To Infinity… and Beyond!
Flying. Sitting in the cockpit, stick-and-rudder, bandits, 12 o’clock high. Top Gun. Cool nicknames. Roger that. I have to believe the desire to be not only a pilot, but a fighter pilot, is just about universal. Reality interferes with the vast majority of us pursuing that dream as a way of life for one reason or another, and the cost of pursuing it as a hobby keeps many more of us from learning.
But even if you weren’t born with perfect vision and Chuck Yeager reflexes, you can get a taste of the need for speed-if you have the cash. Your pilot slot is waiting.
For as little as $600, you can head off to Air Combat School in Arizona. You take off in a prop-driven aerobatic stunt plane fitted out with cameras to record the battle, along with simulated guns, smoke generators to add realism when you get hit, and sound effects to add to the experience. Oh, and a real pilot to show you what to do.
For a more authentic, retro experience, Barnstorming Adventures in San Diego is one of many outfits around the country that will take you up in a vintage WWII North American SNJ-4 Texan. That sets you back about $500 or so, more if you get some of the options. If you have more discriminating tastes and deeper pockets, Stallion 51 in Kissimmee, Florida will take you up in the classic P-51 Mustang, and Mile High Skyrides in Boulder, Colorado will take you up in the classic British fighter, the Supermarine Spitfire. Prices for these classics run about two to three thousand dollars.
Prop planes not enough? Get out the checkbook and head to Moscow. There are a number of outfits that will be more than happy to set you up in a ride with an active duty Mig-27 or Mig-29. among others. Prices at Flymig.com start at about $10,000, assuming you’ve already gotten yourself to Moscow, and there are a variety of packages that combine hotels, tours, and multiple flights.
If the sky is not the limit, the let the Russians take you to space. For a total of somewhere between 15 and 25 million dollars (they can’t be sure) you can sign up for an actual Orbital Space Flight. This is no taxi ride; you sign up for a full medical evaluation and training program, with no guarantee that you’ll graduate. Don’t worry, though, if you wash out, they’ll return any unused portion of your 20 million bucks.
If you can wait, Virgin Galactic says they can get you to space by 2009 for a paltry $200,000, with only $20,000 required downpayment now.
However, if you want to make sure you make your flight, I suggest you get ready soon. The TSA security line takes forever.
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