Surplus Military Aircraft

Shannon757

Just looking at sites such as the ones below and thinking about the vast military boneyards in the USA, why can't people go and buy used military aircraft.
And of course I know they have to be decommissioned but it's better than going to nothing in the desert is it?
http://www.platinumfighters.com/#!draken/c1v8j
http://www.jetartaviation.co.uk/what-we-do/aircraft/

Tenger

The ex-US stuff isnt actually for sale.
They may be surplus but they are often there for scrapping, parts savaging if required, drone conversion and for mothballing.
Some aircraft do get re-activated if required.
In an extreme situation, the USAF/USN/USMC could reactivate some of those F-15/B-1/B-52/A-10/F-16/F-18s if they found themselves in a real shooting war.

Shannon757

Tenger wrote: »

The ex-US stuff isnt actually for sale.
They may be surplus but they are often there for scrapping, parts savaging if required, drone conversion and for mothballing.
Some aircraft do get re-activated if required.
In an extreme situation, the USAF/USN/USMC could reactivate some of those F-15/B-1/B-52/A-10/F-16/F-18s if they found themselves in a real shooting war.

How about the UK or other European companies?
Or perhaps how about some Soviet stuff, I see you can get classic MiGs.

Irish Steve

It's possible to get ex military aircraft from a number of places. Getting ex military aircraft that can then be flown by the purchaser, or their representative is a very different matter, as most regulatory organisations will put massive obstacles in the way of anyone that wants to fly such machines, the FAA are probably the most relaxed in this respect, and the European regulators are incredibly restrictive in what can be flown, and what can be done when flying, even more so with what they regard as "complex" types, which is one of the reasons why the Vulcan stopped flying last year, and why very few high performance jets are seen on display circuits in the hands of civilian owners/operators.

There is also the issue of getting access to spares and other consumables, as they will often be out of production, and because of limited volume production often incredibly expensive, which adds to the problems of keeping older aircraft flying, the days of ex military types being sold off for commercial flying are long gone, there are very few ex military aircraft flying in commercial roles, partly because they tend to only leave military service at the end of the design life, and partly because of the issues mentioned already. A very limited number of military transport aircraft have seen service in civilian roles, but it's becoming increasingly rare now. The Shorts Belfast, and some Hercules transports are the only recent examples I can think of, and in the case of the Hercules, most civilian versions were sold as civilian aircraft originally.

Stovepipe

the IAA will allow you to fly basic ex military types like old spotter aircraft like Piper Cubs but anything warry or fast, forget it. As previous posters have pointed out, the cost of even basic jet trainers is horrendous and they cost a fortune in fuel and oil alone and most, like in the Uk, are flown by syndicates of wealthy people.

arubex

An extreme example of reactivation was WB-47F 63-13295 which becamse NASA 927 after 41 years in the desert!
Correction: WB-57F

Quite a lot of F-16s, C-130s and P-3s have been drawn from the boneyards for reconditioning and sale to 'friendly' nations, plus older types supplied to quasi-military organisations such as Sierra Nevada Corp.

PukkaStukka

arubex wrote: »

An extreme example of reactivation was WB-47F 63-13295 which becamse NASA 927 after 41 years in the desert!

Very interesting aircraft that, thanks for mentioning it

http://www.globalaviationresource.com/v2/2013/08/10/nasas-new-wb-57-n927na-flies/

Shannon757

How about aircraft from the Blue Angels or Thunderbirds?

Shannon757

Or former RAF jets?

0lddog

Aren't fast jets a 'must have' for the tech elite ?

Larry Ellison has / had a Mig ( 29? )

The Google lads are reported to have a Dornier Alpha

Doubtless they will all claim that they are for R&D purposes

...................and why not ?

merisi

Keeping jets in the air is colossally expensive, and keeping the likes on an F-18 or F-16 airworthy would be beyond most private operators. I'd imagine some of the hardware is still classified and in any case maintenance on FBW and other automated systems is a far more complex task than keeping older, simpler jets flying. So, you still get aircraft like Hunters, Sabres and Vampires flying as they are relatively easy to maintain, not withstanding the availability of spares.

