# Has anyone ever flown an F 86 Sabre? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 19, 2019, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-flown-an-f-86-sabre/828038 "2019-01-19T08:19:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2019, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-flown-an-f-86-sabre/828038/1 "2019-01-19T08:19:59Z")
Or even been in one in flight? I am doing some reading about the Korean War and I understand the F 80 (Shooting Star) was past its use by date (I understand the F80 was outclassed by the MIG 15) but was looking for some anecdotal data re the Sabre. Unfortunately the book I am reading is replete with mistakes- it mentions a Noth Korean aircraft shot down by a Phantom. Remarkable as the first test flight took place in 1958- around 5 years later. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2019, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-flown-an-f-86-sabre/828038/2 "2019-01-19T08:46:54Z")
I know a PAF pilot who flew it (and the F104), who I am having dinner with Sunday night…maybe ask him? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2019, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-flown-an-f-86-sabre/828038/3 "2019-01-19T13:13:31Z")
AFAIK there are no 2-seat F-86’s available for tourist flights, although several Sabres are working the airshow circuit. [It’s a handful, though](https://www.airspacemag.com/military-aviation/could-you-fly-a-sabre-76642301/). The famous Phantom was the Phantom II you’re thinking of. The [Phantom I](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonnell_FH_Phantom) was already out of service before the Korean War. The Banshee and the Panther, which sort of resembled it, were there, though. ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2019, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-flown-an-f-86-sabre/828038/4 "2019-01-19T15:25:36Z")
I have flown a two-seat MiG 15 and a T-33. As I recall, if you’re going to get a type rating in the Sabre you can train in either the MiG or a T-33 first. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2019, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-flown-an-f-86-sabre/828038/5 "2019-01-19T23:51:27Z")
Thanks. I think we are sort of restricted to Tiger Moths here. AK84- if you wouldn’t mind? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2019, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-flown-an-f-86-sabre/828038/6 "2019-01-19T23:59:22Z")
Pretty sure I saw them in flight in Anchorage in the late 50s. They were followed by the F-100 Super Sabre and F-102 Delta Dagger fighters. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2019, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-flown-an-f-86-sabre/828038/7 "2019-01-20T04:18:11Z")
Not me, but my dad was a 86 driver. He had some good stories of antics behind the stick. He told me he and his wing-man went through the Grand Canyon about 30 off the deck of the river. Said he had the gun camera footage impounded. This was when he was stationed at Nellis. I’ve got his ‘Supersonic Club’ card he earned in the F-100 Super Saber in my wallet. He was a bastard, but I miss him. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2019, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-flown-an-f-86-sabre/828038/8 "2019-01-21T09:30:42Z")
> [@Cicero](#): > > Thanks. I think we are sort of restricted to Tiger Moths here. AK84- if you wouldn’t mind? Ok. Dinner was nice, but got little time to talk to the gentleman in question. What I did learn was that the Sabre was easy to fly, and fairly forgiving. It was also versatile, used in ground attack and deep penetration strike missions. Used as a trainer for several years as it was an excellent stepping transition to really fast jets. The one interesting thing I learnt about F104 was that the wings were very thin in places, people kept cutting themselves on it. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2019, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-flown-an-f-86-sabre/828038/9 "2019-01-21T15:47:02Z")
All I can say is, I sat in the cockpit of one in a museum. That is to say, I sat ON the cockpit. I couldn’t see the instruments behind my knees, and they could have never closed the canopy over my head. The military doesn’t like tall people.