[Double Ugly]

Prolly would have killed myself if I had!

You?  Probably not, but from what I'm told, those who liked living on the ragged edge got their wish in the 104.

Even the final turn was an adventure in AOA management.

I flew my T-38 4-ship checkride with an Italian instructor who'd flown 104s in Italy, and the guy was insanely aggressive!  His tactical rejoins made me lean back and push against the canopy rail, trying (in vain, obviously) to push away from the other aircraft. 

He was an older (and as was often the case, plump) Lt Col, and I remember thinking he should've killed himself ages ago.

[Russell Dawkins]

(still OT for just a few more seconds)

My favorite 104 facts:

1. 1st item on checklist for engine failure - "consider ejection"

2. best gliding speed for distance at 30,000' - supersonic. (Can't quite imagine supersonic glide!)

3. number of full stop landings per set of (200 psi) tires - 4 or 5.

4. time to empty in afterburner - 12 minutes on a full tank.

5. A 104 in Germany on a low level practice mission with a malfunctioning radar altimeter got too low and one of its wings severed the cable holding the back end of a crane down. The cable was about an inch in diameter. The plane went on to land without further incident. The wing construction was titanium skin over titanium honeycomb core with a maximum thickness at center of 3".

I have confirmed none of these - they could be the airforce equivalent of urban myths amongst non-104 pilots