cable of the RWY 03 and stops on the left wing of another Starfighter, the MM54553 “4-44” piloted by Col. Germano Quattrociocchi (former Cdr of the 4th Stormo) and Capt. Daniele Locatelli, another IP with almost 2000 hours on the F-104. We start the engine run and give a quick glance at the instruments. Everything is running smoothly, we are ready for departure. Weather is just fine. Scattered clouds in the vicinity of the airport but mostly clear skies in the Grosseto CTR. We will perform a low level navigation towards the Northern edge of the control zone, then we will head to the coastline proceeding again southbound. Finally we will reach the Scansano area that we will engage for about 10 minutes to perform some acrobatic maneuvers in formation. “Tower, Mix 153 is ready for take off” is radioed by the leading aircraft. “153, cleared for take-off, wind is calm”…..

To read the rest of the story, click here: http://cencio4.wordpress.com/works/flying-the-tf-104g-m/

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• About me

  My name is David Cenciotti and I was born in Rome in 1975. I'm a private pilot, a former 2nd Lt. of the Aeronautica Militare (Italian Air Force, ItAF), a journalist and graduate in Computer Engineering. I've been writing since 1996 for major aviation magazines such as Air Forces Monthly, Revista Força Aérea, Fighter Tactics. In Italy, after working for Aeronautica & Difesa and Airline for many years, I work exclusively for RID, the most important Defense magazine, and Rivista Aeronautica, the magazine of the ItAF. As an expert in aviation, I also write also some of the texts of the documentaries of the Troupe Azzurra, the ItAF "combat camera" team. During my career as a journalist, I have build up a discreet experience flying with many of the aircraft of the Aeronautica Militare; I'm one of the few civilians proudly wearing the “1 flight hour on the TF-104” patch to witness my flight with the Starfighter back in Y2000. I'm the author of "F-104 Storia di un mito", the only official book published by the Italian Air Force to celebrate the retirement of the Starfighter in 2004. I'm also a photographer and my pictures have been used in books, magazines, websites and calendars. This is a place to talk about military aviation, flying, photography and much more.

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