Navy Jet Fighter Is for Sale on eBay
 

Navy Jet Fighter Is for Sale on eBay
Navy F/A-18A Belonged to Blue Angels; Ready-to-Fly Cost is $9 Million

NORFOLK, Va. (Feb. 16) - You can now have your very own Navy F/A-18A Hornet jet fighter - but some assembly may be required.

The price for the jet, which formerly belonged to the Navy's Blue Angels aerial demonstration team, is just over $1 million on the auction firm eBay, or about $9 million for a buyer who wants it assembled, painted and certified ready-to-fly.

Only legal U.S. residents can bid. The auction is scheduled to end Thursday.

An F/A-18 in 1997 cost the military $28 million, according to the Blue Angels' official Web site.

Mike Landa, of Landa and Associates, the Washington state brokerage that has listed the fighter on the Internet auction service, told The Virginian-Pilot that the jet is in parts and came out of military service in 1994. Landa wouldn't identify the owner, but said he came by it legally.

"This thing obviously slipped through the system somehow," Landa said

The FBI came out to visit Landa after he put the jet up for bidding. They wanted to know "what are you selling here," he said. "They wanted to have the scoop on it."

Landa said he has no doubt that someone will surface to claim the Hornet. The jet's model can fly about 1,400 mph and climb 30,000 feet in a minute.


02/16/04 07:33 EST

Copyright 2004 The Associated Press.

Cool ... I can be in Miami in @an hour from South Joisey

John Travolta??

The laws being drafted right now will mandate the "disposal" or "disabling"of any military assets that may be in the private sector. As a warbird enthusiast, primarily WWII aircraft, this is a very real threat to any aircraft not in governemnt-owned museums as, if passed, these laws would mean that these aircraft could be seized and destroyed.

So exactly when is this law being passed Crazyhorse?? I can still buy it fully assembled for $9 mill and get a trip or 2 to Miami before it's siezed. Just in time to catch the MTI and NORTECH cats leaving the show. :D

Yeah, he'll be the one most likely to buy it, since he already has the house to park it, just on the other side of the helipad!:D

Larry Ellison is a real possibility as well'

Trust me, it'd be cheaper and safer to just hitch a ride with the Blue Angels or with a stateside F-18 unit, courtesy of your congressman. Me, I'd rather have a ride in an F-4 PhantomII any day of the week.
These laws that keep getting drafted are watched and lobbied against by several organizations such as the Experimental Aircraft Association, the AOPA, and many others. Just imagine if you owned a one-of-a-kind original PT boat, or maybe a vintage mine layer, and the Feds just came by one day, dragged it to a holding yard and burned it, all the while telling you what a tremendous risk to national security it was.

I'd rather have an Vought F4U Corsair

Yup. No doubt about it, a big round engine out front is about as good as it gets with your pants on.