2007_Shelby_GT Posted December 9, 2013 Report Share Posted December 9, 2013 The "Devil Bunny" played Top Gun yesterday in Kissimmee, Florida, with Air Combat USA! In a word, it was "in-frickin-credible"! I'm a pilot and done some limited aerobatics, not to mention being a huge roller-coaster fan, but none of that prepared me for the actual air combat flying experience! If anyone here gets the opportunity, you really need to go for it! What a blast! Sam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FordRocks1 Posted December 9, 2013 Report Share Posted December 9, 2013 Nice any pics or vids? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2010KonaBlueGT Posted December 9, 2013 Report Share Posted December 9, 2013 The "Devil Bunny" played Top Gun yesterday in Kissimmee, Florida, with Air Combat USA! In a word, it was "in-frickin-credible"! I'm a pilot and done some limited aerobatics, not to mention being a huge roller-coaster fan, but none of that prepared me for the actual air combat flying experience! If anyone here gets the opportunity, you really need to go for it! What a blast! Sam I wanna do that SO BAD! I'm not sure if my bad back would allow me to though. Compression is by FAR the worst thing for creating pain. Roller coasters (which I absolutely LOVE) kill me but there's also that side to side jerking I've always blamed in on. I still think it might be worth a couple of days in bed though! Phill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2007_Shelby_GT Posted December 10, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 10, 2013 I'll post a video when I get the conversion complete - your flight is filmed from several cameras and saved on MiniDV tape! (They probably should consider an upgrade to an memory card or other solid state media!) Meanwhile, there's some great archive video on their website www.aircombatusa.com. I (we) flew in the Siai Marchetti 260 - nice little hot rod with side-by-side seating and dual controls - a bit of a tight fit for me, think Ferrari with wings! Sam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2010KonaBlueGT Posted December 10, 2013 Report Share Posted December 10, 2013 I'll post a video when I get the conversion complete - your flight is filmed from several cameras and saved on MiniDV tape! (They probably should consider an upgrade to an memory card or other solid state media!) Meanwhile, there's some great archive video on their website www.aircombatusa.com. I (we) flew in the Siai Marchetti 260 - nice little hot rod with side-by-side seating and dual controls - a bit of a tight fit for me, think Ferrari with wings! Sam Did you do the "dog fight" ride? I've seen one on TV where two planes dogfight and when hit, stream smoke. Phill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2007_Shelby_GT Posted December 11, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 11, 2013 Did you do the "dog fight" ride? I've seen one on TV where two planes dogfight and when hit, stream smoke. Phill Exactly! You get a good hour briefing on tactics, bailout procedures, safety, etc., then it's time to suit up and fly. Your instructors, (mine was a recently retired F18 pilot), do the flying until you're established in a two-ship formation headed to the playground. You take over the controls and practice flying in formation until it's time to get to the real action! Each pilot gets a little practice making gun passes at the other plane, then there's an assisted combat "merge" to demonstrate the rules of engagement. Since this is a first-time basic package, nothing really extensive is covered, but it's enough! Once the scripted fight is finished, it's time for "gloves off" and you're flying and fighting on your own! 4 or more combats then take place, each beginning with a head-on merge, then the fights on until someone gets shot down! There's gun sounds, smoke, and alarms when you get hit to add that touch of realism. No missiles, just guns, so it's like WWII dogfighting - up close and personal! We completed at least four fights and in the end, I think I lost the match, but I had a heck of a good time and learned a lot! Really gave me a new respect for our military pilots - they do this kind of stuff all the time, and at much higher speeds and g-loads! I pulled a maximum of 5-g's perhaps once or twice, though mostly in the 3-4 g range, and I could really feel it when the fighting was over! Formation flight back to the airport, then a combat break overhead for a landing, and then it was over - way to soon! Right now I'm thinking I will have to do this again - hope I don't have to wait to long! Sam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WJinLV Posted December 11, 2013 Report Share Posted December 11, 2013 Dream of mine. Im still trying to figure out a way to go up for a ride with the boys from Nellis AFB here in Vegas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2007_Shelby_GT Posted January 16, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2014 Video as promised: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEBitVB3EAY Final score was tied: 3 to 3! Sam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ViperNC Posted January 16, 2014 Report Share Posted January 16, 2014 Excellent video. Glad you had fun. I had a similar combat experience flying an AT - 6 Texan a while back. A very memorable experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gt350lp Posted January 17, 2014 Report Share Posted January 17, 2014 Cool.