The Blue Angels is one of the most famous flying formations in the world. But did you know there is one seat available at each display ? It is indeed possible to fly with the Blue Angels, in the plane number 7. This is an extraordinary flying experience as you get to fly in the F-18 Hornet, but also with some of the best pilots in the world. The Blue Angels is the oldest flying squad in the world. It started in 1946 and is today one of the most active flying squadron, with 70 displays each year in the USA. The purpose of the Blue Angels has not changed as it is set-up to attract and recruit youngsters into the US Navy.
Here is a nice video the Blue Angels in training:
It is possible to get a backseat ride in Blue Angel number 7. The downside is that this seat is usually booked for people of the local media so they can report and spread the good word. Who would not after such a jet fighter ride in a F-18 Hornet? The Blue Angels also organize VIP fighter jet rides during the year, for famous people in the media, sports, cinema, television who will positively impact the image of the Blue Angels, and also spread the good word. So if you are already famous, call the Blue Angels to fly with them. For the others, we can still enjoy the show.
We love jet fighters, their power, their speed, and their agility. When we were kids, what impressed us most at jet-fighter-rides.com was and still is the sonic boom. Although when flying at or over the speed of sound one does not feel anything, the boom the aircraft produces is very impressive. It feels like engineering vs forces of nature, and this is also why we like it so much. For once, man has been able to understand and dominate nature on this one.
So here is a little word about the sonic boom.
The sonic boom is a sound associated with the shockwave created by the supersonic flight of an aircraft. The boom generates tremendous amounts of energy, sounding much like an explosion, hence the “boom”. When an object – like a jet fighter - passes through the air, it creates a series of pressure waves in front of it and behind it. These waves travel at the speed of sound, and as the speed of the object increases, the waves are forced together, or compressed, because they cannot “get out of the way” of each other, eventually merging into a single shock wave at the speed of sound. This critical speed is known as Mach 1 and is approximately 1,225 kilometers per hour (761 mph) at sea level at room temperature. In smooth flight, the shock wave starts at the nose of the aircraft and ends at the tail. Because directions around the aircraft’s direction of travel are equivalent, the shock forms a Mach cone with the aircraft at its tip.
The power, or volume, of the shock wave is dependent on the quantity of air that is being accelerated, and thus the size and shape of the aircraft. As the aircraft increases speed the shocks grow “tighter” around the craft and do not become much “louder”. At very high speeds and altitudes the Mach cone does not intersect the ground and no boom is heard. The “length” of the boom from front to back is dependent on the length of the aircraft to a factor of 3:2. Longer aircraft therefore “spread out” their booms more than smaller ones, which leads to a less powerful boom which has a less “spread out” boom. The sound of the boom also depends on the distance between the aircraft and the observer.
sonic boom
A sonic boom is usually heard as a deep double “boom” as the aircraft is usually some distance away. Depending on the aircraft’s altitude, sonic booms reach the ground two to 60 seconds after flyover. However, not all booms are heard at ground level. The speed of sound at any altitude is a function of air temperature. A decrease or increase in temperature results in a corresponding decrease or increase in sound speed. Therefore, the more a plane flies high, the less you are likely to here the boom.
Can the sonic boom destroy buildings and other things on the ground ? Not really, but chances are it will annoy many people on the ground. The sonic boom creates pressure, measurable in pounds per square foot. A fighter jet flying at high altitude will generate less pressure on the ground as the shock wave’s intensity reduces through the air before reaching the ground. If flying at low altitude, the pressure is greater. To give you an example, SR71 flying at 80,000 feet at Mach 3 generates only 0.9 pounds per square foot. Concorde when flying – sic – at 52,000ft at Mach 2 was generating 1.94 pounds per square foot. The main reason Concorde was not authorized to fly at supersonic speed was not because of fear it would break all the windows, but primarily because of the noise.
Is it possible to find jet fighter rides going at Mach speed ? YES my friends. As of today you can fly the Mig 29 Fulcrum in Russia to the edge of space, reaching Mach 2 as you near an altitude of 65,000ft. You can also try out the supersonic and aerobatic Mig 29 flight which will get you at Mach 1.1 and then enjoy some aerobatics. The Electric Lightning in Cape Town can do that as well but it is currently undergoing maintenance. The Starfighter in Florida will also get you to the speed of sound.
