From ANN:
Vintage Aerobatic Team Seeks New HQ, More Aircraft
Starfighters To Tennessee... Via Italy?
The skies over Chattanooga, TN may soon be home to some of the
most storied Cold War fighters around... at least, if Rick
Svetkoff has his way.
Svetkoff leads the Starfighters Aerobatic Team, a four-ship team
that performs about 13 shows per year, flying highly-skilled
aerobatics -- in the vein of the Thunderbirds and Blue Angels --
using nearly 50-year-old F-104 Starfighter aircraft.
The team bills itself as "The World's Fastest Airshow Team"
Currently based in St. Petersburg, FL, Svetkoff says the team
needs to expand if it's going to survive -- so not only is he
looking for a new location, he's also been on the prowl for more
F-104s. He's found a few in Italy... 16 active duty aircraft (one
of which is shown at right) that are soon due to be retired.
Svetkoff is bringing
eight of the birds over to the US -- taken apart, and packed into
shipping crates -- and will keep the other eight in Italy for
now.
When asked why he's taken on the ambitious project, Svetkoff
notes that the US is falling behind the rest of the world in math
and science... and involving kids in an interesting program like
his may be just the thing to inspire some young minds.
"You have to find ways to make kids appreciate and want to be
involved in math and science. We feel that we can help the
community by making kids want to learn," he told the
Chattanoogan.
Speaking of the move to Chattanooga... everyone there, from the
mayor to members of Congress, seem all for it. There's even talk
now of building a museum to showcase the Starfighters.
"I'm an easy touch for something like this," said Mayor
Ron Littlefield. "It's essential that this is thoroughly
woven into all areas of the community."
Under Svetkoff's plan, all of the team's Starfighters would be
based at Chattanooga... with St. Petersburg still used as a
maintenance site.
FMI:
www.starfighters.net
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the f-104 has always been called the missile with a man in it, to me i always compared it to a flying hyperdermic needle!!