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2007_Shelby_GT Posted January 17, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2014 The AT-6 would have been my preferred ride since I'm a big WWII airplane fanatic, but I've got to tell you, that little Italian hot-rod has a hold on me right now! Hmmm, wonder if I should trade the Shelby for a Ferrari..............................................NAHHHHHHH!! Sam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ViperNC Posted January 17, 2014 Report Share Posted January 17, 2014 The AT-6 would have been my preferred ride since I'm a big WWII airplane fanatic, but I've got to tell you, that little Italian hot-rod has a hold on me right now! Hmmm, wonder if I should trade the Shelby for a Ferrari..............................................NAHHHHHHH!! Sam I've heard the Marchetti is supposed to be a great performer in the air. I love the WWII warbirds as well and the Texan did not disappoint. My goal one day is to get my pilot's license and pick up a Pitts or something like that, but probably well off into the future. Until then, I'll have to settle with hanging out at the occasional air shows and drooling over the F4U Corsairs and P51 Mustangs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyGJ Posted January 17, 2014 Report Share Posted January 17, 2014 VERY, VERY Cool, Sam!!! Andy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Hamilton Posted January 17, 2014 Report Share Posted January 17, 2014 Nice show, Sam. I did the RED FLAG thing a few times back in early 1980's in the Air Force. I was in a C-141 so we were just MiG bait on a daily basics for the two week exercise. We had three C-141's flying daily and one day we were shot down 13 times by Red Force MiG's (F-5E's and Navy F-18's). Smokey SAM's got us a few times too with Nike's. Looks like you got G-LOC a time or two on pull ups. G-tolerance is something the fighter pilots have to build up to. A few weeks off and they have to slowly rebuild that tolerance again. It's a young man's game (or woman's now days). You need to paint your "3-MiG Kills" on your helmet .... and of course the three little parachutes too (your opponent's kills, LOL). Bet it was a blast, glad you had fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2007_Shelby_GT Posted January 17, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2014 Andy -It indeed was cool! Bill - Good to see you at Ocala! LOL! You're not the first one to say it looked like I "blacked out"! I discovered very quickly that in order to track the bandit, I had to crane my head around a lot, but for the most part, once the fight got going, laying back like I did was comfortable and easier for me until I started gaining ground, then I could slack off the "pull", lift my head and shoot! I promise that I never even came close to G-LOC or airsickness, though I will admit, when it was over, I was sweating like a pig and a little light-headed! (My opponent wasn't so lucky!) Truly a young persons game, but for a geezer, I did OK! On a side note, the two instructor pilots never broke a sweat, but of course, they have a lot more stick time than me and in much higher performance aircraft! Sam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old school Posted January 17, 2014 Report Share Posted January 17, 2014 We restored quite a few aircraft when I was growing up. My old man would take me up in our Pitcairn Mailwing & ring it out over Chester County with loops & Snap rolls. I was so skinny back then he nearly lost me out of the front cockpit during some of the Aerobatics, I could see his grin in the mirror on the top wing seeing me hanging on by the Belt bearly.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2010KonaBlueGT Posted January 18, 2014 Report Share Posted January 18, 2014 Video as promised: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEBitVB3EAY Final score was tied: 3 to 3! Sam TFC! I envy you. I doubt I could wrench my neck like that with the cervical surgeries I've had. Not to mention my fat ass in a 5 G pull. Phill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lgs ShelbyGT Posted January 18, 2014 Report Share Posted January 18, 2014 Sam, That was definitely very cool! I'm not a roller coaster person, and 0 experience with planes, but thanks for sharing your adventure Glad you had a great time Larry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SVT NAJA Posted January 18, 2014 Report Share Posted January 18, 2014 Sam, Great Video!!! Thanks for sharing. Wish I could catch a ride in a P-38... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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