Legendary Wyoming MiG's Are On The Move To Dubois Museum

For several decades now the airport in Casper, Wyoming has had two MiG trainers on display.

How did they end up in Wyoming?

They are the real deal, purchased from Poland at the end of the Cold War.

This week those planes were loaded up and on Thursday, 08/31/23, they were sent, by truck to the National Museum of Military Vehicles right here in Wyoming!

Wyoming's famous race aviator Jim Good imported those planes from the Polish airforce with his partner Bob Plamer as a shared owner.

The purchase price, including shipping, was about $33,000 each.

At the time the Polish military was replacing its old MiGs with American F-16 fighter planes.

The wings were taken off and they were loaded on a ship to America, then trucked to Wyoming.

That engine looks in great shape, doesn't it?

Well, it is.

Of the two planes, one was painted black with a red star on it while the other was kept silver.

The silver one had a chance to run down the Casper airport runway at 120 mph.

The plane lifted its nose gear but never took off.

Actually flying the plane without certification would have been illegal unless someone went through a load of government bureaucracy.

After 9/11, planes like this were not allowed to fly at all as they were considered a threat.

So, the two planes remained on display.

One rested inside hanger 1, the other sat outside.

So, where are these MiG's headed next?

Fearing they would be lost to time and the elements, the son of Jim Good (Ed Good) entered into a conversation with the National Museum of Military Vehicles in Dubois, Wyoming.

They asked how much he wanted for the planes.

Ed did not want any money.

He donated them.

The money saved will go toward total restoration.

So if you happened to see a couple of old, wingless, Migs being hauled toward Dubois on flatbeds, now you know why.

As soon as the restoration is done we will do a follow-up story.

I spoke with Ed today and we are planning a trip to the museum to see these planes restored to what they once looked like, back in Poland.