Working F-16 fighter jet is for sale in Florida. So, what can a buyer
use it for?
August 22, 2019 August 22, 2019 Miami Herald
JetLease Palm Beach in Florida is listing this used 1980 F-16 A/B
Fighting Falcon non-demilitarized fighter jet for $8.5 million. But
it's not for sale to just anyone.Jet Lease Palm Beach
For a cool $8.5 million, you could be the proud owner of a "fully
functioning" F-16 A/B Fighting Falcon fighter jet that a South Florida
company acquired from Jordan.
The combat aircraft, which can hit a top speed of 1,357 mph at 40,000
feet, isn't showroom new - it was built in 1980. But it still has a
max range of 2,400 miles and an initial climb rate of 62,000 feet per
minute and remains militarized, according to The Drive, an automotive
website that also covers defense topics, WBDO News 96.5 reported
Wednesday.
The F-16 Fighting Falcon is for sale through JetLease Palm Beach, a
private aircraft leasing and purchasing company, which isn't new to
the combat jet business. The Drive notes that JetLease Palm Beach
acquired dozens of secondhand F-16s from NATO allies Belgium and the
Netherlands between 2008 and 2017.
According to Fox News, this listed F-16 may date to the Jimmy Carter
administration, but it's been "enhanced with modern upgrades," such as
night-vision compatible helmets and GPS-controlled weapons. The 1980
warplane bird has also been upgraded so it can fly at least 8,000
hours and has logged 6,000 hours, The Drive said.
So, can you use this baby to zoom over South Florida's construction
clogged roadways and get through traffic jams on Florida's Turnpike,
the Airport Expressway and I-95 in seconds? Or put the fear of
America's military might in the powers-that-be that schedule road work
before finishing established projects?
Not so fast.
"The used F-16 is marketed to contractor air service providers that
provide adversary support and test and development services to the
Pentagon, allied governments, and other defense contractors," The
Drive said.
Whoever snags this deal has to comply with International Traffic in
Arms Regulations rules about buying and using a weapon system like
this F-16.
There have been sales of F-16s to regular, albeit wealthy, people. But
they are demilitarized unlike this version.
This means you probably can't add it as a supplement to your Tesla
Model X with its Ludicrous+ 0 to 60 in 2.5 seconds speed setting to
get around town fast by air and land.
Correction: A previous version of this story misidentified the
Fighting Falcon.