Go Back  PPRuNe Forums > Aircrew Forums > Military Aviation
Reload this Page >

Canadian cf-104 Starfighter team "1980's"

Military Aviation A forum for the professionals who fly military hardware. Also for the backroom boys and girls who support the flying and maintain the equipment, and without whom nothing would ever leave the ground. All armies, navies and air forces of the world equally welcome here.

Canadian cf-104 Starfighter team "1980's"

Old 17th Jul 2017, 19:10
  #1 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: coltishall
Posts: 93
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Canadian cf-104 Starfighter team "1980's"

Please can anyone give me evidence that the “Canadian F-104team” 5 or 6 jets?
I seem to remember “Mildenhall circa 80’s” existed?
I thought they were called the “Red Indian’s”
There is stuff on line but no definitive proof of the name?
They were very good.
Spoke to some Canadians AF people at riat 2 days ago andobviously they were young
Pups. But they were unaware?



Coltishall. loved it is offline  
Old 17th Jul 2017, 19:55
  #2 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: May 1999
Location: UK
Posts: 601
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
I remember the CF-104s at the Mildenhall Air Fetes in the 80s. There were 4, sometimes 5, and I'm pretty sure that at least at one point they were billed as the "Tiger Romeos".

A great display; very close formation, opposition pairs and an entry at low level from behind the crowd (this was pre-Ramstein, of course )which made everybody jump.

Edit: This thread says that the names changed over the years, possibly depending on which squadron of the Baden-Sollingen wing were providing the team at the time. Tiger Romeos were actually in the late 70s. Time whizzes by... like a Starfighter, I guess!
BossEyed is offline  
Old 17th Jul 2017, 20:16
  #3 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Norfolk
Posts: 203
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
I'm pretty certain they were a 5 ship but it was a long time ago!
IIRC the Canadian Wing at Baden Sollingen had 3 Sqns. 439 (Tigers) and 2 others with an Indian and a Grizzly Bear on their crests. Would explain the changes in title- maybe the sqns took it in turns to provide the team?
PapaDolmio is offline  
Old 17th Jul 2017, 20:16
  #4 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: LEIC
Posts: 96
Received 5 Likes on 2 Posts
I recall them doing a loop above the parental house near Leicester East / Stoughton airshow while I was on the flat roof of an extention. I think it was the same year a C5 Galaxy did a fly by.
ROC man is offline  
Old 18th Jul 2017, 00:40
  #5 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: key biscayne
Age: 61
Posts: 112
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
They are watching and waiting.

IcePaq is offline  
Old 18th Jul 2017, 02:54
  #6 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Dunnunda
Age: 63
Posts: 150
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Looking back at my logs I have them as a 4 ship and definitely called the Red Indians in the late 70's.

In fact I recall a CF-104 painted in full Red Indian colours at Mildenhall in 83 or 84
Art Smass is offline  
Old 18th Jul 2017, 05:52
  #7 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Home
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Slight thread drift. Never saw a Cannuk F104 display but in the early 70s the Belgian Slivers in F104Gs were up there with the best. Entered crowd rear, as everyone did in those days, at around 450+. Performed a few formation passes before a couple of opposition passes. As they crossed they were always in the turn and used either side of the runway for lateral separation. Tight display - with a 104! Interesting boys to talk to later. When the leader was posted, so I read, they dissolved the team.
seven g is offline  
Old 18th Jul 2017, 08:43
  #8 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: 11 GROUP
Age: 77
Posts: 1,335
Likes: 0
Received 30 Likes on 20 Posts
104's opposition pair

At one of the Goodwood displays in the 70's there were a pair of 104's who's display consisted of appearing from 'nowhere' (in the haze) and crossing over the airfield in opposite directions very low and very fast. We were there with the 'very low and very slow' Turbs from Redhill . Goodwood is not the largest of airfields or had radar so the their opposite direction 'crossing' in a turn overhead was quite impressive considering their turning circle must have been 'substantial'.
Also memorable for me as one of the tied Turb formation having just completed a low turn (on the inside) to get an urgent 'up' signal from the leader which prevented my contact with an errant tree.
POBJOY is offline  
Old 18th Jul 2017, 11:04
  #9 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: UK
Posts: 1,539
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
These not very good photos are of the 4-ship Canadian Armed Forces F104 Starfighter team that displayed at the Biggin Hill Air Fair in May 1979.
edit to add
I took these photos with a very basic camera, with a basic 35mm lens. I am sure there were only 4 displaying. The 'Scramble' airshow website only lists 3 registrations, but clearly there were at least 4



