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Live From...
F/A-18 for Auction on eBay
Aired February 12, 2004 - 14:40 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Now, the LIVE FROM... bargain of the week. An $18 million U.S. fighter jet on the block for $1 million and change. It's an F/A-18 Hornet that once belong to the Navy's elite Blue Angles. Today it's a big ticket item on eBay, where else?, receiving 50,000 hits in two days.
We get the 411 first from the broker handling the sale. Mike Landa joins us on the phone from Arlington, Virginia. Then we're going to get on the phone with former Blue Angel pilot Andy Caputi. He's in Pensacola, Florida.
Mike, let's start with you. Tell me how -- you are brokering this deal. How did the owner get the aircraft?
MIKE LANDA, LANDA & ASSOCIATES: I am not sure. He got it through the legal process, through the government.
PHILLIPS: So it's -- you have definitely confirmed it's legal and he got it from the government?
LANDA: Yes.
PHILLIPS: And how are you selling this aircraft? Does it come all together? Is it in boxes?
LANDA: The aircraft is basically disassembled for shipment so it can be either put on a container and shipped to somebody here in the U.S. or shipped by a truck.
PHILLIPS: How do you know you have all the parts, Mike?
LANDA: The gentleman assures me he has all the parts for it.
PHILLIPS: Now I've got to tell you, the Navy is telling us that the resale of these aircraft is prohibited and that Navy officials right now are aware of this auction and are looking into the matter. Does that concern you at all?
LANDA: No. The owner of the aircraft went through the same procedure when he was taking delivery of the aircraft. They wanted to stop him from taking delivery of it. And the paperwork had already been finished and the FBI was there and the FAA was there.
And at that time the FAA had looked at the paperwork and said this belongs to this gentleman now, and at that time issued him a number for the aircraft. PHILLIPS: It's registered with the FAA?
LANDA: Correct.
PHILLIPS: So as you go forward and plan on selling this, are you doing background checks on the buyers?
LANDA: We'll be going through the appropriate sources to make sure that it's going to a U.S. buyer.
PHILLIPS: Has the aircraft been demilitarized? Do you know if all of the classified parts and intricacies have been taken out of the jet?
LANDA: The aircraft does not have the radios. Other than that, it's not demilled. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) normally demilled, they will take and cut the wings and cut fuselage so the aircraft cannot be serviceable.
PHILLIPS: So you're saying it has bomb rack and drop tanks and pylons. But Blue Angels say, hey, we don't fly with those parts on the aircraft. Did you add those in the boxes of parts?
LANDA: The owner is providing drop tanks, pylons and bomb rack for them. He's got three or four of each just as additional accessories and a spare engine.
PHILLIPS: Are you doing background checks on potential buyers?
LANDA: Oh, yes.
PHILLIPS: So are you worried this could be a threat?
LANDA: No, not at all. A private collector in the United States will buy it. And we have an opportunity -- the current owner of the aircraft, has an opportunity to lease the aircraft back to the government to do some photography work.
So it's an opportunity for somebody to own an F-18. And the government will maintain it and pay by the hour to use the aircraft (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
PHILLIPS: Do you know how much the owner bought the aircraft for?
LANDA: No, I don't.
PHILLIPS: All right. Mike Landa, we're going to follow the sale. I know that you brokered a lot of deals on eBay. This ought to be an interesting one. We're going to follow up on the story. We appreciate you giving us some time.
Also on the phone with us, former Blue Angel Andy Caputi. He's in Pensacola, Florida. Now, Andy, you know what a great aircraft this is. Does this surprise you, first of all, that it's on sale on eBay? ANDY CAPUTI, FRM. BLUE ANGEL PILOT: Well, Kyra, I'm mildly surprised that it is up for auction on eBay. I learned about it the same way many did, in a news article here today in "The Pensacola News Journal."
I think the unique nature of the offering is not necessarily the aircraft type or the fact that it is an F-18, but more so the paint scheme and the origin of the aircraft.
