F-104 Flight Training from Kennedy Space Center
$ 34.000 for a 3-day training program, including flight.
The course covers the fundamentals of flying the legendary F-104 Starfighter.
Fly a supersonic Starfighter
Nicknamed “The Missile with a Man in it” thanks to its radical design, you will be flying a real legend. Brigadier General Chuck Yeager – the first human to break the sound barrier and a legend himself – famously displayed a record-breaking ascent in a rocket-assisted F-104, climbing to the Edge of Space at more than 118,000 feet (34km). The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter has an extremely radical, very fascinating design. Its sharp-as-a-dagger, razor-thin, tiny wings are attached to the very lean, cigarette-shaped fuselage very far in the back. Being the first production aircraft to fly at Mach 2, the Starfighter was also the first to hold airspeed, altitude, and time-to-climb records simultaneously.
A Skunk Work masterpiece
The legendary engineer Clarence L. “Kelly” Johnson – the founder of Lockheed’s Skunk Works – was the father of the F-104 Starfighter. Skunk Works, that is an official pseudonym for Lockheed/Lockheed Martin’s Advanced Development Programs (ADP). It is also responsible for the development of such famous aircraft like the P-38 Lightning and P-80 Shooting Star, the U-2 Dragon Lady, the SR-71 Blackbird, and the stealth aircraft F-117 Nighthawk, F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II. Kelly Johnson came up with the concept for the Starfighter after asking US fighter pilots during the Korean War about what they were looking for in a fighter jet. The pilots were requesting a smaller, simpler aircraft, much faster fighter aircraft with excellent performance and high-altitude capabilities. At that time, they felt like the Soviet MiG-15s were superior to what they currently had. As an answer, the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter was created.
Your Starfighter Flight training
When arriving at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center – where the Starfighters are located – you’ll meet your pilot. After the reception, you will go to the training facilities. For 2 days, you learn the fundamentals of flying the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter. This limited-access flight training is designed to enhance confidence and flight safety for pilots. That happens through comprehensive ground training sessions and back-seat flight operations in the controlled airspace above NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
If the weather is fine, on the 2nd day around noon, you will be ready for your 35-50-minute training flight in the F-104 Starfighter.
After landing, you can take a souvenir photo with the pilot and the aircraft and you will receive a certificate that records your flight achievement. Afterward, you can refresh yourself with a drink or a toast to your fantastic adventure. A flight video of your adventure is included.
We recommend planning for an extra day – in case the weather is bad. You can do additional flights at a lower cost on day 3 or 4. It is possible to fly in with your own aircraft and land directly at the Shuttle Landing Facility.
What is requested to fly a F-104 Starfighter?
Currently, F-104 Starfighter Flights in Florida are under a September 2017 Letter of Deviation Authority (LODA) from the FAA. That means that F-104 flight training can be offered to qualified, licensed pilots. This limited-access training is designed to enhance confidence and flight safety to pilots, through comprehensive ground training sessions and back-seat flight operations. The flight in the Starfighter is in the controlled airspace above NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The basic requirements are:
- Private pilot’s license (PPL) or a CPL – non-US pilots can fly too, but more head time is required
- Valid flight medical
- Height and weight limitations: 245lbs (110kg), 6’5″ (201cm), Chest 52″ (132cm), Waist 48″ (122cm)
- 18 years of age
- Must qualify for access badging to NASA Kennedy Space Center
- Must sign a release-of-liability agreement