What happens when great pilots take you on board for an incredible jet fighter ride ? Well check the video. The fighter jet is a Fouga Magister, a French jet trainer that has qualified thousands of French pilots. The plane is also very well known and used in the USA and other parts of Europe. As a twin engine jet, it is very safe to fly and makes an incredible noise. And the bonus is that the Fouga Magister is a very easy aircraft to fly. You would fly this jet fighter as a Cessna 182, the power on top. It is so good that this French team has developed a program for pilots who want to try do aerobatics themselves. These pilots are some of the best in France, and they will make your day a great experience. So if you are looking for adrenaline while in France, check them out.
See this video of what a jet fighter ride with them looks like.
This jet fighter flight is operated by Tematis. Check their website for additional information on this aerobatic jet fighter ride.
It is incredible, but thinking of it, modern jet fighters are extremely new. The first jet fighter dates back from the 40s, it was the Messerchmitt Me262, truly operational in 1944. And if we look at the F-22, or the F-35, it is amazing to see the step that has been taken in the development of aviation and jet fighters. We are now at the 5th generation of aircrafts. Jet fighters have more generations than people. And the scale of progress has been enormous. The 1st generation of aircrafts dates from the 40s to mid50s. They are subsonic jet fighters. They differed little from their piston-engined counterparts in appearance, and many employed unswept wings. Guns remained the principal armament. The impetus for the development of turbojet-powered aircraft was to obtain a decisive advantage in maximum speed. Top speeds for fighters rose steadily throughout World War II as more powerful piston engines were developed, and had begun approaching the transonic flight regime where the efficiency of piston-driven propellers drops off considerably.
The 2nd generation of jet fighters are from the mid 50s to mid 60s. The development of second-generation fighters was shaped by technological breakthroughs, lessons learned from the aerial battles of the Korean War, and a focus on conducting operations in a nuclear warfare environment. Technological advances in aerodynamics, propulsion and aerospace building materials (primarily aluminium alloys) permitted designers to experiment with aeronautical innovations, such as swept wings, delta wings, and area-ruled fuselages. Widespread use of afterburning turbojet engines made these the first production aircraft to break the sound barrier, and the ability to sustain supersonic speeds in level flight became a common capability amongst fighters of this generation. Among these jet fighters are the Mirage III, the English Electric Lightning, or the Mig 21F.
The 3rd generation of jet fighters dates from the mid 60s to the 70s. The third generation witnessed continued maturation of second-generation innovations, but it is most marked by renewed emphases on maneuverability and traditional ground-attack capabilities. Growth in air combat capability focused on the introduction of improved air-to-air missiles, radar systems, and other avionics. While guns remained standard equipment (early models of F-4 being a notable exception), air-to-air missiles became the primary weapons for air superiority fighters. Among these jet fighters are the Phantom F-4, the F-15, and the British Aerospace Sea Harrier.
The 4th generation of jet fighters date from the 70s to the 90s. Fourth-generation fighters continued the trend towards multirole configurations, and were equipped with increasingly sophisticated avionics and weapon systems. Other innovative technologies introduced in fourth-generation fighters include pulse-Doppler fire-control radars (providing a “look-down/shoot-down” capability), head-up displays (HUD), “hands on throttle-and-stick” (HOTAS) controls, and multi-function displays (MFD), all of which have become essential equipment. Composite materials in the form of bonded aluminum honeycomb structural elements and graphite epoxy laminate skins began to be incorporated into flight control surfaces and airframe skins to reduce weight. Another revolution came in the form of a stronger reliance on ease of maintenance, which led to standardisation of parts, reductions in the numbers of access panels and lubrication points, and overall parts reduction in more complicated equipment like the engines. Among these jet fighters are the Tornado, the F-16 Fighting Falcon, The Su-27 Flanker and the Mirage2000.
And now we are in the 5th Generation of jet fighters, with aircrafts such as the F-22 Raptor and the F-35. The fifth generation was ushered in by the Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor in late 2005. Currently the cutting edge of fighter design, fifth-generation fighters are characterized by being designed from the start to operate in a network-centric combat environment, and to feature extremely low, all-aspect, multi-spectral signatures employing advanced materials and shaping techniques. Maneuver performance remains important and is enhanced by thrust-vectoring, which also helps reduce takeoff and landing distances. Supercruise may or may not be featured; it permits flight at supersonic speeds without the use of the afterburner. A key attribute of fifth-generation fighters is very-low-observables stealth.
