First privately owned Su-27 Flankers arrive in the US

Now how many of you would like to be one of the lucky owners :D

 

http://www.prideaircraft.com/news.htm

Edited May 6, 2009 by Mustang

Some very rich US spy :D

Is it for flying or for home garden :D ? oO

 

Great "gift" for self :)

Whoa, man, it may be spend money to make money scenario!

Seem to be the first production batch, judging from the flare dispenser position.

I'll take 3, drop it on my tab. lol

oh man, if I was stinking rich I'd be getting one also :D as real life size home cockpit :D (j/k)

It seems that it is not just for fun...it's rather a private agressor squadron.

http://www.tacticalairsupport.com/HOME.html

 

The pilots

http://www.tacticalairsupport.com/company_bios.html

Well, call me envious!

 

It seems that it is not just for fun...it's rather a private agressor squadron.

http://www.tacticalairsupport.com/HOME.html

 

The pilots

http://www.tacticalairsupport.com/company_bios.html

 

And they stole MY idea! :furious:

Do you have 5000 flight hours in fighters?

Are you a former Top Gun instructor?:music_whistling:

 

:smilewink:

Something is really weird here? TacAir customers are USA and allies governments? What, we don't have Tactial Air Combat School or Training Facilities and have to go to "small business", private sector of retired pilots for help?

 

What about those pilots, they either lost their jobs or 401K's and can not retire or something? What is going on? BTW, is TacAir LAN also connected to the net? :)

 

And, USA military has operated at least one Su-27 for some time. So I don't see a point of paying a private company for a Flanker training services.

 

Something just don't look right with all of these.

The point is that with the private company you can have them run around and hit up all the different squadrons for some training, as opposed to having them rotate through Nellis, for example.

This results in more training ... this is not new - they've been doing it with learjets, mirages, all sorts of things.

Also sometimes squadrons get closed for whatever reasons. Surely their pilots would get offers to work some other job in the airforce, maybe some armchair stuff. If they don't like this alternative I can easily see them quitting service and starting their own business.

The point is that with the private company you can have them run around and hit up all the different squadrons for some training, as opposed to having them rotate through Nellis, for example. This results in more training ...

I don't buy that. Our Air Force and Navy can not provide training to our pilots? Are you kidding me?

 

This results in more training ... this is not new - they've been doing it with learjets, mirages, all sorts of things.

Learjets do not carry bombs and do not dogfight. Therefore it is completely all right to have private pilot school for Learjets. I don't know about Mirages, where do you get that info?

I don't buy that. Our Air Force and Navy can not provide training to our pilots? Are you kidding me?

 

I see you've misunderstood, or haven't thought it trough.

The people who run these businesses are retired USAF personnel usually. The USAF itself, and the NAVY, have the job of flying THEIR OWN AIRCRAFT into combat. There is an advantage into having someone else providing just about the most realistic OPFOR you can get.

The pilots doing their exercises can then attempt intercepts on the actual aircraft they expect to be fighting, see what it looks like, what it flies like, etc.

Taking a pilot who flies an F-15/16/18 and sticking him in a flanker is a waste of that pilot, whom you've trained to fly your aircraft.

If you can instead pay someone else to fly a flanker for you, it works out.

 

 

Learjets do not carry bombs and do not dogfight. Therefore it is completely all right to have private pilot school for Learjets. I don't know about Mirages, where do you get that info?

Learjets are used as intercept targets for US squadrons. Perhaps you've misunderstood what was said.

 

 

And here's some info: http://www.atacusa.com/

Edited May 8, 2009 by GGTharos

well... they were taught to "aim high", so I guess that is how a fighter jockey starts a buisness. :)

Perhaps these Flankers flew in to receive an some AN/APG upgrade over N001...:music_whistling:

Actually they might fly without any radar or weapons whatsoever. But there's no telling.

I see these are Ukrainian by their camo...

404. Google cache luckly has the article but no images :(

I see these are Ukrainian by their camo...

…and they was delivered in USA inside Ukrainian An-124-100.

 

We're pleased to announce the arrival of the first pair of privately-owned Sukhoi SU-27 Flankers in the USA.

And if you can read Russian check this thread — http://forums.airforce.ru/showthread.php?t=2152.

 

They said those Su-27s was shipped without some flight instruments, combat systems, and K-36 ejection seats will be replaced with American-made ones.

 

Edited May 9, 2009 by Namenlos Ein

…and K-36 ejection seats will be replaced with American-made ones..

 

That's too bad, but I guess that serviceing K-36 from there would be a pain.

...and what about engines?!

...and what about engines?!

Upper emblem on Su-27UB's tail is Tac Air Inc. emblem, according this lower one is Zaporozhskij gosudarstvennyj aviaremontnyj zavod (State aircraft repair plant in Zaporozh'e-city) emblem. This plant can provide repairing of aviation engines.

 

http://15204.ua.all-biz.info/en/

Edited May 9, 2009 by Namenlos Ein

Good to know that!