Do you have an extra $8.5 million lying around? Then you’re in luck, because Jet Lease, an aircraft brokerage and leasing firm, has a 1980 F-16A/B Fighting Falcon for sale just for you — if you are also a specific kind of defense contractor.
Business Insider reported that this aircraft is unique because it “has not been demilitarized, a key difference between it and other F-16 jets that have been privately purchased.” From Business Insider:
In fact, the aircraft has been enhanced and includes modern features such as a Link16 datalink, a night vision-compatible cockpit, a data-bus for guided weapons and a Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System, according to The Drive.
Likewise, the aircraft has undergone updates allowing it to fly at least 8,000 hours. Its maximum speed is Mach 2.05 at 40,000 feet – which translates to approximately 1,573 miles per hour.
The outlet reported that Jet Lease is marketing the Fighting Falcon “to contractor air service providers who conduct testing services and other things on behalf of the Defense Department.”
The Drive reported in mid-August that Jet Lease actually has multiple F-16s for sale, which the outlet joked “could be sold together to create a private F-16 mini-squadron.” From The Drive:
These aircraft are F-16AM and BM Block 20 Mid-Life-Update (MLU) jets that are imported from Jordan. That country had bought dozens of second-hand F-16s from America’s NATO allies in Europe—Belgium and the Netherlands—between 2008 and 2017 under the Peace Falcon III to Peace Falcon VI initiatives. They have subsequently been in the process of liquidating some of their older F-16s in recent years, including selling Block 15 F-16s to Pakistan.
The Drive also reported that anyone looking to purchase one of the F-16s “must comply with and successfully navigate the strict ITARS (International Traffic in Arms Regulations) rules surrounding acquiring and operating a weapon system like an F-16, which keeps these planes out of the hands of those who shouldn’t be able to pull them apart, let alone fly them.”
These aircraft are thus different than some of the other demilitarized planes owned by the rich and powerful. Business Insider also reported that a Cold War-era MiG-29 fighter jet owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen was for sale. The outlet reported that Allen “collected a fleet of helicopters, jets, and specialized aircraft.”
Allen sadly died in October 2018, leaving behind his collection. Business Insider reported that some of his collection is being sold, including the fighter jet. From Business Insider:
With a top speed of 1,491 mph (around Mach 2.25) this MiG would leave even America’s premier F-35 Joint Strike Fighter in the dust. In fact, this MiG would beat just about anything that isn’t an F-15 in a drag race, which is impressive for a combat aircraft, but even more so for a civilian jet with functioning ejection seats you could feasibly take to visit your mom in Orlando. In fact, at top speed, you could get there from New York in less than an hour.
No price is listed for Allen’s plane on the seller’s website.