Hawaii: Famous military aircraft joins Pearl Harbor museum
One of the most famous aircraft in American military history -- the Lockheed F-104A Starfighter -- has landed at the Pacific Aviation Museum at Pearl Harbor.
The jet arrived on Oahu’s Ford Island in early May, becoming the 43rdaircraft to join the museum’s collection of historic planes.
Starfighters were used by the Air Force from 1958 through 1975. At a length of more than 55 feet, but with a wingspan of just under 22 feet, the jet was dubbed “the missile with a man in it.”
It was in an F-104 that Gen. Chuck Yeager made the record-breaking, high-altitude ascent depicted in the movie “The Right Stuff.” The modified, rocket-assisted jet soared to more than 100,000 feet during a test flight in December 1963.
The museum is located on the site of what was known as the Pearl Harbor Naval Air Station at the time of the Dec. 7, 1941, attack. Visitors reach the site aboard shuttles that depart from the USS Arizona Memorial/Pearl Harbor Visitor Center.
Adult admission packages range in price from $15 to $30. A coupon available online entitles guests to experience a combat flight simulator for free. The offer is good through the end of 2013.
Information: (808) 441-1000.
Twitter: @LATimesTravel | Facebook
Sign up for The Wild
We’ll help you find the best places to hike, bike and run, as well as the perfect silent spots for meditation and yoga.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
