Flying a real fighter jet has been on my bucket list for a while. I love roller coasters and wanted…read moretake it up a notch, and boy did Istvan with his L-39c deliver.
Istvan is a very friendly guy that makes you feel at ease. Before the flight he asked about my prior experience, what I was looking for, and explained in detail the flight plan. Until you experience it, it is hard to predict how your body will respond to the G-forces and the twists and turns. So Istvan explained the possible symptoms up to and including briefly passing out due to G-forces or getting motion sick, and what to do or say to prevent that from happening. In addition he also talked extensively about the mandatory safety procedures in case of an emergency.
After all the talking we took to the sky and flew out to an area (near LA, CA, USA) where aerobatics are allowed. Istvan taught me how to make a turn and to do rolls. After that he took over again and went through a series of more serious aerobatic maneuvers. Including one time where the G-forces got me close to passing out. That then was followed by a true top gun experience following the twist and turns of a canyon!
At no point did I feel unsafe, Istvan is obviously a very experienced pilot and he most definitely knows exactly what he is doing. That said, this is the real deal, it is not for the faint of heart.
All in all this exceeded my expectations, it was an absolutely awesome experience.