A FINNISH TOURIST’S IMPRESSION OF HIS AEROBATIC MANEUVERS FLIGHT IN A MIG-29

Name: 
Veijo K.
Country: 
Finland
Photo in cockpit before flight
Photo in cockpit during aerobatics in mig29
Photo near engines of Mig29
Mig29 during aerobatics
Photo near jet after Mig29 flight

The Mig-29 flight is the best thing I've ever done with my trousers on, maybe also without. Finally, I wanted make the longest dream of my life true and take a flight with the legendary MIG-29 fighter jet. It took almost four decades for my dream to become true.
I was about 10 years old but I remember it like yesterday when my parents took me to an Airshow. I watched a beautiful bird, a fighter jet rise up to the sky with nice noise, disappear behind the clouds and a moment later appear again above us and make curves back and forth, doing a variety of aerobatic maneuvers. My heart was throbbing with admiration for that beautiful bird and I decided in my mind that one day I would like to be in the cockpit too.
Even though I have a pilot license for two lightweight aircraft types in general aviation, I was really excited about what will happen. I have not done such aerobatic maneuvers before, but have admired them in different Airshows. I was hoping to get the feel of those movements on the plane and that I could fly the Mig-29 aircraft myself too and both wishes were realized.
After the pilot’s question and an announcement from the radio “Veijo, are you ready for takeoff”, my biggest tension had already abated and I focused fully on flying. “Juri, I am ready for takeoff” I told him and the speed accelerated and we climbed up into the air. After a few aerobatic maneuvers above the field, we started moving to the specific area where we would do other aerobatic maneuvers. It was awesome to hear from the radio first time “now you have a control, fly”. When we arrived to the area, we started performing enormous movements. The huge G -forces squeezed me firmly into the seat and got sweat streaming down my face. Sometimes, when we got up high enough, little glittering snowflakes floated in the cockpit. I realized that some were condensed beads of perspiration of me and others were caused by condensed moisture.
After flying enough, we returned to the field where we continued to do a variety of maneuvers and also we did a low pass before touch down. It was awesome and I felt great.
I realized how hard that kind of flying is physically, and I appreciate and respect those people who do it even daily for work.
The experience was very positive and the feel of the movements was an enjoyable surprise to me. They did not feel scary in the plane, as I had imagined in advance. The only hard thing was the G -forces that I felt personally. The maximum plus G -force we experienced was 7. When we look at planes on the ground, we cannot get a feeling of the machine movements, how pilots feel on the plane. Luckily I never felt sickness during the flight but I was little bit tired, very sweaty and very happy after the flight.
The company staffs were very professional, friendly and hospitable and I was taken care of very well throughout the visit. I highly recommend the experience to anyone who is interested in flying.

I am looking forward to seeing you some day. Thanks again and I wish a happy future for the whole staff!

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