Page 73 - Combat Aircraft (January 2020)

One family’s history charts a remarkable story of the Luftwaffe, from the
F-104G Starfi ghter, through to the F-4F and the Eurofi ghter Typhoon.

REPORT AND PHOTOS Stefan Petersen

HE LUFTWAFFE OF Federal Phantom II with the ‘Richthofen’ wing at
Germany has existed for more Wittmund. What makes them so special
than 60 years, and in some is the fact that Helmut ew the F-104G
cases the grandsons of its Star ghter at Memmingen for 10 years
initial pilots now occupy the before he stepped to the F-4F, and his
T front-line cockpits of today. son Philipp is now a Euro ghter pilot at
There are father and son pairs who have Laage with 1,100 total ight hours under
logged ight time on the same type his belt. Three generations of jets, and
of jet — sometimes even in the same air bases in the north and south, west
wing. That goes for Helmut and Philipp and east of Germany, are represented
Schelchshorn, who both ew the F-4F in two generations of the Schelchshorn

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