Is it possible to own a jet fighter?

Question

like, an f-5e tiger, or a Rafale M? or any other jet fighter in that range.

Answer 1

as long as you recognize that no one is going to sell you a front line fighter, and that you recognize that the weapons systems, and much of the avionics are going to be removed, and that the aircraft is likely going to have to be completely rebuilt from the ground up before you can fly it, yes you can buy a jet fighter.

something else you have to consider, will you have the skills to fly the plane? will you have the time to maintain those skills? will you have the money to maintain those skills? can you afford to get the proper rating for your license? are you willing to live with the FAA's restrictions regarding where and when you can fly the plane?

Answer 2

I wouldnt have thought u could by a jet fighter, they are strictly for government use only and would not be made or sold to civilians. Its like asking to buy a Rock Island Arsenal M101. I dont think the government would like it if you got your hand on a form of weapon they corrently using. The only way you could aquire any military form of weapon is to own a museum or a gallery...

Answer 3

Yes but it is very,very,very expensive. If I sold my house and everything I owned I couldn't even get half a jet fighter.

Answer 4

try scrap yards

Answer 5

Yes, it's possible, but expensive.  You can't load them with weapons, but you can own the aircraft and fly it (if you have pilot's license and the appropriate certifications).  There is a small but significant community of pilots who enjoy flying "warbirds," both those from early wars (WWII) and military planes from later eras, including jets.

It's a bit of a rich man's hobby, though.

Answer 6

Yes, governments often sell off their old fighters to private buyers. I suspect many don't actually fly the aircraft though as the cost is rather high.

Answer 7

Yes, most definitely.  There's a company in Washington building exact copies of Me262A-5s.  If I win the lottery I plan on buying one.

US regulations, at least, prohibit any civilian aircraft from going supersonic.

That aside, I know of some guys who bought MiG17s and MiG21s.  There was a collector in Florida who bought a MiG23 some years ago.

Bottom line, yes you can.  However,  they are quite expensive to operate.  Investigate "Trade A Plane".  They have a warbird section.

Answer 8

h**l no!! r you crazy!! the d**n air force won't even let you look at a rough sketch much less own the thing!

Answer 9

If you have the coin, there is a restored F5A and an F5B currently listed for sale on www.controller.com.  Of course, the price is listed as "call" which means if you have to ask you can not afford it.

  The F5 is basically a T38 trainer with armament added to make a low cost fighter.  There are larger numbers of military jet trainers  on the market that offer fighter like aerobatic performance at a lower cost.   Controller lists 23 Aero L29C's for sale ranging from $260K to $350K.  These are actually cheaper maintain than an old piston warbird.