The MiG-29 Fulcrum air superiority fighter had its first flight in 1977, becoming the last generation of Soviet-designed fighters. It was the Soviet Union’s answer to the General Dynamics F-16 Falcon, featuring two Klimov RD-33 afterburning turbofan engines for improved survivability. The MiG-29 was popular in the East, and the fighter appeared in the inventory of every former Soviet state and beyond.

While inially designed as an air combat plane, many MiG-29s have been configured as multirole aircraft, capable of performing a variety of combat missions. The aircraft are equipped with a range of air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles for precision targeting.

  • Length: 17.32 m (56 ft 10 in)
  • Wingspan: 11.36 m (37 ft 3 in)
  • Height: 4.73 m (15 ft 6 in)
  • Max takeoff weight: 18,000 kg (39,683 lb)
  • Fuel capacity: 3,500 kg (7,716 lb) internal
  • Powerplant: 2 × Klimov RD-33 afterburning turbofan engines, 49.42 kN (11,110 lbf) thrust each dry, 81.58 kN (18,340 lbf) with afterburner

So, what are the Soviet tactical fighter aircraft doing at Quincy Regional Airport (UIN) in Illinois? Right next to the 104 highway, about 20 miles east of the Mississippi River, the regional airport that serves Quincy has three sets of runways and is home to about 50 aircraft, according to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) data.

UIN doesn’t have a control tower, and general aviation pilots use a common traffic advisory frequency. The runways accommodate Southern Airways Express Cessna Caravans, which connect UIN with major hubs like Chicago O’Hare (ORD) and St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL). According to Quincy Regional Airport,

“Now connect to the world with fast, affordable daily round trip flights to both Chicago O’Hare International Airport and St. Louis Lambert International Airport. Enjoy free, and convenient baggage check-thru, short security lines, and free parking.”

Regardless of the airport offerings, Quincy is certainly not the place you would expect to find a MiG-29, let alone two.

Spare parts

The MiG-29s in question have been at UIN since 2010; they originally belonged to Air USA, which has since changed its name to Ravn Aerospace and is a defense contractor that provides simulated aggressor aircraft to train fighter pilots. The company has a long history of contracting and acquiring retired fighter aircraft for its inventory.

Two Slovak Air Force MiG-29s just after taking off.

Photo: SooS Jozef | Shutterstock

Ravn Aerospace actually has as many as four MiG-29 aircraft, and the aircraft at Quincy are not airworthy but kept as spare parts donors for the MiGs that the company does operate, Don Kirlin, founder of Air USA, tells Simple Flying. In addition to the MiG-29, Ravn Aerospace also keeps an inventory that includes a number of L-39 Albatros, BAE Systems Hawk 67s, Cessna T337 Turbo Super Sky Masters, Pilatus PC-9s, and Northrop F-5E Tiger IIs.

Kirlin himself helped transfer 87 tactical fighter jets. He made headlines in 2020 when Air USA announced plans to purchase as many as 46 F-18 Hornet fighters from the Royal Australian Air Force. That contract expired without the company taking delivery of those Hornets.

From the Kyrgyzstan Air Force

  • Maximum speed: Mach 2.3+, 2,450 km/h (1,520 mph, 1,320 kn) at high altitude
  • Range: 1,430 km (890 mi, 770 NM) with maximum internal fuel
  • Combat range: 700–900 km (430–560 mi, 380–490 NM) with 2 x R-27s, 4 x R-73s at high altitude
  • Ferry range: 2,100 km (1,300 mi, 1,100 NM) with 1× drop tank
  • Service ceiling: 18,000 m (59,000 ft)

Air USA was the first private owner of the MiG-29 in the United States and acquired the aircraft from the Kyrgyzstan Air Force. That air force sold the two fighters that are now at Quincy in 2005. Kirlin would first transport the fighters to Estonia, where they would be prepared for transfer to the United States.

An aerial view of Two Mig 29s parked at Quincy Airport.

Photo: Google Maps

While around 1,600 examples of the MiG-29 were built by the Soviet Union and then the Russian Federation, Kirlin says there are approximately five airworthy MiG-29 aircraft in the United States today. These aircraft consist of the two flyable units owned by Ravn Aerospace, along with other private examples that are on display.

Billionaire Jared Isaacman owns one of those airworthy MiG-29s. Isaacman has also started his own private defense contractor in Florida called Draken International, which, like Air USA, operates several aircraft for training missions in the US Air Force.

The closest MiG-29 aircraft to Quincy would be at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. Further than that, other aircraft on display can be found at Goodfellow Air Force Base in Texas or Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida.

A MiG-29K on an airfield apron.

Photo: JetKat | Shutterstock

Other airworthy MiG-29 fighters can be found for government use. The closest government to equip its air force with the MiG-29 is Cuba. Additionally, Peru also operates the fighter aircraft which it acquired from Belarus in 1996.

Back in Illinois, Quincy’s airport director, Chuck Miller, is hoping the MiG-29s find a home. Miller indicated that the MiG-29s were similar to other abandoned aircraft in facing problems with birds’ nests, and storing the fighters had created some difficulty for the local airport.

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