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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., Sept. 01, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — American News Group News Commentary – The race to develop hypersonic weapons, high-speed defense systems, and next-generation spaceflight hardware has created a demand that is easy to overlook: someone has to actually fly the tests. Getting instruments, materials, and payloads into the high-speed, high-altitude flight regime, again and again, on a schedule and at a cost that makes iterative testing practical, is its own specialized capability. One small public company has built its business around a fleet of supersonic aircraft that can do exactly that, and this month it is taking that fleet in front of a public audience.

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Key Takeaways

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  • A public showcase of a rare capability. Starfighters Space, Inc. (NYSE American: FJET) announced it will participate in the September 12-13 AIRSHO at the Midland International Air & Space Port in Texas, showcasing its historic F-104 aircraft in both flight and static displays.
  • The world’s only commercial Mach 2+ fleet. Starfighters describes itself as the only company in the world with the commercial capability to fly at sustained Mach 2+ speeds, operating what it calls the world’s only commercial fleet of flight-ready Mach 2+ F-104 supersonic aircraft.
  • A scarce, hard-to-replicate asset. More than 2,500 F-104s were built for air forces around the world, but the company says only a handful remain airworthy today, and most of those are in its fleet.
  • Flown by elite aircrew. The F-104 will be piloted by Piercarlo Ciacchi, the Company’s Director of Flight Operations, who has over 7,000 hours of flight time and previously flew the F-104 in the Italian Air Force as a member of Italy’s National Aerobatic Team.
  • A platform, not a museum piece. The company operates its F-104 fleet as commercial flight platforms for high-speed research, testing, and technology development, configurable for air-launched payloads, pilot training, and RDT&E across hypersonics, missile defense, microgravity science, spaceflight hardware, advanced materials, and defense electronics.

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What Was Announced

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Starfighters Space, Inc. (NYSE American: FJET), the space company operating the world’s only commercial fleet of flight-ready Mach 2+ F-104 supersonic aircraft, announced it will participate in the September 12-13 AIRSHO at the Midland International Air & Space Port in Texas, showcasing its historic F-104 aircraft in both flight and static displays. According to the company, the 35th annual Commemorative Air Force High Sky Wing AIRSHO brings together historic and modern aircraft for aerial demonstrations and ground displays, offering attendees an up-close look at aviation history.

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The company framed the appearance as an opportunity to show how an icon of aviation history continues to play a role in the future of aerospace. Today, Starfighters operates its F-104 fleet as commercial flight platforms supporting high-speed research, testing, and technology development for next-generation aerospace and space applications, rather than as static historical artifacts. The aircraft will be flown by the company’s Director of Flight Operations and lead aviator, Piercarlo Ciacchi, whose background includes more than 7,000 hours of flight time and service flying the F-104 in the Italian Air Force.