Someone is playing with their toy.

[nikimcbee]

I live/work near a municiple airport, so yesterday when I was going out to eat lunch in my car, I heard a military jet engine flying near by. I looked up and I thought I was hallucinating. The jet had a large tail-fin and stubby, delta-dart wings..... A MiG-21?:hmmm: It had it's gear down and cirlced back to the airport. I didn't get a good look at it, but it sure looked a lot like a MiG-21.

A few minutes later, I could hear it again, heading towards me. This time, it flew right over me.

I know my Russian jets, it was a mig-21:yeah::woot::rock:

It did the same thing again, so I figured it was doing touch and goes at the airport. I would have driven over there, but I didn't want to loose my parking spot:dead:.

I called my dad up and told him to go check it out, since he gets off work waaay sooner than I do. When he stopped by, the MiG was taking off, heading north, and never turned around again, heading to Seattle, maybe?

Not something you see everyday.:rock:

[CCIP]

Awesome! There's a few of those in private ownership in the US, and in flying condition.

They're actually not THAT difficult to get and restore. If you have somewhere between $300,000-500,000 lying around, you could buy one and restore it to flying condition too. I mean of course it's a lot, but compared to some luxury cars etc. out there, it's not too insane. As with a lot of ex-Soviet military tech, most of these would come from Eastern Europe where they've been written off.

[nikimcbee]

Awesome! There's a few of those in private ownership in the US, and in flying condition.

They're actually not THAT difficult to get and restore. If you have somewhere between $300,000-500,000 lying around, you could buy one and restore it to flying condition too. I mean of course it's a lot, but compared to some luxury cars etc. out there, it's not too insane. As with a lot of ex-Soviet military tech, most of these would come from Eastern Europe where they've been written off.

The evergreen museum, just barely accuired a Mig-23. I need to post my pictures of it.:yeah: (DDR plane)

[TLAM Strike]

I once saw a L-29 fly overhead with big red stars on it. I nearly ran for the hills, then I remembered there was an airshow that weekend. :haha:

[Castout]

Someone goes to his office and back home in a helicopter which passes my home almost each day. Like clockwork.

Wonder who.

[Stealhead]

I live down the road from a good sized grass airfield.Anyway I am pretty good friends with the guy who owns it and he has a friend that owns a MiG-17(not sure the version) and a MiG-21F-13(the early model 21) I think he said that the planes are kept in Sanford,FL but it might have been someplace else here in FL.I dont know how many Migs there in private hands but as I understand one must have the plane demilitarized and up to FAA standards and you are good to go so I would guess that there might be maybe few dozen of various Migs in private hands here.They must be rather pricey to own though from a fuel cost standpoint.

I do believe that there are a few old F-104s in private hands as well so far as I have MiG-21s and F-104s are the most advanced former fighters in private hands and flying as well.

My uncle happens to big into restoring ans selling old military ground based vehicles and equipment he says you have to be very careful buying parts for old Eastern Block stuff in particular when it is coming from a former Eastern block country often the parts they are selling are so old and poorly cared for that they are useless but they will charge you as if it is new,i am sure they would try and pull the same with old aircraft parts as well.

[TLAM Strike]

I do believe that there are a few old F-104s in private hands as well so far as I have MiG-21s and F-104s are the most advanced former fighters in private hands and flying as well. There are some Fulcrums (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikoyan_MiG-29#In_private_ownership), Flankers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukhoi_Su-27#Private_ownership), Floggers (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mooKwagF00w), even a Sea Harrier (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgOTG9WU6Pw) in private hands.

Want one? (http://www.avitop.com/aircraft/aircraft.asp?id=355)

[Stealhead]

I read some place (do not know if it is true) that some american bought two MiG-29s from Maldova but he must not have had a good agent look at them because they where not in very good shape when they arrived in the US and it was claimed that the government advised the man that they where un flyable supposedly they where given to the Air Force and destroyed.I think he only paid a few 100k for each which seems a bit low for a MiG-29.

I have also heard "Air Force" urban legends that we acquired several SU-27s and MiG-29s for use at Nellis for Red Flag this is not true I have a very good friend who is an intel officer with the USAF and he was stationed at Nellis and trained people for Red Flags we do not have any such aircraft(or at least we no longer do) what we do is train with nations that do such as Indonesia (my friend went on a TDY from Kadina AB Japan for just this purpose back in 2006 he has some pretty cool pictures from that TDY)and fly aircraft in a manner that the MiGs tend to fly in.I see that the wiki articles mention this but then again it is Wikipedia I do not trust everything posted there as the truth.The part about the FAA listed stuff is probaly true as you can look that up yourself.

[TLAM Strike]

I see that the wiki articles mention this but then again it is Wikipedia I do not trust everything posted there as the truth.The part about the FAA listed stuff is probaly true as you can look that up yourself.
Su-27UB
http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=N131SU
Su-27
http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=N132SU

MiG-23:
http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=923UB

No N Number but this is the website for the MiG-29
http://air-usa.com/

[Platapus]

I can't even imagine how much it costs to maintain these old jets. :o

But I guess the saying "if you have to ask, you can't afford it" is true.

So, if you could afford one, what is the one plane you would want to own for recreational flying?

For me it might be the Spad XIII. I have been a fan of WWI aircraft for many years.

[Oberon]

Tricky question that one...with my flying skills probably something easy to land. :haha: Hurricane perhaps or a Spit. Not a 109, as much as I like them the undercarriage replacement cost would be far too much.

I'd have to get a later model Spit though, as much as I love the Mark Ones the coolant system just doesn't agree with me. Accu-sim has taught me that... :damn:

[Platapus]

Ok, when I wrote to pick an aircraft you could afford, I was assuming it would include the skill to fly it without killing yourself. :D

[MH]

Tricky question that one...with my flying skills probably something easy to land. :haha: Hurricane perhaps or a Spit. Not a 109, as much as I like them the undercarriage replacement cost would be far too much.

I'd have to get a later model Spit though, as much as I love the Mark Ones the coolant system just doesn't agree with me. Accu-sim has taught me that... :damn:

....and has good undercarriage.

http://www.taphilo.com/photo/pictures/Bearcat/F8F-Bearcat-03.jpg


You can fold it anytime too.

http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQlAQj8htVQpan1VzJYGmTixyoMiJlEq E1ECQ1VJCDg41YpvMkY