aviation - the past, present and future of flight

H

elge Andreassen has been the

driving force behind getting a

Star ghter airborne again in

Norway. A man of considerable

talents, he has a fascinating history in

aviation, including  ying as a pilot in the

Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) and for

Scandinavian Airlines System. After retiring

from  ying airliners, he became an aircraft

accident investigator for the Norwegian Civil

Aviation Authority.

During his time in the air force

Andreassen  ew the Lockheed F-104

Star ghter and developed a real affection for

the jet – and later, while in his third career at

the Norwegian CAA in the early 2000s, he

began to look at the possibility of restoring

one in  ying condition to represent an

important aircraft of the RNoAF’s history.

The F-104 story can be traced back as

far back as 1951. The United States was

engaged in the con ict with North Korea and

American F-86 Sabres had their hands full

against Soviet-built MiG-15s. The brilliant

42 Aviation News incorporating Jets August 2018

Jay Selman goes behind the scenes to hear the

remarkable story of Europe’s only airworthy Starfi ghter.

STARFIGHTER SPECIAL

STARFIGHTER

BRINGING A

BACK TO LIFE

42-46_starfighter_norwegianDC.mfDC.mfDC.mf.indd 42 05/07/2018 18:28