Get behind the controls of an ex-military Strikemaster Fighter Jet and feel the adrenaline rush as you Fly a Fighter Jet at North Weald Airfield.
The only ex-military fighter jet experience available in the UK, the pilot will demostrate a range of aerobatic and combat manoeuvres in a Strikemaster aircraft. As you soar into the air, expect to enjoy 4.5G and speeds up to 400mph.
WHAT'S INCLUDED?
• Fly an ex-military Strikemaster Fighter Jet from North Weald Airfield, Essex
• The only ex-military Fighter Jet Experience Available in the UK
• All flights include a detailed pre-flight briefing covering the aircraft, equipment and safety procedures
• A full briefing and training on the LIVE ejection seat is provided
• Brief your route with the Jet Legends pilot to ensure you get everything you want from your experience
• Approximately 10 minutes for taxiing and engine checks before getting airborne from the 2000m tarmac runway
• Experience a range of aerobatic and combat manoeuvres in an ex-military Strikemaster Fighter Jet, expect sustained G-Forces up to 5G and speeds in excess of 300mph
• Choose from optional extras including flight length extensions, in-flight videos and Gift Packs
Anybody here tempted?
Read the rest in the link above..Game changer
Earlier, while driving around the historic Essex airfield, I note that there are aeroplanes everywhere – but it’s the sleek lines of a British Aerospace Corporation (BAC) Strikemaster that catch my eye as head down towards Aero Legends’ recently refurbished Squadron building.
As I get closer, the tell-tale shimmer of efflux spewing from the tailpipe shows the engine is running – someone is off flying! Watching as the aeroplane disappears over the ‘hump’, taxiing towards the runway, a familiar face appears – it’s Ben Perkins, Aero Legends' Managing Director: “Welcome to Jet Legends!” Behind him, the visitors from the café spill out into the viewing area for a look as it does. I don’t think there is anywhere else you can get that close to the action – it’s ideal for visitors, and families and friends of those taking part in the flying activities.
The shriek of the ‘Strikey’s’ Viper turbojet snares our attention as it lifts off, tucking up the undercarriage. As the sound dissipates, Ben comments: “Jet Legends is the first and only Civil Aviation Authority [CAA] approved operator currently providing ex-military jet experiences in the UK – that’s something we are incredibly proud of.”
Having already established itself as a leading flight experience provider, Aero Legends has become a household name in the historic aviation world. With some 10 years in the business, the key to its success is Safety Standards Acknowledgement and Consent, better known as SSAC.
It goes without saying that aviation comes with unique risks – SSAC is the CAA’s approved risk analysis framework that allows operators to offer fare-paying recreational flights in aircraft that don’t meet ‘normal’ commercial safety standards. Passing me a coffee, Ben explains: “Aero Legends have operated flights under this framework for many years. Until recently, there were four SSAC classes – Class 1: wing-walking; Class 2: experience flight in an historic single-engine piston ex-military aircraft; Class 3: experience flight in an historic ex-military helicopter; and Class 4: experience flight in an ex-military multi-engine piston aeroplane. About two years ago, we asked the question, what about jets?”
The logical step
It’d be fair to say that there’s been a cloud of uncertainty regarding the future of classic jet operations in the UK. If someone told me a year ago that CAA-approved passenger flights in such machines (during this so-called post-Shoreham era) would be possible in 2023, I’d have been amazed. Historically, the CAA have erred on the side of caution when it comes to non-pilots flying in vintage jets. But, following an extensive industry consultation, here we are.
Ben comments: “Aero Legends has almost a decade of flying customers in ex-military aircraft, including Spitfires, and has an excellent reputation for safety. Seeking approval for passenger flights in ex-military jets was the next logical step. As you can imagine, it didn’t happen overnight…”
The CAA wanted to ensure Aero Legends fully understood the differences, and risks, involved. Ben notes: “Essentially, our bid was treated as a new application. The CAA inspected every aspect of the operation from the aircraft’s airworthiness to the customer briefing and flight operations, aircraft maintenance programmes, minimum equipment lists, flight limitations and safety procedures, all tailored specifically for the activity that we would deliver under the SSAC framework.”
The key is in the name – Safety Standards Acknowledgement and Consent. The same principles apply to all aircraft types operated under these rules. Explaining the minor risks to the customer, along with relevant safety training, is critical to the operation. “Our focus was getting the safety aspects right – mitigating the risks wherever we could. That is one of the reasons we will only fly customers in jets with live ejection seats. With the greater performance of jets and the use of ‘hot’ seats, we needed to demonstrate that we were managing the risks appropriately, and that these were explained to our customers,” Smiling, Ben adds: “We were granted applied for Class 5 SSAC approval for passenger flights in ex-military jet aircraft on January 31, and flew our first passenger on April 25.”