What is going to be the future? We do not know but seeing the evolution of jet fighters on such a short scale of time, we are very excited about what they will be, and especially how they will perform.
We did not officially say goodbye to the Mig 31 so we thought about saying a few words as it is officially not possible anymore to get in the backseat of this incredible ride. Unfortunately, due to high operating and maintenance costs, it has proven too much for our Russian friends to keep flying this jet fighter. The Mig 31, codenamed Foxhound by NATO was designed as an interceptor. Developed in the late 1960s and early 70s, the jet fighter was first introduced in 1982. And most of the Western World got frightened about this new Soviet plane. The Mig 31 is fast at high altitude (Mach 2.8), but also at low altitude (Mach 1.2). The jet fighter is also capable of reaching the edge of space and launch an attack on multi targets at the same time. The plane has massive engines, with fuel consumption rocketing, especially when using the afterburners. And unfortunately, all this kind of killed the fun flights.
The MiG-31 entered operational service with the Soviet Anti-Air Defense (PVO) in 1982. It was first photographed by a Norwegian pilot over the Barents Sea in 1985. The MiG-31 was sought after for a variety of long-range missions. With the designation Ye-266, a re-engined Ye-155 shattered world records. It reached an absolute maximum altitude of 123,524 ft, or 37,650 m, and set a time to height record of 4,000 m in 4 minutes, 11.78 seconds, both which were set by test pilot Alexander Fedotov. Ostapenko, his deputy, set a record of 3,000 m in 3 minutes, 9.8 seconds.
Following the collapse of the USSR in 1991, however, the budget for spares (MIG-31 AOG desk was created to solve this problem) and maintenance collapsed, leaving many squadrons unable to maintain their complex aircraft. By 1996, only 20% of remaining aircraft were reportedly serviceable at any time; however, by early 2006, a stronger Russian economy permitted the return to service of around 75% of the Russian Air Force’s (VVS’) MiG-31s. Approximately 370 are in Russian service, with another 30 or so in Kazakhstan. The MiG-31 will likely continue serving for years to come, depending on upgrades and future growth of the Russian economy.
So Goodbye Mig 31… The plane is not flying anymore for fun flights and tourists worldwide who had hoped to fly this jet fighter. The operator and many resellers of the Mig 31 were promoting an extraordinary experience: flying to the stratosphere, to reach the edge of space. This flight can still be done, but in the Mig 29, which offers a good alternative at cheaper running costs. See our page regarding Mig 29 flights. Jet Fighter Rides is your guide to fly fighter jets around the world.
Thanks to the Collings Foundation, it is possible to fly the F-4D Phantom jet fighter. What a treat! The Phantom is one of the most important jet fighter in US history. It took flight in 1958 to break 25 world records including speed and altitude and has seen many operation sceneries, from Vietnam to Irak (first Gulf War). Originally commissioned by the Navy, the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom was so good that the use was adapted to fit the other military corps. The F-4 Phantom is also the most produced jet fighter of the western world with more than 5,000 aircrafts delivered.
Curiously enough, the first F-4 Phantom were not equipped with canons, as the fighter jet was supposed to use air to air missiles, which were not very good at the time. They tried to fix this during the Corean War by installing a ventral pod but this caused drag problems. So in 1965 they redesigned the F-4 Phantom with a set of canons. 12 countries have or still are using the F-4 Phantom. In the US, the jet fighter has been replaced by the famous Tomcat, but the jet fighter is still active in 7 countries.
It is possible to fly the F-4 Phantom jet fighter as a passenger, on very rare occasions we have to admit… but still, thanks to the amazing work of the Collings Foundation. Although the jet fighter is mostly used for air show displays, the CF allows fun flights at certain times. The Foudation’s objectives is to restore and maintain fabulous aircrafts such as the F-4 Phantom, Mustangs, B17, T-33 Shooting Stars and many others. In fact, they have a collection of 22 airplanes. See the Collings Foundation for additional information on their flights. These jet fighter rides are done from Houston, Texas.
General characteristics of the F-4 Phantom.
