Posted on 01/17/2025 11:33:12 AM PST by ransomnote
We talked to the owner of Air USA about probably the most incredible private aircraft purchase of all time and the future of his adversary business.
For the last 30 years, Don Kirlin has been flying for the airlines, working on real estate deals, setting up the world’s biggest skydiving meets, and building a private air force the likes of which even he has a hard time believing is possible. Just last month, The War Zone was among the first to report that his company would be purchasing multiple squadrons worth of surplus Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) F/A-18 Hornets to be used in the contractor adversary air support role here in the United States. In that role, they would primarily fly against U.S. military fighter pilots, replicating aerial threats from potential enemy nations. So basically, they are bad guys for hire, but strictly for training and development work.
Now, not only do we have all the details on that purchase, which is even more impressive than it initially seemed, but we talked at length with the entrepreneur owner of Air USA, located in Quincy, Illinois, about his company’s past and what is turning into a remarkable, if not downright historic, future.
Don Kirlin imported his first foreign military jet, and L-39 Albatross, in 1994, at a time when doing so was an extremely complex and convoluted affair full of pitfalls and unknowns. Since then, he has repeated the process dozens of times over and was the first owner of a private MiG-29 Fulcrum in the United States, among a long list of other exotic flying firsts. He now holds eight licenses with the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), allowing him to own military machine guns and cannons, as well as thousands of rounds of ammunition to fire through them.
MORE AT THE LINK: https://www.twz.com/32869/this-man-owns-the-worlds-most-advanced-private-air-force-after-buying-46-f-a-18-hornets
I was just expecting You to be here, with Your Garage Hanger.🤠🇺🇸
(((PING FYI)))
And yet he has had to obtain all sorts of clearances, permits, authorizations, waivers from multiple government agencies... all greased with lots of $$$ and connections to the defense industry.
:D
There was a rumor that the Confederate Air Force ( mostly ex USAF), officially just established to preserve aircraft history, was also engaged in central American anticommunist activity early on. Anything declassified or written publically on that?
Can a Freeper military expert please explain this: “…replicating aerial threats from potential enemy nations“. At what distance do aerial engagements take place these days? 50km or more? What is the benefit of using this man’s F-18s as OPFOR?
“to be used in the contractor adversary air support role”
So he’s going to go into competition with Jared Isaacman, who just bought a bunch of F-16s for his Draken operation.
Well Jared’s gonna be busy with NASA and all that, so maybe it’s the right time...
In the General/Chat forum, on a thread titled This Man Owns The World’s Most Advanced Private Air Force After Buying 46 F/A-18 Hornets, Regulator wrote: “to be used in the contractor adversary air support role”
So he’s going to go into competition with Jared Isaacman, who just bought a bunch of F-16s for his Draken operation.
Well Jared’s gonna be busy with NASA and all that, so maybe it’s the right time...
Actually the article is from 2020, but it was so interesting I decided to post it anyway.
Thousands of rounds won’t last long in those babies
As an Albertan I take no offence.
It does.
it set no limits on what weapons the civilians could own.
Hah
Yer right
Draken has been around since 2011 and is now just another Evil Equity Capital operation owned by Blackstone. So the comment still stands...and AirUSA is now RAVN. And they don’t seem to own any F-18s:
https://simpleflying.com/australia-retired-f-a-18-hornets/
And Draken is just a way for retired mil pilots to remain employed without having to do the dreaded bus driving function for UAL/AA/DAL...
Our own Wagner Group?
Illinois is far from deep blue. There are a couple of pockets of blue that control the state.
I know, but it’s hard to get out from under the shadow of Chicago. Southern Illinois is like most mid western states.
I don't know about that, but they were often seen flying over Southern skies on the lookout for Yankees.
This is exactly what the Deep State criminal class is worried about…Trump will hire this private Air Force to take out the trash.
Just kidding…sort of.
And the libs get their panties in a wad over 13 round mags or cannons saying “the Founders never intended for citizens to have such weapons of war.”
Let’s see what they have to say about F/A-18 Hornets in private hands. This could get good. “The Founders never intended for citizens to own jet fighters.”
Great memory!
The one gallon jug of JP-4 against the left wall is a nice touch. How far does that take you?
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