For sale: (One careful owner, sunroof, full service, history, and free airmiles)

3:41pm Wednesday 14th March 2007

FANCY yourself as a fighter pilot?

Now you could have the chance, after dozens of planes used for training at RAF Linton-on-Ouse went under the hammer in an eBay-style auction.

Thirty Tucano aircraft are being sold online through the Disposal Services Agency (DSA) - under the authority of the Ministry of Defence.

There are 55 of the planes currently in use at the airbase near York, where all the UK's fighter pilots are trained.

Many of the Tucanos for sale are not flight-worthy, having been cannibalised for spare parts by the RAF.

But The Press understands they are likely to cost less than a new Mercedes car, with useable planes going for several hundred thousand pounds.

Wing Commander Steve Gale said: "The Tucano is the aircraft used at Linton.

"With cost cuts, 70 of them are in long-term storage and we can use them for engineering parts so that if something goes wrong with one of our aircraft we take the part off one of those that is never going to be used again."

The batch of Tucanos for sale is some of 70 in long-term storage at RAF Shawbury, in Shropshire.

Eleven have already been sold to military enthusiasts and plane spotters, and there will now be two auctions of 15 aircraft each on the DSA's site www.edisposals.com

Wg Cdr Gale said the planes could easily be flown by an experienced civilian pilot.

He said: "The Tucano is the RAF's main training aircraft for fast jet pilots, including the Tornado, Harrier and Typhoon aircraft. Every one of those pilots trained at Linton-on-Ouse." The deadline for the online sale of the latest batch of Tucanos is 10am on March 30.

• The Tucanos are Brazilian-designed and manufactured in Belfast. They have a wingspan of 37ft and are 32ft 4ins long, with a maximum speed of 311mph. Each weighs 2,200kg and has a maximum take-off weight of 3,000kg.

Dutch aircrews head for base

AIRCRAFT from the Netherlands Air Force will be based at RAF Leeming over the next few weeks.

Residents have been warned about an increase in aircraft movement and night flying.

The Dutch detachment will be hosted at RAF Leeming between next Monday and Friday, and will include Cougar ad Chinook aircraft. In addition, 25(F) Squadron will be conducting night flying training on weekdays until April 6.

A spokesman said: "We understand our responsibility as good neighbours to inform the local community of such events that are additional to our normal flying activities and every effort will be made to keep the disturbance to a minimum."