Anybody know where I can get an F-16?

[dolo amber]

The Thunderbirds are in town...they're performing at the lakefront today which is like 2 blocks from my house. They've been tearing around the skies over my neighborhood all week. At first, this annoyed me as they are flying REALLY freakin' low and it was completely ear-splitting. But the last couple days I went out and watched, and I've decided I really gotta get me one a' them F-16s.

Flying on regular jets infuriates me. They always feel like they're just gonna fall outta the sky, being all fat and bloated and lethargic. And while I *intellectually* understand how it works (thrust, velocity, lift etc), *emotionally* I see no reason whatsoever how these metal sows stay aloft. It feels like launching a cow with a slingshot. Now these F-16s...they ain't messin' around. They're more like launching a baseball with a cannon.

It's clearly the proper way to travel...now I just need to find one on the cheap. Maybe I'll check e-bay. :thumbsup:

[GOPisEvil]

1. We've sold them to various countries around the world.

I'm sure some of them are, shall we say, less than scrupulous. Of course, I'm sure the USAF has some older fighters available. Not quite as flashy, but Mach 2 is Mach 2.

[dolo amber]

2. There but for the grace of not being an evil dictator go I

:(

[GOPisEvil]

4. Try googling Albania selling some Soviet-era fighters.

I think they've got some old MiG-15s and MiG-17s they were looking to part with. Probably cheap, too. Those older models are easier to work on yourself, too. :thumbsup:

[Oeditpus Rex]

7. Meh

The MiG-15 and -17 were subsonic, at least at sea level. What fun is that? x(

Hey, ever hear of Operation Moolah? Near the end of the Korean War, the U.S. wanted to study the -15, so they got the word out in North Korea that they were offering something like $100,000 to any pilot who'd fly his crate to a U.S. air base. One guy did it a few days after the end of the war.

[WCGreen]

8. But they are metric....

And that just sucks....

[Oeditpus Rex]

20. They swapped the gauges

when the Korean dude landed his at... mighta been Kimpo.

Can't have USAF fliers buzzin' around at 800 kph and 7,000 meters, can we?

[MnFats]

12. i once wrote a story about some Mn. flying enthusiasts..

...who each spent about a quarter mil on getting the former USSR to sell them training models....all of MIG capabilities without the armaments.
they negotiated for a couple of years, then had them broken down, packed on rail cars, shipped to the u.s., Boston, I think, carried by rail to Mn., then rebuilt and flow to home airport in twin cities.
impressive aircraft. needless to say,these are rich fellows. i think a lot of money changed hands that they didn't tell me about.
bribes to Russian officials, I mean.
interesting.

[terrya]

3. If you can get a private jet on ebay, surely you can get an F-16!

That reminds me...the Chicago Air and Water Show is next month. I live just a block from the lake...and I'm "treated" to the sounds of the latest and greatest of Our Air Force...at ear spiltting noise! Huzzah!

I love to fly and while, I also, somewhat understand the engineering behind it, I still marvel as to how a multi-tonned piece of metal can fly.

[greatauntoftriplets]

6. Faith keeps planes in the sky.

I always hated the Air & Water Show, too. Nor have I ever wanted to witness the amphibian Marine landing on the beach. Something about glorifying the military that gets to me.

Even my extremely deaf mother could always hear the Blue Angels or Thunderbirds in their flyovers. I could sometimes see the planes from the back yard.

[terrya]

9. That's exactly what gets me.

These are, ultimately, instruments of death. And to stand around and "oooooh" and "ahhhhhh" them strikes me as...unseemly?

It's just as bad the day before the Air and Water show. I work in the Loop and sometime you can see and hear (at VERY loud sounds) the jets flying over.

[greatauntoftriplets]

11. I worked in the Equitable Building for 18 years.

My 4th floor office faced east...the river...buildings...and ultimately a slice of the lake. (Was I pissed when they built the Gleacher Center or what? Spoiled everything. But I digress.....) Sometimes I wanted to hit the floor during the rehearsals. Very distracting.

[baldguy]

5. Here

http://www.avonds.com/F-16A.htm

[Ptah]

10. Back in the day, the Thunderbirds flew F-4s.

You might choose one from the boneyard near Tucson.







Off we go, into the wild blue yonder

[jane_pippin]

13. Just hold up a sign near my house

"Need F-16--for CHEAP!!"

They've been buzzing over here too. The charm of it comes and goes. Especially since they seem to know when all the punch lines to my movies/tv shows are on and then they buzz accordingly. :eyes:

edit: OH! Also, do you remember on MTV when they used to have that "video" that was just the blue angels flying around doing stuff? What the fuck was the song they were flying around to? We've been trying to think of it all weekend and we just aren't getting it.

[dolo amber]

14. Are you sure you want me to tell you?

Double check now...cos I don't wanna get blamed for this. x(

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3v9b10xBA4&search=van%20halen%20dreams

And yes, I've had it stuck in my head all week. :cry:

[jane_pippin]

15. No, seriously! It's been driving me NUTS, not being able to remember.

And thank god it's not just me. It's been in my head, except I don't really know if it has been because I don't know the song so instead I have fucking Van Halen's "Right Now" in there which I know isn't it and is also a million times more annoying. And, I mentioned the video to one of my coworkers this morning and he looked at me like I was a frickin' nutcase.

So in conclusion, thanks for clearing that up.

Oh, P.S., i'm kind of drunk right now, what with the frolics going on this weekend and all, so FYI if this doesn't make sense.

[dolo amber]

16. Crap!!

Did we miss the parade? :(

[jane_pippin]

17. Yeah dude! It was today at 1pm. I missed it too though

because I had to work, but I did catch the Rhythm Chicken playing on a float later on after the parade.

There are still events at the park tomorrow though, if you're into that, but I don't know what other than an art show is going on.

We also missed the musical stylings of "Party Patrol" at 2 pm in the park today. *sigh*

[hiro]

18. That'd be cool.

Though I'm also partial to the Japanese FS-2:



From what I understand, it's like the F-16 (as you can see), but with more muscle.

-H.

[Hissyspit]

19. I would like one. I would liked to exercise my right to bear arms. n/t