(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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