December 2012
If you’re a pilot who says you’ve never even dreamed of flying a jet fighter… maybe your nose is growing?
The end of the Cold War in the 1990s brought a sigh of relief to much of the world. The end of the arms race between the Soviet Union and United States delivered a welcome downsizing of many military assets. For pilots, that meant the first time in history that a selection of jet warbirds were available for civilian use.
While the Cold War was winding down, Larry Salganek was busy teaching aerobatics in a T-34 Mentor. As the first foreign aircraft began to arrive in the United States, Salganek expanded to include instruction in Nanchang CJ-6s and then Yaks. His embrace of these more exotic aircraft put him in an ideal position to catch the first wave of jet fighters coming to America.
Today, Salganek has more hours instructing in these orphaned military jets than anyone else in the world. And thanks to his
Jet Warbird Training Center, pilots can spend a week in Santa Fe, N.M. (KSAF), and fly a different jet fighter every day!
Jet Warbird Training Center operates and offers instruction in the the Czechoslovakian L-39 Albatros, the Russian MiG 15, the American T-33, the French Fouga Magister, the Czech L-29 Delphin and others. There are other places in the world to learn to fly these aircraft, but there is no other place where you can fly them all from the same runway.
Consequently, pilots from around the world come to fly at the Jet Warbird Training Center. “One reason for that is we really have it good in this country,” Salganek said. “Regulations here
in America make it easy to own and operate a jet warbird. Many of our customers don’t have the opportunity to fly these aircraft in their countries.”
“We had a customer recently from Japan,” he said. “ a taxi driver with just a private pilot’s license who had saved his money to come here and fly. He always had the biggest grin on his face when we came down from a lesson!”
Jet Warbird’s customers range from current military pilots to ex-military pilots, Cherokee 140 drivers to airline captains. Salganek has even trained NASA astronauts to fly his classic jet warbirds.
Many of Salganek’s students are seeking a rating—the FAA’s Authorized Experimental Aircraft rating (AEA)—to fly a particular jet warbird. This rating replaces the Letter of Authorization previously required to fly these jets. The AEA is then added to one’s pilot’s license not unlike a multi-engine or seaplane rating.
Some students have such a great time getting their rating that they ask Salganek to find them a jet of their own. And, of course, he does that, too. Classic jet warbirds like those at the Jet Warbird Training Center are relatively abundant now and
certainly a bargain compared to their original cost.
Not that long ago, you had to enlist—or be drafted—to fly these jets; now you don’t even have to go to boot camp. Just send yourself to New Mexico and fly all the jet warbirds you want.
Lyn Freeman has been writing aviation articles since before John Glenn joined the Marines. He is the former editor of Plane & Pilot magazine, founder and current chairperson of the Build-a-Plane organization, a master scuba diver, a championship table tennis player and an all-around Renaissance man. Send questions or comments to editor@piperflyer.org.
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