(Click on
photos to enlarge)
Greg prepares for
flight in the L-39
Greg and Ildus Kiramov
Greg and the MiG-25
Caroline
Suiting Up
Caroline in the L-39 cockpit
MiG-25 takes off
Sightseeing in Moscow
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Until recently, my dream of flying a jet fighter in Moscow
was exactly that.just a dream. As Director of Sales of Incredible
Adventures, I'd spent more than five years offering my clients
the opportunity to fly a jet fighter in Moscow, yet I'd never
had the opportunity to complete the adventure myself. Like many
people, I always felt I was too busy to leave the US for a week.
My clients would return saying how great the pilots and crew
were in Moscow. I would hear all of the great memories of climbing
to the "Edge of Space" in the MiG-25, doing a vertical
climb in the MiG-29 at 60,000 feet/minute, or completing an
all out aerobatic sortie in the nifty L-39 jet trainer.
I'm happy to say that this changed for me Easter Week 2001!
My dream of flying with a famous Russian Test Pilot finally
became a reality. I can't believe I waited so long to fly! I
flew with Ildus Kiramov, Chief of the Light Aircraft Division
at Zhukovsky Air Base and one of the most honored pilots in
Russia. He took me through a series of maneuvers like I have
never experienced before. I pulled five and a half g's as we
performed Immelmans, Hammerheads, Loops, Rolls and my favorite
the Tail Slide. After each maneuver Ildus would ask, "Are
you ok"? My response every time would emphatically be,
"Lets do it again"!
Before landing we did a traditional low pass for the video
camera so that my "Incredible Dream" would last forever.
After landing my only response was "Wow, I can't wait to
do this again!" This was by far the most incredible and
adrenaline-pumping adventure I have ever experienced.
If you'd like to hear more about my trip to Russia, give me
a call at 800-644-7382 or send me an email.
Other Adventures Greg has completed: Low-level Buccaneer flight
in Cape Town; T-33 jet program in California; Offshore Rockets
program; Covert Ops Fantasy Spy Camp; European Rally School.
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