Blut2

Tenger wrote: »

The ex-US stuff isnt actually for sale.
They may be surplus but they are often there for scrapping, parts savaging if required, drone conversion and for mothballing.
Some aircraft do get re-activated if required.
In an extreme situation, the USAF/USN/USMC could reactivate some of those F-15/B-1/B-52/A-10/F-16/F-18s if they found themselves in a real shooting war.

This is actually happening currently:

The U.S. Marines Are Pulling Old F/A-18s Out of Desert Storage
F-35 delays mean desperate measures

https://warisboring.com/the-u-s-marines-are-pulling-old-f-a-18s-out-of-desert-storage-a9b2febe3d64#.97mezsu24

ohnonotgmail

PukkaStukka wrote: »

Very interesting aircraft that, thanks for mentioning it

http://www.globalaviationresource.com/v2/2013/08/10/nasas-new-wb-57-n927na-flies/

odd looking aircraft. the nose wheel is so low it looks like it has collapsed.

durandal01

PukkaStukka wrote: »

Very interesting aircraft that, thanks for mentioning it

http://www.globalaviationresource.com/v2/2013/08/10/nasas-new-wb-57-n927na-flies/

Not bad for an aircraft whose original design flew 67 years ago last week....https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_Electric_Canberra
http://www.thisdayinaviation.com/tag/vn799/

Skyknight

Shannon757 wrote: »

How about aircraft from the Blue Angels or Thunderbirds?

Both teams fly aircraft, which are, after a couple of hours (with the fitting of the gun(removed to reduce weight), and a repaint), essentially combat capable. It has more or less always been the case thought the history of both teams.
It also the case for the Patrouille de France, the Red Arrows( Bae Hawk), Frecce Tricolori (Aermacchi MB-339), Russian Knight( SU-27), and the Snowbirds(CT-114)

As for RAF/RN,
As I remember it, here's is a Private Sea Harrier flying in US. I think there are another 4 or so in private hands (but I can't be sure) Most of the Harrier's (GR5/7's) were put were bought by the US, and are current in the Boneyards, (being stored)or being parted out for spares for the AV-8B Night Harrier fleet for the USMC. There are I think 5 Tornado's in private hands. In so far as helicopters are concerned I'm sure that there are quiet a number of exRAF/RN/Army helos, that have have been stripped of there military hardware, and in private hands.

Pat Dunne

Skyknight wrote: »

As for RAF/RN,
As I remember it, here's is a Private Sea Harrier flying in US. I think there are another 4 or so in private hands (btu I can't be sure) Most of the Harrier's (GR3's) were put were bought by the US, and are current in the Boneyards, (being stored)or being parted out for spares for the AV-8B Night Harrier fleet for the USMC. There are I think 5 Tornado's in private hands. In so far as helicopters are concerned I'm sure that there are quiet a number of exRAF/RN/Army helos, that have have been stripped of there military hardware, and in private hands.

If I recall there is also a Harrier in non flying state near Dublin.

Skyknight

Pat Dunne wrote: »

If I recall there is also a Harrier in non flying state near Dublin.

Sorry about that, I meant GR5/7
Yup....Harrier GR3 XZ995 (CN:712218) formally G-CBGK

53.421899,-6.549033

durandal01

Skyknight wrote: »

Sorry about that, I meant GR5/7
Yup....Harrier GR3 XZ995 (CN:712218) formally G-CBGK

53.421899,-6.549033

Plus an AN2 and an L39(?).
And their very own VOR/DME right next door, swanky.

Skyknight

durandal01 wrote: »

Plus an AN2 and an L39(?).
And their very own VOR/DME right next door, swanky.

Very....:D