Crew: 2
Length: 63 ft 0 in (19.2 m)
Wingspan: 38 ft 4.5 in (11.7 m)
Height: 16 ft 6 in (5.0 m)
Wing area: 530.0 ft² (49.2 m²)
Airfoil: NACA 0006.4-64 root, NACA 0003-64 tip
Empty weight: 30,328 lb (13,757 kg)
Loaded weight: 41,500 lb (18,825 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 61,795 lb (28,030 kg)
Powerplant: 2× General Electric J79-GE-17A axial compressor turbojets, 17,845 lbf (79.4 kN) each
Zero-lift drag coefficient: 0.0224
Drag area: 11.87 ft² (1.10 m²)
Aspect ratio: 2.77
Fuel capacity: 1,994 U.S. gal (7,549 L) internal, 3,335 U.S. gal (12,627 L) with three external tanks (370 U.S. gal (1,420 L) tanks on the outer wing hardpoints and either a 600 or 610 U.S. gal (2,310 or 2,345 L) tank for the centerline station).
Maximum landing weight: 36,831 lb (16,706 kg)
Performance
Maximum speed: Mach 2.23 (1,472 mph, 2,370 km/h) at 40,000 ft (12,190 m)
Cruise speed: 506 kn (585 mph, 940 km/h)
Combat radius: 367 nmi (422 mi, 680 km)
Ferry range: 1,403 nmi (1,615 mi, 2,600 km) with 3 external fuel tanks
Service ceiling: 60,000 ft (18,300 m)
Rate of climb: 41,300 ft/min (210 m/s)
Wing loading: 78 lb/ft² (383 kg/m²)
lift-to-drag: 8.58
Thrust/weight: 0.86 at loaded weight, 0.58 at MTOW
Takeoff roll: 4,490 ft (1,370 m) at 53,814 lb (24,410 kg)
Landing roll: 3,680 ft (1,120 m) at 36,831 lb (16,706 kg)
All the very best for 2011 from all of us. We wish you good health, happiness and success in all your endeavors. And to kick start the year, we would like to introduce you to “Fighter Pilots”. Based in Illinois, “Fighter Pilots” – the brand name of LRA Enterprises – is more of an event company but provide great flying experiences on the L39 Albatros jet fighter, as well as T6 Texan, Spitfire, and P51 Mustang. The objective of the team is to recreate the feel of flying a squadron, hence you get formation flying, simulated attacks and maneuvers… great fun.
fighter pilot
The company caters for groups and individuals. For groups, they operate more of a team building operation whereas individuals will simply enjoy the fun of the experience with the care and professionalism of one of the pilots. So if you want to experience what it is like to be part of a fighter team, check them out. You can also fly the L39 Albatros jet fighter, but this one is mostly for training so you will need to have a valid license to get in.
You know the song… snow if falling… all around me… children playing… having fun… it’s the season… love and understanding…. Merry Christmas everyone… Well, the end of the year is nearing and before this we will truly enjoy spending time and Christmas with our families and friends. And we hope you all do the same. We will be back in 2011 with more info about where to fly jet fighters in the world – because it is a life changing experience – and news and spotlights about jet fighters. In the meantime, we wish you the very best for 2011, good health and lots of happiness.
VSTOL is the acronym for Vertical or Short Take Off Landing. This refers to the capability of jet fighters and other aircrafts to take off and land on a very short distance, or even better, vertically. Airplanes with VSTOL capabilities include the Harrier, the V-22 Ospray and the F-35. Now, one can ask what is the point of VSTOL since there are runways and enough space to get a plane to speed and take off. Well, it’s all for security and strategy. With VSTOL capabilities, you can take off and land from any aircraft carrier without a sweat. You can also take off and land in the middle of the jungle since you just need an area a little bit bigger than your wing span. And this makes a whole difference, especially when jet fighters are sent to remote areas where landing strips are either too short or nonexistent. This means security for the pilot and reinforced security in the world as countries understand that even if they have very poor airport facilities, a fleet of jet fighters can be there in no time and attack, land and have a sandwich.
And to demonstrate the incredible capability VSTOL offers to jet fighters, here is a video of the very missed Harrier – the last Harrier was decommissioned by the British army on 17th December. Have you ever seen a plane fly backwards ? Here it is…
They are doing a Top Gun 2 ! Great news. And what a plane. The Tomcat is forever associated with Tom Cruise playing Maverick. But the real hero of the movie is the Grumman F-14 Tomcat. This jet fighter badly started its career and few people were betting on a future for this aircraft. The project was developed in the late 1960s and the first jet took off on December 21, 1970. The first deliveries occurred in 1972 and very soon pilots started complaining. The jet fighter was vibrating way too much, especially when flaps were deployed, which does not make the task of landing on an aircraft carrier very easy… Structural damage between the engines and the tail was also a frequent occurrence. These problems almost pushed Grumman to bankruptcy.
