NEWS: Attention New Internet Millionaires: Fighter Jets are the New Sports Car

GEEK: Attention New Internet Millionaires: Fighter Jets are the New Sports Car

Recently, a Chinese businessman bought a MiG-21f plane from eBay to decorate his office, and interest in purchasing fighter jets for private use skyrocketed from zero to four.

For those who have yet to get a driving license, salivating at all of this, it isn't all good news by any means: with the price of oil on the rise and more emission targets, the UK is introducing eco-driving into the driving test. This does not mean following the example of the UK's leader of the opposition by cycling to work and then getting your flunky to take your shoes and papers in a Lexus.

Or railing about fuel consumption, and driving your hydrogen car a block away before hopping back into your SUV -Ed.

I can't be 100% sure, but I think that fighter jet was imported by a friend of mine...
Incidentally, you've been able to purchase military fighter jets for years. Whether this czech fighter was one of his imports or not, a friend of mine has been selling imported fighters (and specifically he imported a number of czech fighters) since at least 1990.

Oh for fuck's sake. Why does anyone take these people seriously?

I mean, really. Way to advertise your insecurity.

The MIG-21F is pretty old tech. The L-39C already has several examples flying in the US. Many of them came in before the moratorium so you have less beauracratic hassle.

For the money, I'd rather have a nicely appointed Long-EZ, Cozy-MkIV, or perhaps a Berkut. The performance isn't up to MIG standards, but they are much more affordable and definitely a huge step up from a C172.

Michael Dorn, who played Worf on TNG is a pilot, and he bought a retired Soviet MiG a few years ago. I remember him telling me that he thought it was so cool that he could fly all the way to Texas in less than an hour, or something like that. He was like a kid with his first Red Ryder BB Gun with a compass in the stock and this thing that tells time.

Fuck it, for $24,000, I'd buy a MiG in a heartbeat. It would be like reliving my Top Gun infused pre-teens all over again.

Holy SHIT! I"m gonna pick me up a fighter jet too! I'd put gold plated spinners on my wheels. That would be pimp-a-lixious.

[Edited on May 01, 2006 10:33PM]

I'd rather buy a decommisioned destroyer as a yacht.

I love how casually you throw that out.

If I had the bank, me too, I would just live on the thing with my pirate ninja army.

Fighter jets (and helicopters -lucky for us not only nicer than planes but often -cleaner and such-
were the military's ONLY allure for me....)

Goddamn. I don't care how much of a puss I am. I would love to feel the sheer rush of having NO speed limit and just being able to streak through the sky at around five times the speed of sound

mmm -le sigh-

I like that whole destroyer as a yacht thing too. But only if I can still at least fire off the guns. Or the guns on a pt boat would work fine for me. Hell.

I don't want to destry any actual property or hurt anyone. I just want to play with the toys

(the army seriously should just give me a non combat position playing with toys and things that go boom. damn would I be happy.)

Yes I'm ranting. Deal with it. My love of "toys" and things that go boom tends to make me do that.