Lockheed F-104A “Zip”: International Orange Tourists.

Only 277 A/B/C/D models were built and the USAF soon lost interest in them; they wanted bigger, “longer-legged” and better equipped fighters. By 1960 the A/B models were phased out of the Air defence Command and passed to Air National Guard (ANG) squadrons. One year later the 1961 Berlin Crisis broke out and all three F-104 ANG squadrons were activated for deployment. Regrettably not equipped for air-refuelling, their F-104s had to be ferried by C-124 Globemasters to West Germany and Spain. They returned to the USA on Aug. 1962.

The “Zips” of 151st FIS Tennessee ANG were based at Ramstein AB.  Pretty neat artwork; my new computer wallpaper.