GREGG COUNTY, Texas (KLTV) – Two pieces of history have been brought to a hanger near the East Texas Regional Airport to be overhauled and restored for future flights.

The two MIG-23 fighter jets are just a few of 15 MIG-23′s that were in storage in Borger, Texas, a city in the Texas Panhandle. They arrived at their destination after a seven-hour drive.

Dan Filer, with Unknown Aircraft Company, said these jets designed and produced in the former Soviet Union can fly at speeds of up to Mach 2.35. He also said there is another one they own at a hanger in Gregg County that is flyable.

“These two were used in the Polish Air Force. The other one that I have here at the airport was used in the former Czech Republic. We have a total of eight airplanes that will be up and flying over the next few years. We are starting with these two right here. We have two more in Lakeland, Florida that we are doing the same thing. We built new maintenance hangers and doing a overall on them. So they are coming to an air show near you,” Filer said.

Filer says they were encouraged after they put some fuel in the planes and their engines fired up with no problems after being in storage for so long. They will be opening up other panels and going more in-depth on the planes. He said they are hoping to have both of these planes up and flying again by next year.

Written by Arthur Clayborn and Christian Terry