Piperdriver
Member
A former Marine and Harrier pilot is rebuilding a surplus Sea Harrier...
http://www.nallsaviation.com/PHOTOALBUMS.htm
http://www.nallsaviation.com/PHOTOALBUMS.htm
-
Please take a moment and update your account profile. If you have an updated account profile with basic information on why you are on Air Warriors it will help other people respond to your posts. How do you update your profile you ask?
Go here:
Edit Account Details and Profile
Man Buys Sea Harrier
- Thread starter Piperdriver
- Start date
reminds me of this: http://www.snopes.com/business/deals/pepsijet.asp
Its a British Harrier right? I think I saw the old British RAF or British Navy dot on thier, but my connection and resolution sucked. I wonder why the US wont let you pick up surplus'd decommed fighters but the Brits will.. Maybe becuase we sell ours to other countries rather than to our own citizens?
The reason they won't let Harrier pilots buy American-made Jump Jets is simple...
Phrogburn
Reading the guy's bio on the same website, you come across this nugget:
Art led the flight test efforts for several single-engine airstart projects and was an instructor to other pilots performing these same tests, in the A4-M and TA-4J “Skyhawk,” and the AV-8B and TAV-8B “Harrier II.” During this testing, Art accumulated over 6 hours of flight time in single-engine jet aircraft WITHOUT THE ENGINE RUNNING. Other than the space shuttle, that’s probably the fastest glider training available.
Sounds psycho to me, but I guess someone has to do it!
Art led the flight test efforts for several single-engine airstart projects and was an instructor to other pilots performing these same tests, in the A4-M and TA-4J “Skyhawk,” and the AV-8B and TAV-8B “Harrier II.” During this testing, Art accumulated over 6 hours of flight time in single-engine jet aircraft WITHOUT THE ENGINE RUNNING. Other than the space shuttle, that’s probably the fastest glider training available.
Sounds psycho to me, but I guess someone has to do it!
BluesFan06
New Member
Ooooh! I live about 10 minutes from St. Mary's County Airport... I'm gonna have to go see that thing! :icon_tong
Reading the guy's bio on the same website, you come across this nugget:
Art led the flight test efforts for several single-engine airstart projects and was an instructor to other pilots performing these same tests, in the A4-M and TA-4J “Skyhawk,” and the AV-8B and TAV-8B “Harrier II.” During this testing, Art accumulated over 6 hours of flight time in single-engine jet aircraft WITHOUT THE ENGINE RUNNING. Other than the space shuttle, that’s probably the fastest glider training available.
Sounds psycho to me, but I guess someone has to do it!
Just guessing here (a dangerous thing, I know), but I would imagine that it was in a more controlled environment than the bio would have you think
It is British, FA2 or "Shar", not AV-8B Harrier II (American).
Maybe we sell to other countries rather than to our own citizens because maybe there might be a difference between a recognized Government, and a private party. Maybe.
The government does sell surplus civilian aircraft (as well as a lot of other stuff).
Tex_Hill
Airborne All the Way!!!
It's against federal law for the DoD to sell decommissioned fighter or attack aircraft. The last fighter to be "sold" to a private party which was not a military contractor was when the Collings Foundation acquired their F-4 Phantom, and even then it literally took an act of Congress for them to get it. It is my understanding that the F-4 would go back to the AF should the foundation no longer be able to operate or maintain it.
Currently an individual can register a foreign manufactured fighter but I understand from our local FAA rep that you won't be able to do it much longer.
Damn, here I was thinking that I could save up my money and buy a tomcat from Iran....
I can understand why its so hard, if not impossible to grab a fighter (assuming you have the money) from the AF or Navy. But good god man! Think about how much fun this guy is going to have owning and flying that Harrier, and what a great hobby he has to restore it! As an American citizen with loaded pockets, I would want you to have the opportunity to buy an American decommissioned fighter for sentimental/commercial use over some other country who might possibly use them against us or our allies in the future (Iran for example).
I think there is a philosophical difference between a man who wants a plaything and a nation that wants to defend its territory.
Roger that. I truly understand that sentiment, believe me. But this dude is going to have a life long hobby, is going to make starry eyed boys and girls at air shows and the like want to become fighter pilots like he was, and the fighter doesn't get used by another nation with less scruples than the U.S. to drop stuff on people in the name of ethnic cleansing, tribal warfare, and other atrocities. Plus, we don't risk our own pilot's lives if that country the U.S. sold it to decides they don't like the U.S. anymore and pulls a fast one. Doesn't that make sense?