104830, 104842, 104848, Lockheed CF-104G, CAF, Biggin Hill, 1979 May_0001.jpg

104830, 104842, 104848, Lockheed CF-104G, CAF, Biggin Hill, 1979 May (2).jpg

Last edited by surely not; 18th Jul 2017 at 16:43. Reason: additional information
surely not is offline  
Old 18th Jul 2017, 13:25
  #10 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: N.Devon
Posts: 213
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
According to Dan Dempsey's superb book on Canadian display teams, The Red Indians, comprised five CF104s (4 + solo, although they appear to have fielded a nine aircraft team in 1971) from 421 (Red Indian) Squadron, RCAF, and based at CFB Baden-Soellingen, WG. The book also states that the team was in existence in 1970, 1971, 1973, 1977 and 1978. Having said that I seem to recall photographing a CF104 with a red fuselage and white fuselage marking as part of Baden's 50th anniversary celebration at Mildenhall in 1983 when the last three operational squadrons each painted an aircraft in squadron colours.
Vampiredave is offline  
Old 18th Jul 2017, 14:04
  #11 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: UK
Posts: 95
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Remember seeing a Canadian five-ship in filthy weather at one of the Biggin Hill shows in the late 1970s. I have a couple of slides somewhere in storage with a loose gaggle of them all with the reheats lit disappearing into the murk.

The German Navy sent a pair to IAT at Greenham Common too around that time. One would fly past slowly dirtied up while the other went whizzing past at 0.9M or faster
60024 is offline  
Old 18th Jul 2017, 14:18
  #12 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Next to Ross and Demelza
Age: 53
Posts: 1,230
Received 49 Likes on 18 Posts
There was definitely an all-red CF-104 from the Red Indian squadron in the early 1980s. Somewhere in my model stash I have a Esci boxing with those colours.

The West German Navy two-ship team was called the Vikings. I saw them at a St. Mawgan display in the mid/late-1980s. Absolutely superb they were.
Martin the Martian is offline  
Old 18th Jul 2017, 14:43
  #13 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: May 1999
Location: UK
Posts: 601
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Mildenhall Air Fete 1983

(Not my image)
BossEyed is offline  
Old 18th Jul 2017, 17:57
  #14 (permalink)  
 
Wholigan's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 1999
Location: Sunny (or Rainy) Somerset, England
Posts: 2,026
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
The 3 squadrons at Baden Soellingen were 421 (Indians), 439 (Tigers) and 441 (Foxes).

Teams were, as I recall, mostly 5 aircraft.

The names of the demonstration teams depended on which squadron was providing the team.

The Operational Training Unit at CFB Cold Lake in Alberta also had a 5 aircraft team, the Deadeye Zips, who displayed throughout Canada and the northern USA.

I was fortunate enough to be in that team in 1976. Enormous fun. We mostly arrived as a 5-ship, few passes as such, then split off as a 4-ship and a singleton.
Wholigan is offline  
Old 18th Jul 2017, 18:08
  #15 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: N.Devon
Posts: 213
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
1976 - No.417 CEPE, RCAF Uplands, Ont, 'Deadeye Zips' CF104 Capt Ron Doyle, Capt Dave Burroughs and Capt John Bagshaw
Vampiredave is offline  
Old 18th Jul 2017, 18:51
  #16 (permalink)  
 
Wholigan's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 1999
Location: Sunny (or Rainy) Somerset, England
Posts: 2,026
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Perhaps it was 75? Our team was John David lead, me 2, Dave Bligh 3, Frank Thorne 4 and Dave Leach RAAF 5 and solo.
Wholigan is offline  
Old 18th Jul 2017, 19:19
  #17 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: coltishall
Posts: 93
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Many thanks to all. I can now tell my mate, we were both right
Coltishall. loved it is offline  
Old 18th Jul 2017, 22:08
  #18 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Posts: 490
Received 5 Likes on 4 Posts
Mildenhall, 1982 - note the one without tip-tanks.
Liffy 1M is offline  
Old 19th Jul 2017, 06:04
  #19 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Norfolk
Posts: 409
Received 26 Likes on 15 Posts
Nice pic. IIRC, the Zipper had more fuel in the tip-tanks than internally....
57mm is offline  
Old 19th Jul 2017, 07:33
  #20 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: N.Devon
Posts: 213
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
1975:'Starfighters', Capt John David, Flt Lt Roger Wholey (RAF) Capt Dave Bligh, Capt Frank Thorne and Flt Lt Dave Leach (RAAF)
Vampiredave is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.