PHILLIPS: I mean is this something that should remain sacred? And once a jet is retired, it should stay retired, be in a museum? Do you think that a civilian should own an aircraft like this?
CAPUTI: Well, speaking as a former Blue Angel -- and I bought a Blue Angel aircraft -- I would definitely say that part of the bargain would be sacred to me. Military aircraft oftentimes, many times, make their way into the civilian population and fly again.
PHILLIPS: Andy, would it be safe to have an aircraft like this airborne with a civilian at the throttle?
CAPUTI: Well, it takes a lot of practice to be able to handle one of those kind of aircraft. The fact it would eventually make its way to be a weapons platform or anything of that nature I think is fairly farfetched just given the Blue Angels don't fly, if you will, weapons platforms.
The planes have basically been stripped before the team uses them and now the fact that this aircraft is in its present condition in boxes and will fly again somehow as an armed aircraft is highly remote.
PHILLIPS: Yes. Is it says here on the eBay site that some assembly is required. I guess you have to sort of chuckle when you hear that.
CAPUTI: Well, I think so. I think it probably exceeds the capabilities of the home shop and handyman. So I doubt, unless they bring it back to the Blue Angel maintenance team, who's the best in the world, and get them to rebuild it, I think the likelihood that the aircraft will fly again is remote.
PHILLIPS: Well we're going to follow this, see how much it does sell for, if indeed it sells. We'll follow the investigation the Navy's doing.
Andy Caputi, thank you so much.
CAPUTI: You bet, Kyra. I want to pass the hat and see if we can get together a million bucks. I'd like to fly.
PHILLIPS: There you go. We could make some money. Maybe sell some rides.
CAPUTI: You bet.
PHILLIPS: All in safety, the word of safety.
CAPUTI: And I'll be the pilot.
PHILLIPS: You got a deal, Andy.
CAPUTI: Good bye.
PHILLIPS: See you later. Oh boy.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired February 12, 2004 - 14:40 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Now, the LIVE FROM... bargain of the week. An $18 million U.S. fighter jet on the block for $1 million and change. It's an F/A-18 Hornet that once belong to the Navy's elite Blue Angles. Today it's a big ticket item on eBay, where else?, receiving 50,000 hits in two days.
We get the 411 first from the broker handling the sale. Mike Landa joins us on the phone from Arlington, Virginia. Then we're going to get on the phone with former Blue Angel pilot Andy Caputi. He's in Pensacola, Florida.
Mike, let's start with you. Tell me how -- you are brokering this deal. How did the owner get the aircraft?
MIKE LANDA, LANDA & ASSOCIATES: I am not sure. He got it through the legal process, through the government.
PHILLIPS: So it's -- you have definitely confirmed it's legal and he got it from the government?
LANDA: Yes.
PHILLIPS: And how are you selling this aircraft? Does it come all together? Is it in boxes?
LANDA: The aircraft is basically disassembled for shipment so it can be either put on a container and shipped to somebody here in the U.S. or shipped by a truck.
PHILLIPS: How do you know you have all the parts, Mike?
LANDA: The gentleman assures me he has all the parts for it.
PHILLIPS: Now I've got to tell you, the Navy is telling us that the resale of these aircraft is prohibited and that Navy officials right now are aware of this auction and are looking into the matter. Does that concern you at all?
LANDA: No. The owner of the aircraft went through the same procedure when he was taking delivery of the aircraft. They wanted to stop him from taking delivery of it. And the paperwork had already been finished and the FBI was there and the FAA was there.
And at that time the FAA had looked at the paperwork and said this belongs to this gentleman now, and at that time issued him a number for the aircraft. PHILLIPS: It's registered with the FAA?
LANDA: Correct.
PHILLIPS: So as you go forward and plan on selling this, are you doing background checks on the buyers?
