Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21U at White Gum Farm Airstrip – 13 February 2016

13 February 2016 © David Eyre (photos by Andrew Cotterell)

On 4 February 2016, local pilot Adrian Deeth trucked his former Egyptian Air Force Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21U, N423LZ, from Perth to White Gum Farm Airstrip, near York, Western Australia.

Mr Deeth said that he will restore the aircraft in proper Egyptian Air Force camouflage and markings.

He intends to seek regulatory approval to use the aircraft on aerobatic and supersonic adventure flights.

This is also subject to gaining permission to operate in a military restricted airspace zone over the sea 40 miles west of Rottnest Island, off the coast of Perth, to minimise the risk of sonic booms affecting Perth.

Mr Deeth is the CEO and founder of FiFo Airfreight Pty Ltd. The company was was established in 2013 to operate heavy air freight services to regional areas of Western Australia, mainly in support of the resources industry, using a Lockheed L-100 (C-130) Hercules. Unfortunately, there was a downturn in the resources industry and these plans seem to be on hold for now.

History of MiG-21U N423LZ:

N423LZ Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21U (type 66-600) (MSN yet to be confirmed – either 665068 or 664318) owned by Adrian Deeth

• Built in Moscow, Soviet Union in late 1966 as a MiG-21U (type 66-600).
• Disassembled for export to Egypt and reassembled there in 1967.
• 1967 to 1983: operated  by the Egyptian Air Force with serial number 5068 (could be 5608). Only accrued 400 hours flying time, then stored.
• 1991: Shipped to USA (unarmed), for use in airshows
• 18 May 1994: Certificate of airworthiness for NR4318W issued. Based at Tulsa, Oklahoma.
• 1998: Withdrawn from use, only 8 flying hours after receiving a new Tumansky R-11F-300 jet engine in 1997.
• 16 July 2003: To Onesource Financial Holdings LLC, Newark, DE, reregistered N4318W.
• 13 December 2010: To Camelot Aviation LLC, Wilmington, DE reregistered as N423LZ (registered as a MIG-21UM, but it is a MiG-21U).
• ?? Sold to Adrian Deeth. Exported to Australia and stored dismantled in a quarantine facility at Bibra Lake, in the southern suburbs of Perth, Western Australia. Noted there in September 2014.
• 4 February 2016: Trucked dismantled from Perth to White Gum Farm Airstrip, near York, Western Australia. To be restored in proper Egyptian Air Force camouflage.

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