Warbird Information Exchange

What is the chances of this infamous and big time nasty law ever coming back into effect in the usa?

Could a future govt really enforce such a law?

I would highly doubt it because the sitting government would face a massive backlash and loose voters and be slapped in the face..

Then again im a aussie and it is the usa i am mentioningand many weird things happen in usa with laws and regulations..

So does anyone know better? or was it put to rest last year or year before?

It seems to come up occasionally, as part of a military appropriations bill. So far we have shot it down twice IIRC in the last 4 years. I didn't follow too closely until they tried to take my plane away.

The words "My cold dead hands come to mind"

My plane
My propery
My Gun
My God

All are under attack by

My GOVERNMENT.


11/7/06 will tell how this goes. A relatively conservative Supreme Court alread ruled inthe Kilo case to take private proprety.


The rest will soon follow.

Oscar Duece, its actually been stopped 3 times. It was never a law, always proposed legislation that was part of the DoD Authorization bill. We've been able to kill it in committee twice after it was voted on by one house or the other. The last time the House Armed Services Committee stripped it out of the languange sent to them by DoD. They were told not to include it in the future by the current majority party.

It comes from certain offices in the DoD who are trying to legislate job performance within the DRMO system. The problem is that if given the authority to sieze significant military equipment without compensation to the legal owner they are going against several Constitutional issues.

It goes way beyond the siezure of a bunch of old surplus stuff.

I'll take the devil's advocate position on this one.

I really wouldn't worry about the seizing and demilling, The GOVT is all too familiar with "takings" of property and how to do it so it sticks.

Lets just say they regulate warbirds like they do Class 3 weapons (machine guns). Limited transfers with govt approval, pay a tax to transfer the warbird (The tax stamp to transfer a machiengun was based on the retail price of a Colt Thompson in 1921 (thompson cost $200 stamp is $200) at $200 a transfer; now a WARBIRD tax stamp might just be $2.4mill which is the highest asking price I know of for a P-51). SO buy the bird and write the govt another check for $2.4million dollars too. Of course you also need a signoff for a buzzgun from your local Chief law enforcement officer, some of whom simply do not sign for them, hence no machinegun. You may need a signoff from your local FAA, County Commissioners, Airport Authority, etc, some of whom may not want to chance having a Mustang crash in their neighborhood and don't want it on the field. So even if you have the money, no warbird.

Of I hope you understand the tax is fixed irrespective of the value of the airplane. So the tax on a $60k L-19 or a $3mill Bearcat is still $2.4million. The planes a the low end will become basically worthless. (in machineguns the tax is $200 on a $100 silencer or a $60,000 Colt Thompson, so the lower end its much higher)

Of course they could simply regulate how and when you fly it, maybe with supervision and approval in advance (maybe 6 months in advance) from the FAA; maybe a FAA guy in the back seat. If he doesn't want to fly it or doesn't think you should fly it, it sits on the ground. Maybe you'll have to pay for an escort from the USAF in case you decide to attack a USA target with that P-51. So you get to pay $10,000 an hour to have an armed F-16 follow you on the flight.

Maybe no airshows, no crowds around, you'll be in Rachel NV flying it, only 15 people in 30 miles. No other traffic allowed in the area. (pretty much limits formation flying)

Maybe they feel nobody should fly them since they are all valuable historical artifacts and all should be grounded. You can still own it, just not fly it.

It would probably not take a national security threat to have this happen. Lose a MIG into the crowd at a show and see how fast Congress see that ex-military birds are grounded. Its AMAZING what happens when they figure out that they can get a few votes by saving people from a T-6 crashing into their town.

The possibilities are endless. It just depends on who is in the White House (remember the Republicans want to protect the "slave middle class" so don't depend on them) Also comparably few people are interested in saving your warbirds from OUR govt.

As far as money compensation for loss of being able to fly the bird you just bought, its like musical chairs, the last one holding the plane is holding the bag too.

Remember THESE ARE THE GOOD OLD DAYS

Mark H

PS: I was a lawyer for 17 years, I DO understand how the Govt works and thinks and know what they can do when they want to get you. I hope this never happens.

I'll take the devil's advocate position on this one.

I really wouldn't worry about the seizing and demilling, The GOVT is all too familiar with "takings" of property and how to do it so it sticks.

Lets just say they regulate warbirds like they do Class 3 weapons (machine guns). Limited transfers with govt approval, pay a tax to transfer the warbird (The tax stamp to transfer a machiengun was based on the retail price of a Colt Thompson in 1921 (thompson cost $200 stamp is $200) at $200 a transfer; now a WARBIRD tax stamp might just be $2.4mill which is the highest asking price I know of for a P-51). SO buy the bird and write the govt another check for $2.4million dollars too. Of course you also need a signoff for a buzzgun from your local Chief law enforcement officer, some of whom simply do not sign for them, hence no machinegun. You may need a signoff from your local FAA, County Commissioners, Airport Authority, etc, some of whom may not want to chance having a Mustang crash in their neighborhood and don't want it on the field. So even if you have the money, no warbird.

Of I hope you understand the tax is fixed irrespective of the value of the airplane. So the tax on a $60k L-19 or a $3mill Bearcat is still $2.4million. The planes a the low end will become basically worthless. (in machineguns the tax is $200 on a $100 silencer or a $60,000 Colt Thompson, so the lower end its much higher)

Of course they could simply regulate how and when you fly it, maybe with supervision and approval in advance (maybe 6 months in advance) from the FAA; maybe a FAA guy in the back seat. If he doesn't want to fly it or doesn't think you should fly it, it sits on the ground. Maybe you'll have to pay for an escort from the USAF in case you decide to attack a USA target with that P-51. So you get to pay $10,000 an hour to have an armed F-16 follow you on the flight.

Maybe no airshows, no crowds around, you'll be in Rachel NV flying it, only 15 people in 30 miles. No other traffic allowed in the area. (pretty much limits formation flying)

Maybe they feel nobody should fly them since they are all valuable historical artifacts and all should be grounded. You can still own it, just not fly it.

It would probably not take a national security threat to have this happen. Lose a MIG into the crowd at a show and see how fast Congress see that ex-military birds are grounded. Its AMAZING what happens when they figure out that they can get a few votes by saving people from a T-6 crashing into their town.

The possibilities are endless. It just depends on who is in the White House (remember the Republicans want to protect the "slave middle class" so don't depend on them) Also comparably few people are interested in saving your warbirds from OUR govt.

As far as money compensation for loss of being able to fly the bird you just bought, its like musical chairs, the last one holding the plane is holding the bag too.

Remember THESE ARE THE GOOD OLD DAYS

Mark H

PS: I was a lawyer for 17 years, I DO understand how the Govt works and thinks and know what they can do when they want to get you. I hope this never happens.

PS: I was a lawyer for 17 years, I DO understand how the Govt works and thinks and know what they can do when they want to get you. I hope this never happens.

The lawyers seem to be helping this happen, especially in the Supreme Court.

The ACLU loves the terrorists at Gitmo (there is a 4:1 ratio of lawyers to terrorists there from the last I read), and battling the 10 Commandments, but is not raising a hand to fight the loss of property to the Gov't .