Editing Lockheed F-104 Starfighter (section)

===West German service===
[[File:Luftwaffe_Museum_F-104_Starfighter_2007.jpg|thumb|alt=F-104 mounted on zero-length launch platform with rocket booster attached|West German F-104G with a [[zero-length launch]] rocket booster and a replica [[B43 nuclear bomb]] at [[Militärhistorisches Museum Flugplatz Berlin-Gatow]]]]
The introduction of a highly technical aircraft type to a newly reformed air force was fraught with problems. Many pilots and ground crew had settled into civilian jobs after World War&nbsp;II and had not kept pace with developments, with pilots being sent on short "refresher" courses in slow and benign-handling [[First-generation jet fighter|first-generation]] jet aircraft. Ground crew were similarly employed with minimal training and experience, which was one consequence of a conscripted military with high turnover of service personnel. Operating in the poor weather conditions of northwest Europe (unlike the fair weather training conditions at [[Luke AFB]] in [[Arizona]]) and flying low at high speed over hilly terrain, many accidents were attributed to [[controlled flight into terrain]] (CFIT). A total of 116 pilots were lost in West German F-104 accidents, including 1 ground-crew passenger and 8 USAF instructors.<ref name="Kropf2002p164">Kropf 2002, p. 164.</ref>

One contributing factor to this was the operational assignment of the F-104 in West German service: it was mainly used as a low-level fighter-bomber, as opposed to the original design of a high-speed, high-altitude fighter/interceptor. Furthermore, the installation of additional avionic equipment in the F-104G version, such as the [[inertial navigation system]], added distraction for the pilot, as well as extra weight that further hampered the flying capabilities of the plane. In contemporary West German magazine articles highlighting the Starfighter safety problems, the aircraft was portrayed as "overburdened" with technology, which was considered a latent overstrain on the aircrews.<ref>[http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-46274435.html "Trost vom General"]. ''[[Der Spiegel]]'', 13 October 1965.</ref>

In 1966 [[Johannes Steinhoff]] took over command of the ''Luftwaffe'' and grounded the entire ''Luftwaffe'' and ''Bundesmarine'' F-104 fleet until he was satisfied that problems had been resolved or at least reduced. In later years, the safety record improved, although a new problem of structural failure of the wings emerged. Original [[Fatigue (material)|fatigue]] calculations had not taken into account the high number of g-force loading cycles that the F-104 fleet was experiencing, and many airframes were returned to the depot for wing replacement or outright retirement. Towards the end of ''Luftwaffe'' service, some aircraft were modified to carry a [[flight data recorder]] or "black box", which could give an indication of the probable cause of an accident.<ref name="Reed1981p46">Reed 1981, p. 46.</ref>

[[Erich Hartmann]], the world's top-scoring [[fighter ace]], commanded one of West Germany's first post-war jet-fighter-equipped [[Taktisches Luftwaffengeschwader 71 "Richthofen"|wings]]<ref name="Weal1995p164">Weal 1995, p. 164.</ref> and deemed the F-104 to be an unsafe aircraft with poor handling characteristics for aerial combat. In [[German Navy|Navy]] service it lacked the safety margin of a twin-engine design such as the [[Blackburn Buccaneer]]. To the dismay of his superiors, Hartmann judged the fighter unfit for ''Luftwaffe'' use even before its introduction.<ref name="ToliverConstable1985pp285–286">Toliver and Constable 1985, pp. 285–286.</ref>

[[Eric Brown (pilot)|Eric Brown]] described the Starfighter as a hot ship, that "has to be flown every inch of the way". The USAF required Starfighter pilots to have at least 1,500 flight hours of experience prior to flying the F-104. West German pilots had around 400 hours.<ref name="Brown, Wings on my Sleeve, p98">[[Brown, Wings on my Sleeve|Wings on my Sleeve]], p.&nbsp;264</ref> Brown recommended the Blackburn Buccaneer instead.