Albania offers collectors its Communist-era airborne glory

Associated Press ^ | March 06, 2016

[sukhoi-30mki]

RINASI AIR BASE, Albania — If you want to buy a secondhand fighter jet, Albania's the place to go right now.

The 40 obsolete Soviet and Chinese-made aircraft up for sale once roared over what was Europe's most exclusive airspace. The Albanian pilots were members of an exalted military elite that had its own food-tasters and was tasked by Communist Albania's paranoid regime with deterring countless enemies who never did come to this country on the Adriatic Sea.

Now a NATO member, Albania is auctioning off the rusting jets to pay for modernizing its military and to save space in its air bases. The Socialist government says it has received strong interest from aviation collectors and museums abroad — so much that it pushed back the initial auction date and is considering raising the starting bids, first set at 1.1 million to 1.9 million leks ($8,600-14,800).

"It was a surprise for us," Defense Minister Mimi Kodheli told The Associated Press, noting "a rush" of interest from prospective bidders in the United States, Germany, France, Italy and other countries.

In a corner of the Rinasi air base outside the capital of Tirana, 11 decrepit MiG-17 and MiG-19 jets are parked in neat rows, guarded by two military officers. Their silver-grey paint with the distinctive red, black and red roundels is fading, their tires are flat, the guns are rust-flecked and some of their glass canopies are broken.

Former jet mechanic Vasil Jongari, 55, seemed almost ashamed to show the planes to visiting journalists.

"There is nostalgia always," he said, running his fingers over the 32 millimeter gun on a MiG-19. "But they cannot be kept only based on desire. They need money, and money we don't have."

[sukhoi-30mki]

In this photo taken on Monday, Feb. 15, 2016 Vasil Jangari, a former jet engineer, climbs over an old Mig-19 fighter jet at the Rinasi air base, near Tirana. If you want to buy a secondhand fighter jet, Albania’s the place to go right now. The 40 obsolete Soviet and Chinese-made aircraft up for sale once roared over what was Europe’s most exclusive airspace. The Albanian pilots were members of an exalted military elite that had its own food-tasters and was tasked by Communist Albania’s paranoid regime with deterring countless enemies who never did come to this country on the Adriatic Sea. (AP Photo/Gent Shkullaku)

[Larry Lucido]

“I’m no rocket scientist, baby, but I AM a jet engineer.”

[Engraved-on-His-hands]

I was in Albania in 1999. They were sitting there decrepit even then.

[SoCal Pubbie]

Yeah, and maybe I’m a Chinese jet pilot.

[Bringbackthedraft]

In my travels through S/E Poland in 2012, I past what looked like a farm house that had two Migs (Later models) on each side of the path leading to the house. Not far from there I found a scrap yard. (aka known as a junk yard here.) It was filled with all sorts of military equipment and plane parts along with what appeared to be complete Russian helicopter bodies.

[Chode]

iirc the fuel lines in the Mig-17/19 are steel, so even the ones in the best shape will cost a small fortune to make airworthy

[Calvin Locke]

I remember an article on Albania from the Reagan years. They were still posting a guard on a US or NATO jet that inadvertently landed in Albania some 30 years earlier.

[MasterGunner01]

Soviet-era fighters (and their Chinese copies) are designed for forward air trips and pretty simple beasts. They are not as sophisticated as their western counterparts. However, they have a ravenous appetite for jet fuel. There's a warbrid collector in Waukegan, IL who has a MiG-21PF fighter-interceptor. I saw him perform at a local airshow where they let him make a vertical climb to altitude in afterburner. The takeoff was fast and when the afterburner lit off, the plane just disappeared from sight very rapidly.

The problem with the MiG-21 is its fuel transfer system. There is approximately 10-15 that is not accessible to the fuel pumps. Theoretically, you can go bingo fuel and still have 10-15% fuel in the tanks. The pilot of the MiG-21 usually briefs the local tower controlers about his jet thus:

“I am flying a MiG-21 fighter. This plane consumes fuel rapidly and even more if I go to afterburner. If I call in and request permission to land, it means I have to get on the ground NOW because I am on my fuel reserve. Do not screw around and tell me to hold for a student pilot in a Cessna 172 in the pattern. Clear me to land or I will have to find a divert field like yesterday.”

[ZOOKER]

Steel, rubber and plastic parts would all have to be replaced (if you could find them).

Probably spend a million to make the engine run again.

Then there's the shipping charges halfway around the world.

If you got it for FREE it would still be too expensive.

[Chode]

100%

[DoughtyOne]