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to return to Yokota, but instead,
requested to be reassigned to Korat AFB, Thailand which
needed experienced F-105 drivers due to having experienced
some heavy losses. In December 1967, Dave completed his
combat tour and returned to Yokota AFB, Japan with 105
combat missions in the F-105 including 49 over Hanoi.
Dave’s achievements while flying combat include:
3
Silver Stars
3 Distinguished Flying Crosses
12 Air Medals
1 Well Done for saving a sick F-105
1 Ejection in Southeast Asia from a F-105
1 Confirmed Mig-17 Gun Kill
1 Probable Mig-17 Gun Kill
One of these Silver Stars was for One Confirmed Mig-17 Gun
Kill and another probable Mig-17 Gun Kill on August 23,
1967. Both Migs were on the tail of another F-105 with the
lead Mig firing at the F-105. Dave was able to close on the
Migs at a speed of over Mach 1.2 and prevented the other
F-105 from being shot down.
On
returning to Yokota AFB, Japan Dave checked out in the F-4
Phantom. He was reassigned to the states in September 1968
and was assigned to Kirtland AFB, NM as a Weapons Research
and Development Test Pilot. While there Dave flew both the
F-104
Starfighter
and the F-4 Phantom. Dave also flew as a Maintenance Test
Pilot in both the F-105 and F-4 during his service in the
USAF.
Dave separated from the USAF in February 1970 and joined
Delta Airlines. He flew with them for thirty-two years.
During that time, he instructed on the Boeing 737 for six
years. After joining Delta, Dave transferred to the Marine
Corps Reserves at Dobbins AFB, GA and flew the F-8 Crusader
for 4 years until they were retired from service. After
leaving the reserve program, Dave built and flew a Pitts
Special biplane. He then joined two other Pitts drivers and
performed as a formation air show team.
Steve Ritchie
- Pilot
Brigadier General Steve Ritchie was born June 25, 1942, in
Reidsville, North Carolina and, to our good fortune, has
been an active resident in Colorado during the years
1960-1964, 1975 to 1982, and from 1990 to the present.
Steve entered the Air Force Academy in 1960, graduating in
1964 with a B. S. in Engineering Science. While there, he
was a starting halfback on the Falcon football team, playing
his final game in the 1963 Gator Bowl.
In
August, 1964, Steve entered pilot training at Laredo, Texas,
and graduated first in his class. His initial assignment
was in Flight Test Operations at Eglin Air Force Base,
Florida, flying F-104
Starfighters.
In
1968, General Ritchie served as an F-4 Aircraft Commander at
DaNang Air Base, Vietnam, where he flew the first F-4 Fast
FAC (Forward Air Controller) mission in Southeast Asia. He
was instrumental in the spread of the Fast FAC program
throughout Southeast Asia which proved to be one of the most
successful operations of the entire conflict. In 1969, he
completed the Air Force “Top Gun” Fighter Weapons School in
the Phantom and became one of the youngest instructors in
the history of the school.
General Ritchie volunteered for a second tour in Southeast
Asia in 1972 and compiled an aviation record that has not
been equaled. He shot down a MIG-21 on the 10th of May and
another on May 31st. He downed two more MIG-21s on July 8th
in a classic low-altitude dogfight. Steve was victorious
again on August 28th while flying his 339th combat mission,
making him the Air Force’s first and only pilot Ace since
the Korean War and the only American pilot in history to
down five MIG-21s.
At
the urging of Senator Barry Goldwater, General Ritchie left
active duty in April 1974 to run for the U.S. Congress from
his home state of North Carolina. Unfortunately, he ran as a
Republican against a popular Democrat incumbent, in the
south, during Watergate, right after Vietnam!
He
then returned to Colorado where he worked as a special
assistant to Joseph Coors for the next six years. During
this time he traveled over 200,000 miles a year representing
Colorado, aviation, national security and America’s Free
Market System. Since leaving Coors, he has continued to
serve in these endeavors.
Sean Freitag
- Crew Chief
Coming Soon.
Andrew “Hook” Bales
- Crew Chief
Coming Soon.
Roger Bingham
- Lead Avionics
Roger "Big Daddy" Bingham, born in St. Petersburg, Florida,
has over 16 years experience in the avionics industry. After
10 years in the United States Navy working on various
aircraft, such as the F-18 Hornet and A-7 Corsair, Roger
continued his career in the general aviation community with
the likes of Raytheon, Stevens Aviation, and BF Goodrich &
Aerospace. Roger has just recently completed the
installation of the Chelton Flight Systems, EFIS 2000, in
the CF-104D.
Peter Clukey
- Ground Crew
Pete is a graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
and worked there as an Avionics Technician. Following ERAU,
he went to work for Lockheed Space Operations Company at the
Kennedy Space Center. In his spare time, he volunteered at
the Valiant Air Command museum restoring warbirds, working
mostly working on Grumman OV-1 Mohawks. Pete transferred to
Lockheed Georgia in 1995 to the Commercial Field Service
group, providing technical support for L-188 Electra,
F-104
Starfighter,
T-33 Shooting Star, and other out-of-production Lockheed
Aircraft. Recently, he began working on the C-5 avionics
upgrade program and is building a Sonex homebuilt aircraft.
Bill “Fridge” Grannan
- Ground Crew
Fridge has held a long interest in aviation history which
led him to the
Starfighters Team.
He first met the
Starfighters Team
in the summer of 2002 while they where performing in his
hometown of Evansville, IN. We all became friends and with
the common interest of flight and history, he joined the
team. Bill is now on the ground crew and helps with the
mechanical functions of the jets before, during and after
the airshows. During our down-time, he helps answer
questions with the public at our static display and
merchandise tent regarding the history of the F-104s
and other planes of interest.
Robert “Bob” Irwin
- Crew Chief
Bob Irwin, born in Pordenone, Italy...has over 24 years of
combined USAF/AFRC experience with extensive background in
Avionics. A full-time Air Force Reserve Technician with the
315th Airlift Wing at Charleston, South Carolina, he has
been a Boeing C-17A Guidance & Control Lead Technician
since 1997. His aircraft experience includes F-4D, EC-130E,
WC-130E/H, and C-141A/B. He is a Private Pilot and is
closely involved in PC flight simulation.
R. A. “JR” Kincaid
- Chief of Operations
JR’s aviation career started in 1979 and his skydiving
career in 1981. His aerobatic time includes the Aerobat, Cap
10B, Pitts S-2B, SF-260, T-34, T-6, T-28, CM-170, T-33, and
F-104. JR has a few hundred hours in the Shooting Star. He
has instructed ACM, aerobatics, formation flying, skydiving,
and has test flown ram-air parachutes. JR is the Chief of
Operations for
Starfighters.
Bill McLaughin
- Technical Advisor
Coming Soon.
Tony “Double-D” Platas
- Ground Crew
Tony is a race car driver and master mechanic. While growing
up, Tony’s favorite airplane was the
F-104 Starfighter.
In 2003, he officially joined the
Starfighters Team
and travels to shows all over the US and Canada. Tony is on
the ground crew and helps with the mechanical functions of
the jets before, during and after the airshows. |