The Shah of Iran saved Grumman from bankruptcy by ordering 80 of the Tomcats. Let’s call it irony of history… But soon, the Islamic Revolution took place and all deliveries were blocked. These Iranian planes never took off… They success factor of the F-14 Tomcat is its amazing offensive capacity, and especially its armament system. For the first time, a jet fighter was able to identify and lock a flying target at a 300km distance. The Tomcat could lock a missile at 120km and the weapon system could follow 24 targets and attack simultaneously 6 flying targets at various distances and altitudes… Talk about a deadly weapon!
The Tomcat went first into battle in 1981 in the Mediterranean when pilots shot down two Libyans Su-22 and then in 1989 when it shot down 2 Libyans Mig-23. The F-14 Tomcat was also extensively used during the first Gulf War, in the Balkans as well as in Afghanistan. The US Navy started decommissioning these awesome jet fighters in 2004 and the last ones have been replaced in 2006 by the F/A-18F Super Hornet. What is great about this plane is not that its engineering made a super jet fighter or that Tom Cruise gave it immortality, but that like many jet fighters, it started badly to become a super bad ass! Unfortunately we haven’t been able to find a F-14 Tomcat to fly for the average Joe, but I am sure that we will be able to fly the Tomcat in the near future.
Is the McDonnell-Douglas F-15 Eagle the best jet fighter ever ? Well, one can argue the F-35 and the F-22 are much better, stealthy, faster and more maneuverable, and you would be right to think so. But the F-15 remains to this day the best jet fighter of the cold war, nicknamed the “Best Interceptor of the West”. This jet fighter went into 150 fights, and not one was lost! It was design to be superior, with a low charge on the wings, highly positioned to deliver greater maneuverability and great view for the pilot.
It all started in 1969 when McDonnell-Douglas developed a plane designed for high speed and long range. Basically the Russian Migs used by Vietnam during the war demonstrated they were better than the F-4 Phantom. The US Air Force required a new and better jet fighter. It had to be fast, maneuverable in dog fights, capable of long range distances and also to attack ground targets. McDonnell-Douglas developed the F project that would give birth to the F-15 and its variations. The F-15 reaches Mach 2.5, is capable of flying 445km and has enormous power. It is very agile and stands today with 150 fights, 150 victories. It was confronted to F-4 Phantom II, Mig 25, Mig 29, Mirage F1… not bad.
The variations of the F-15 include the famous F-15 Strike Eagle developed in the 1980s, and the Silent Eagle which has been deployed with stealth design. The F-15 had been designed to ensure global supremacy of the skies and it has done just that. 6 countries are operating the F-15 (USA, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Japan, Israel and Singapore). The jet fighter should remain in active duty until 2030 when the F-22 and F-35 are totally deployed. It remains a fantastic jet fighter, one of the best, and revered by the pilots to bring them safely home.
With Halloween coming soon, we figured it would be well chosen to discuss the Vampiiire!!! The De Havilland Vampire was the second jet fighter to successfully enter the services of the RAF. Although the project was launched in 1941, it was too late to get in service in time for the war. It’s first flight occurred in 1943 but the jet fighter entered service in 1946. At first, it was said its design was experimental although it looked like the De Havilland Hornet except the propellers were gone. The twin boom allowed for a shorter fuselage and short exhaust which avoid the power loss of a long jet pipe. The Vampire became the first RAF jet to reach the top speed of 500mph, and was also the first British jet fighter to take off and land from an aircraft carrier.
Although designed as a jet fighter, the De Havilland Vampire turned into a ground attack fighter bomber. It was named the FB5. A naval version, which more suited aircraft carriers, was also implemented. One main change was also the exhaust as the jet fighter could not stay idle too long as it would have a tendency to melt the tarmac… The exhaust and jet pipe were modified quickly to fix this “tiny” problem. In the end, more than 8 countries built the Vampire under license, and around 30 countries have used this jet fighter.
Countries started decommissioning their Vampires in the 70s and the last one was officially demilitarized in 1979. Conceived as a jet fighter, it has been mostly used a ground attack fighter bomber and as a jet trainer towards the end of its existence. Today, there about 80 Vampires remaining – out of 4000 built - in flying conditions. You can fly the Vampire in Sweden where a private owner will take you for a 20mn ride over the Swedish countryside. There is another Vampire in flying conditions in Paris, France. We would be happy to know if anyone knows of other Vampires that can be flown.
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.