You can find additional information on the sonic boom on Wikipedia.
For those of you who are lucky – rich – enough to have booked a suborbital flight in the Lynx, Virgin Galagtic or any other spaceship, here is a flying experience to get you in the mood. Our Russian fighter pilots have designed a program specifically tailor made to experience suborbital flying. The Mig 29 will fly the different phases of a suborbital flight, such as vertical take off, acceleration to supersonic speed, flying in the stratosphere, enjoying zero gravity during parabolas and rapid descent. Find more information on this Suborbital preflight training in the Mig 29 on Tematis.
The vertical take off is simulated by a vertical climb to 9000m in a few seconds. Accelerations are done thanks to the two huge engines of the Mig 29 and the fighter jet quickly breaks the sound barrier and continues its ascent to 23km of altitude, more than twice as high as a commercial airliner. Basically, you would be in the stratosphere, admiring the curvature of the earth and the blackness of space above your head. To simulate zero gravity, the Mig 29 will do a few parabolas and then start its descent like a rocket. Be prepared to experience G force.
After reaching a “normal” altitude, the lucky passenger will experience the agility and power of the Mig 29 doing aerobatics, such as loops, barrels, hammerhead, inverted flying… to simulate G force. This full program is really designed to experience what the suborbital flight will feel like. An ideal training for the people who have booked a tour with the stars, or for thos less fortunate, but still rich enough to live a unique dream. Find more details on Tematis.
One of the most modern fighter jets available for civilian jet fighter rides is the Mirage III. You can actually enjoy a backseat ride in this incredible jet fighter in Switzerland, making it a double whammy as you fly on a modern jet fighter, in the amazing setting of the Alps. The Mirage III is a supersonic jet fighter designed by the French Dassault aviation company during the late 1950s. It was a successful fighter aircraft, being sold to many air forces around the world and remaining in production for over a decade. Some of the world’s smaller air forces still fly Mirage IIIs or variants as front-line equipment today.
The Mirage III family grew out of French government studies begun in 1952 that led in early 1953 to a specification for a lightweight, all-weather interceptor capable of climbing to 18,000 m (59,040 ft) in six minutes and able to reach Mach 1.3 in level flight. This led to the development of prototypes with delta wings, which became the trademark of the Mirage. However a plane without tail does not fly as easily as traditional jet fighters. The lack of horizontal stabilizers meant no flaps could be used. The jet fighter also required long runways for take offs at high speed. The delta wing configuration also meant the jet plane limits its maneuverability and was unstable at low altitude. However, the delta wing design remained simple and meant the plane was fast, robust with tons of room for fuel.
The first flight of the Mirage III was on November 1956 and the fighter jet attained the speed of 1.52 Mach. With the full of its engine, the Mirage III was capable of reaching 2.2 Mach. The jet fighter was also capable of reaching 60,000ft in less than 9 seconds, which was quite good at the time. Overall 1400 Mirage III were built, many exported to Israel, Switzerland, Australia, and many countries in South America and the Middle East.
IT IS POSSIBLE TO FLY THE MIRAGE III. There is just one place in the world where one can fly the Mirage III, and this is Switzerland. It is costly, around 16,000 euros, and there are just a few days available during the year, but it is an incredible experience. Check out Fly the Mirage fighter jet for additional information on booking and price.
Check out this TV report - in French - about the first flight early 2009:
Mirage III General characteristics
Crew: 1 (trainers have 2)
Length: 15 m (49 ft 3.5 in)
Wingspan: 8.22 m (26 ft 11 in)
Height: 4.5 m (14 ft 9 in)
Wing area: 34.85 m² (375 ft²)
Empty weight: 7,050 kg (15,600 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 13,500 kg (29,700 lb)
Powerplant: 1× SNECMA Atar 09C turbojet
Performance
Maximum speed: Mach 2.2 (2,350 km/h, 1,460 mph)
Range: 2,400 km (1,300 NM, 1,500 mi)
Service ceiling: 17,000 m (56,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 83.3 m/s (16,400 ft/min)
Wing loading: 387 kg/m² (79 lb/ft²)
Jet Fighter Rides wishes to be a reference for all fighter jet flights around the world. Flying a fighter jet is a once in a lifetime experience, a truly amazing experience.
