Dan wrote:
US has vast chunks of uncontrolled airspace, all up to 18’000
Well, class E…
Airborne_Again wrote:
I’m pretty sure that the AJ37 Viggen SE-DXN can fly IFR. At least that’s how it appears when it is on international positioning flights.
Pretty much a gov operated aircraft, not really civilian. Quite a few L-39 and Alpha Jets are IFR capable but can’t fly IFR legally.
Silvaire wrote:
In the US, my observation is that they are more often owned by regular guys who buy them inexpensively as second planes and fly them infrequently. It’s not so much conspicuous consumption as being conspicuously nerdy airplane people.
Well, it makes sense to use it as a second a/c once in a blue moon. Otherwise, you could be flying something more comfortable at 160GHP/600LPH…
I see them flying about once a month, it seems to me. Call it a $1000 a month kerosene habit.
The Fouga is really nice to watch, really elegant in the overhead break with its high aspect ratio wings. Sure is loud though as it taxies out, Turbomeca ‘Tweety Bird’ engines being what they are. Then after landing they fiddle with it for a few weeks, boys and their toys having fun.
Silvaire wrote:
Then after landing they fiddle with it for a few weeks.
Same story with the Fouga in flying Germany. French stuff just universally sucks.
noplanB wrote:
Not everyone is a small, impoverished ex com bloc nation.
Our small ex com bloc nation has 18 L-39 civilian registered :D amounting to about 10% of national fleet
https://transpordiamet.ee/ohusoidukite-register
There’s a private ex-RAF jer trainer in the hangar I use at EGPE Inverness. Ejection seats de-activated but parachutes still carried.
Flies infrequently.
noplanB wrote:
Pretty much a gov operated aircraft, not really civilian.
It’s not government operated. It’s operated by an association and flown on a civilian license. Sure that association has the trust of the Air Force, but it earns its own keep.
Airborne_Again wrote:
It’s not government operated. It’s operated by an association and flown on a civilian license. Sure that association has the trust of the Air Force, but it earns its own keep.
Who are the owners / sponsors, then? Because those aircraft cost millions per year to run and they’re not getting that from the few airshows they fly per year.
noplanB wrote:
Who are the owners / sponsors, then? Because those aircraft cost millions per year to run and they’re not getting that from the few airshows they fly per year.
They are sponsored by the Swedish Air Force and SAAB. The owner varies. A quick check in the Swedish civil aircraft register shows that SE-DXN is owned by the Defense Museum (which is a civil government agency separate from the Air Force). Other aircraft are owned by by the Defense Museum, SAAB and possibly other parties. The aircraft are all operated by the independent association Swedish Air Force Historic Flight.
