28 May 2020: If you are a fighter jet lover, here’s the news for you. The world’s only airworthy Soviet Era MiG-17PF jet fighter is out for sale. Developed in early 1950 this aircraft is an airshow star now. The MiG-17PF jet is equipped with search and tracking radar capable of operating at night and during inclement weather.
Jon Blanchette, a former General Motors engineer and US Navy officer painstakingly restored it after rescuing it from a scrapyard in Poland in 1993. It took him 15 years to restore the aircraft to its former glory. Today, the restored MiG is capable of performing a full aerobatic routine, including inverted flight and tight 8-G turns.
“It has been the biggest passion project of my life,” Blanchette said. “I am incredibly proud of what I was able to accomplish with this aircraft, and I hope that it will bring the same amount of joy and fulfilment to its next owner.”
This aircraft (1D-0620) was produced in December 1960 and served in the Polish Air Force until 1966. After being decommissioned, it served as a training platform for Polish aircraft mechanics until 1993.