Aerobatics and Combat School flying

TangoWhiskey

TangoWhiskey

Touchdown! Greaser!
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3Green
My brother is proposing taking me and him to this two-day "fighter school" combat air adventure thing:

http://www.fightercombat.com/Aerobatics-combination-adventure.html

EDIT: Their site won't take you straight to this link for some reason; it goes back to the homepage. Go to Acrobatics \ Combo Adventure for the package he's looking at. Seems expensive for the amount of flight time.

Anybody have feedback on this particular outfit, or others? I'm glad to see they are using Extra 300's. I'd be nervous if they were using the Beech T-34's that have been plagued by spar fatigue failures.

I told him I'd ask here for feedback / ideas / suggestions.
 
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They have a good reputation and used to offer upset recovery training but I'm not sure what happen there. It's no longer listed on their web site.
 
I was based next door to them at Gateway. It's a great operation. Their pilots are all former military aviators, their mx is great (as best as I could tell), and their facilities are beautiful. I never got to take a ride with them, but I talked with them (and got buzzed by them) quite a few times, and it seems like a good operation. The restaurant at Gateway is really good too, and nothing beats flying off 3 parallel 10,000 foot runways!
 
Seems to me the price point might be more attractive and the concept more exciting to a non-pilot. I'd rather go for a ride in the museum T-6 for a fourth of the dough.

TangoWhiskey said:
My brother is proposing taking me and him to this two-day "fighter school" combat air adventure thing:

http://www.fightercombat.com/Aerobatics-combination-adventure.html

EDIT: Their site won't take you straight to this link for some reason; it goes back to the homepage. Go to Acrobatics \ Combo Adventure for the package he's looking at. Seems expensive for the amount of flight time.

Anybody have feedback on this particular outfit, or others? I'm glad to see they are using Extra 300's. I'd be nervous if they were using the Beech T-34's that have been plagued by spar fatigue failures.

I told him I'd ask here for feedback / ideas / suggestions.
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Well, guys, thanks for the positive reviews!! Seeing as I've never been upside down in an airplane, or spun one, I'm looking forward to this. I'll pass the info along!
 
Never turn down a flying op!
I would pin them down on the flight time. One says, "up to 1.75 hrs" and another part does not specify a flight time. For that kinda money it ought to be minimum x hours.

Take sicsacs!
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
Never turn down a flying op!
I would pin them down on the flight time. One says, "up to 1.75 hrs" and another part does not specify a flight time. For that kinda money it ought to be minimum x hours.
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Agreed!!!

Let'sgoflying! said:
Take sicsacs!
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Looks like they provide those, too! (For that kinda money, they should!) From one of the testimonials on the site from a former customer:

We strap in and ratchet down…seat belts with ratchets…I start to think of why you might need a ratchet…. I’m up front with only the basics – stick (with trigger), throttle, airspeed indicator and altimeter and the HUD….oh yeah, and a pile of “Boarding Passes” (airsick bags). A little sparse, but considering you never look at anything inside the cockpit when fighting, more than adequate.
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I wouldn't be too worried about getting all the flight time you can stand - especially if you aren't somewhat acclimated to the sensations of aerobatic flight. It'll be like drinking from a fire hose. You'll get some in your mouth but a lot of it is going to blow past your head, with force. If the instructors are on your side, they'll make sure you know exactly what to expect and how it'll feel before it happens. They'll keep your attention and your eyes in the right place and you'll be fine - right up to the point that you're not. The most important advice I can give you is to not push it past that point that you first start to feel it. It goes from "just a little queezy" to filling the second sick sack in no time at all.

I'm sure there are pilots that come in there thinking they're all "right stuff." I can most assuredly inform you that if they want to, they can make you will not want more than about 10 minutes in the air. There are hot snot, state of the art, fly-by-wire, G-suit wearing, jet jocks that can be made to blow in a short flight in one of these aircraft. All you have to do is leave no time between maneuvers for you to process it and recover mentally and physically and you'll be toast.

These guys don't make a living by disappointing their customers. They'll work with you to get you the best experience they can based upon your fire hose capacity.
 
I can't wait!! Even more motivation now to stick with the exercise/good diet program I've been keeping.
 
wabower said:
Seems to me the price point might be more attractive and the concept more exciting to a non-pilot. I'd rather go for a ride in the museum T-6 for a fourth of the dough.
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Well, I dunno. It does seem steep at first look, but I'd figure $500/hr for dual would give them a decent margin, so $875 for 1.75 hours of flying. Add in, say 14 hours of ground at $50/hr = $700 if this thing's really taking two whole days, and you're pretty much at their price.

What it will be is FUN!!! Go for it Troy, and have a blast. And ask your brother if he wants to adopt more brothers. :D
 
Seems to me that a friendly sibling wager re who hurls first and farthest would be appropriate.

"What's the matter, weak stomach?"

"Hell no, I'm throwing it as far as anybody."

TangoWhiskey said:
I will!!



I knew SOMEBODY on this thread would say that at some point! :) He's pretty cool that way.
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