Jet fighter experience

[Pvapour]

Anyone have any recommendations?

looking to get one for my wife but have no idea apart from 'buyagift'

Ideally somewhere in france or mainland europe....


Cheers!

[IforB]

You'll struggle in Europe to be honest. The wonderful world of the JAA (Joint Aviation Authorities) means that commercially offering a jet experience is virtually impossible.

I'd suggest the US or Thunder City in South Africa.

http://www.thundercity.com/

[aeropilot]

IforB said:

You'll struggle in Europe to be honest.

Depends whether you include Russia as mainland Europe

http://www.flymig.com/

But, otherwise, as said ThunderCity at Cape Town is your best bet. Not even sure you'd get one arrnaged in the USA to be honest.

[IforB]

Hmm, not sure if I do to be honest!

The ex-Eastern Bloc states are about the only places other than US and SA where you can get a ride in something with afterburners.

I can't remember where it is, but there is place in the States that does rides in ex-mil jets. I'm blowed if I can remember the name though.

[aeropilot]

IforB said:

Hmm, not sure if I do to be honest!

The ex-Eastern Bloc states are about the only places other than US and SA where you can get a ride in something with afterburners.

I can't remember where it is, but there is place in the States that does rides in ex-mil jets. I'm blowed if I can remember the name though.

ThunderCity and the ex-Soviet Bloc are indeed the only places you can fly in a ex-mil front line combat jet.

You can get jet trainer flights in the USA, there's a few places that offer rides in ex-Soviet L-39 basic jet trainers, but not ex-mil front line combat stuff.

[IforB]

Hmm, I'll have to look it up, but you may well be right. I think I read about the "MiG experience" in Las Vegas, but as you say, it's in an L-39, which is a lovely aircraft, but it's hardly a MiG 29 or Lightning.

You can get a ride in a MiG 15 in Oz, but when I was out there last they were mired in attention from CASA and the aircraft were parked up next to our hangar.

[aeropilot]

IforB said:

Hmm, I'll have to look it up, but you may well be right. I think I read about the "MiG experience" in Las Vegas, but as you say, it's in an L-39, which is a lovely aircraft, but it's hardly a MiG 29 or Lightning.

Aah yes, the infamous Las Vegas Mig-39 flight experience

Yup, it was a L-39 trainer, which of course isn't even a Mig.

IforB said:

You can get a ride in a MiG 15 in Oz, but when I was out there last they were mired in attention from CASA and the aircraft were parked up next to our hangar.

There used to be a place out in Aus that offered flights in a two-seat Hunter IIRC, but I think that may have stopped now as well. I think that Strikemaster incident out there a while back has had an effect on these operations.

It wasn't that long ago when you could buy a flight in one of Delta Jets two-seat Hunters here in the UK, again all stopped now.

[CobolMan]

To OP - if you can't get the genuine article how about this?

http://www.realsimulation.co.uk/index.php

Mrs C got me an hour in the F4 and I didn't crash it once (much to her disgust).

[Glosphil]

I thouight there was a company at Exeter offering flights in a 2-seater Hunter - sometimes also flew from Kemble. To make it legal they sold you a share in the aircraft and then bought the share back after the flight?

Photoes and videos on their web-site which I can't now find.

[eharding]

Glosphil said:

To make it legal they sold you a share in the aircraft and then bought the share back after the flight?

Photoes and videos on their web-site which I can't now find.

The latter experience being directly a result of the former assertion not being quite as watertight as a few people thought.

To be honest, it was always a slightly dodgy proposition, and if the CAA had continued to turn a blind eye it made a precedent for all sorts of abuse of the ANO, by people far less capable and professional than the Hunter outfits and Exeter and Kemble, and advertising the arrangement on the Web was just asking for trouble.

For the OP - unless his wife has tried something of the sort already, I'd suggest he buys her a trip in an Extra 300 as a warm up - professional, legal operations at Kemble, Sywell, White Waltham, Sherburn-in-Elmet and a few others; far more aerobatic than any of the jets mentioned above, in South Africa or anywhere else, and arguably more robust. If you ask nicely, its trivial to show a punter what 9g feels like in the Extra (although a competent operator will take into account the reaction from the front seat at lower load factors first). Ask for that in any of the vintage jets on offer, and they'll just laugh at you.

Edited by eharding on Wednesday 30th September 00:12

[MarkK]

http://www.deltajets.com/

Friend of mine flew in a Hunter with the above and highly recommends them.

[Pvapour]

thanks for all the suggestions, I guess a jet FIGHTER is not completely necesary, just thought it would be the most G intoxicating experience, are we saying that an Acrobatic flight in something top end would pull the same sort of G but if it were to much she could ask them to turn it down a bit, had an email from someone with a special offer on the l-39 in russia which works out about £1200 for an hour.

I'm not bothered about the Jet Fighter bragging rights TBO but she is a 'G' junkie so want to be sure she gets max effect

[Glosphil]

DeltaJets, mentioned by Markk, appear to still be offering flights in a Hunter "from £1,950".

[aeropilot]

Pvapour said:

thanks for all the suggestions, I guess a jet FIGHTER is not completely necesary, just thought it would be the most G intoxicating experience, are we saying that an Acrobatic flight in something top end would pull the same sort of G but if it were to much she could ask them to turn it down a bit, had an email from someone with a special offer on the l-39 in russia which works out about £1200 for an hour.

I'm not bothered about the Jet Fighter bragging rights TBO but she is a 'G' junkie so want to be sure she gets max effect

In that case, if she's a 'G' junkie, as suggested, the aerobatic flight is a way better bet than a jet, much more 'G' in an Extra etc.
Unless you stump up serious wedge for a MiG-29 or Su-27 flight in Russia, you won't come close in a L-39.

[IforB]

As Aero and Ed mention, if she's after "G", then send her off to Ultimate High or somewhere else that does aerobatic experiences in something like an Extra.

It'll cost you a darn sight less too.

[JW911]

Another recommendation for UH. Or find a mate with a Pitts. Unfortunately, eharding's only has one seat so she'll have to learn as she goes along!

[Lefty Guns]

Pvapour said:

Anyone have any recommendations?

looking to get one for my wife but have no idea apart from 'buyagift'

Ideally somewhere in france or mainland europe....


Cheers!

I think there's a Ph'er who owns a share in a JP, I'm sure if you bunged him some cash for the FUEL and gave him some beer tokens he may help you out.


Edited for the pedants...

Edited by Lefty Guns on Friday 2nd October 13:52

[IforB]

I hope you wouldn;t expect him to put avgas in it. He might end up with a bit of a bill afterwards.

[aeropilot]

IforB said:

I hope you wouldn;t expect him to put avgas in it. He might end up with a bit of a bill afterwards.

[Lefty Guns]