LANDA: We'll be going through the appropriate sources to make sure that it's going to a U.S. buyer.
PHILLIPS: Has the aircraft been demilitarized? Do you know if all of the classified parts and intricacies have been taken out of the jet?
LANDA: The aircraft does not have the radios. Other than that, it's not demilled. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) normally demilled, they will take and cut the wings and cut fuselage so the aircraft cannot be serviceable.
PHILLIPS: So you're saying it has bomb rack and drop tanks and pylons. But Blue Angels say, hey, we don't fly with those parts on the aircraft. Did you add those in the boxes of parts?
LANDA: The owner is providing drop tanks, pylons and bomb rack for them. He's got three or four of each just as additional accessories and a spare engine.
PHILLIPS: Are you doing background checks on potential buyers?
LANDA: Oh, yes.
PHILLIPS: So are you worried this could be a threat?
LANDA: No, not at all. A private collector in the United States will buy it. And we have an opportunity -- the current owner of the aircraft, has an opportunity to lease the aircraft back to the government to do some photography work.
So it's an opportunity for somebody to own an F-18. And the government will maintain it and pay by the hour to use the aircraft (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
PHILLIPS: Do you know how much the owner bought the aircraft for?
LANDA: No, I don't.
PHILLIPS: All right. Mike Landa, we're going to follow the sale. I know that you brokered a lot of deals on eBay. This ought to be an interesting one. We're going to follow up on the story. We appreciate you giving us some time.
Also on the phone with us, former Blue Angel Andy Caputi. He's in Pensacola, Florida. Now, Andy, you know what a great aircraft this is. Does this surprise you, first of all, that it's on sale on eBay? ANDY CAPUTI, FRM. BLUE ANGEL PILOT: Well, Kyra, I'm mildly surprised that it is up for auction on eBay. I learned about it the same way many did, in a news article here today in "The Pensacola News Journal."
I think the unique nature of the offering is not necessarily the aircraft type or the fact that it is an F-18, but more so the paint scheme and the origin of the aircraft.
PHILLIPS: I mean is this something that should remain sacred? And once a jet is retired, it should stay retired, be in a museum? Do you think that a civilian should own an aircraft like this?
CAPUTI: Well, speaking as a former Blue Angel -- and I bought a Blue Angel aircraft -- I would definitely say that part of the bargain would be sacred to me. Military aircraft oftentimes, many times, make their way into the civilian population and fly again.
PHILLIPS: Andy, would it be safe to have an aircraft like this airborne with a civilian at the throttle?
CAPUTI: Well, it takes a lot of practice to be able to handle one of those kind of aircraft. The fact it would eventually make its way to be a weapons platform or anything of that nature I think is fairly farfetched just given the Blue Angels don't fly, if you will, weapons platforms.
The planes have basically been stripped before the team uses them and now the fact that this aircraft is in its present condition in boxes and will fly again somehow as an armed aircraft is highly remote.
PHILLIPS: Yes. Is it says here on the eBay site that some assembly is required. I guess you have to sort of chuckle when you hear that.
CAPUTI: Well, I think so. I think it probably exceeds the capabilities of the home shop and handyman. So I doubt, unless they bring it back to the Blue Angel maintenance team, who's the best in the world, and get them to rebuild it, I think the likelihood that the aircraft will fly again is remote.
PHILLIPS: Well we're going to follow this, see how much it does sell for, if indeed it sells. We'll follow the investigation the Navy's doing.
Andy Caputi, thank you so much.
CAPUTI: You bet, Kyra. I want to pass the hat and see if we can get together a million bucks. I'd like to fly.
PHILLIPS: There you go. We could make some money. Maybe sell some rides.
CAPUTI: You bet.
PHILLIPS: All in safety, the word of safety.
CAPUTI: And I'll be the pilot.
PHILLIPS: You got a deal, Andy.
CAPUTI: Good bye.
PHILLIPS: See you later. Oh boy.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
