# Wanna buy a MiG? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 28, 2005, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanna-buy-a-mig/310195 "2005-06-28T14:39:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanna-buy-a-mig/310195/1 "2005-06-28T14:39:52Z")
[1974 MiG-21 UM for sale](http://www.controller.com/listings/forsale/detail.asp?OHID=1084742&guid=B78896C885C84A23963FBEBCECEF3BC5). Heck, it’s cheaper than a new Cessna 172! A little faster, too. I wonder how you’d get the training to fly it? There’s a guy here in the PNW who owns an L-39 (no, not the guy who crashed in October), and I’m told he can’t fly it solo. I’d assume that insurance requirements are very high. No prices on the T-38 Talons, but the T-37s are around a half-million and the (several) L-39s are under $300,000 each. I need to start playing the lottery. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanna-buy-a-mig/310195/2 "2005-06-28T14:59:45Z")
> [@Johnny L.A.](#): > > I wonder how you’d get the training to fly it? Maybe from the seller? Maybe [here](http://www.flymig.com/)? Better show some great aptitude, though. It’s a pretty big step for a Cessna/Robinson jockey. The Indian Air Force just stopped using them as secondary trainers because of the body count, for instance. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanna-buy-a-mig/310195/3 "2005-06-28T15:14:33Z")
Actually, I have no desire for a MiG. As far as ‘dream jets’ go, this is my list (in order): [ul][li]T-38 Talon (USAF white with ‘ED’ on the tail, or NASA markings)[/li][li]TA-4J Skyhawk (blue and grey Soviet camouflage)[/li][li]L-39 Albatross (blue and grey Soviet camouflage)[/li][li]T-37 Dragonfly (Test Pilot School blue-over-white or the earlier red-over-white)[/li][li]T-33 Shooting Star (polished metal)[/li][li]F-104 Starfighter (polished metal or NASA markings)[/ul][/li]Having lived in the Antelope Valley for 11 years, and having worked at Edwards for four, I like the TPS aircraft – the T-38, T-37, and the older T-33. The A-4 is in there because I’m from a Navy family. Besides, it’s cute. The L-39 is relatively inexpensive (to buy), and it’s a looker. The F-104 is dead sexy – but it would scare the pants off of me. I only put it on the list because it’s too sexy not to. Actually, the T-37 might get moved up to No. 2 because of the EAFB TPS connection. ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanna-buy-a-mig/310195/4 "2005-06-28T15:16:24Z")
One sold a couple of years ago on Ebay and for an extra $10K you got a few hours (IIRC) of dual instruction and supposedly a waiver or something to go supersonic. That one went for $281K it seems like… ---
**Author:** ![ColonelDax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@ColonelDax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ColonelDax)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanna-buy-a-mig/310195/5 "2005-06-28T18:52:18Z")
Or you could just save up your Pepsi Points like [this](http://www.unl.edu/workslaw/pepsico.html) guy did. ---
**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:** [June 28, 2005, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanna-buy-a-mig/310195/6 "2005-06-28T19:02:47Z")
> [@Johnny L.A.](#): > > [1974 MiG-21 UM for sale](http://www.controller.com/listings/forsale/detail.asp?OHID=1084742&guid=B78896C885C84A23963FBEBCECEF3BC5). > > … I wonder how you’d get the training to fly it? I’ve posted in a few threads about my experiences [here](http://www.jetwarbird.com/), where I got to fly a MiG-15, L-39, T-33, and a Fouga jet. I asked them if they would ever consider getting a MiG-21, because it’s right around #1 on my wish list. They said no because it’s too loud, uses a hell of a lot of gas, and is quite a handful to fly. Pilot reports for this airplane say it has to be re-trimmed after every change in configuration, and even after minor changes in throttle setting. But I’m not sure where in the U.S. you could get trained in one. Might have to go to Russia via that Space Adventures company that brokers flights in exotic stuff. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanna-buy-a-mig/310195/7 "2005-06-28T19:31:49Z")
Well, -21’s are nice, and impressive performers (I saw a Rumanian rebuild put on quite the display at the Paris Air Show some years back), but I understand that its short range is a major issue. If I was gonna go the full Hammer of Thor/panic-the-cows-in-a-three-state-area route, my preference would be the [Saab J-35 Draken](http://www.canit.se/~griffon/aviation/img/saab/saabj35j.jpg). Just my opinion. Hey, might as well go for the best thing I can’t afford, right? Although a T-38 would make a nice little runabout as well. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2005, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanna-buy-a-mig/310195/8 "2005-06-29T03:29:23Z")
Reading the thread tittle, I thought “that’s funny, Johnny misspelled MG, and hell yes, I want to buy his.” 😃