Whether you’re taking a stab at your Bucket List or just living out a childhood fantasy, Sky Combat Ace offers a truly unique aviation experience at a whole new level of adrenaline. At SCA, you’re not just a passenger on a joy ride. You are a steely-eyed fighter pilot at the controls of your very own “fighter jet,” pulling Gs and squeezing the trigger to “get the kill.”
The founder of Sky Combat Ace, Richard “Tex” Coe, started flying when he was 16 years old. His passion for aviation eventually led him to join the Air Force after graduating college to pursue a career as fighter pilot. The training was rigorous, challenging and unrelenting, but most of all it was a ton of fun! While stationed overseas at Aviano Air Base in Italy, one of his favorite missions was to take people up for “incentive rides” which basically meant he got to take up non-pilots and showcase what the mighty F-16 Viper could do… The ultimate joy ride! He always thought it was a shame he couldn’t take his friends and family up to give them a taste of what extreme flying was all about and that became the genesis of Sky Combat Ace! He figured there were a lot of people that would love to experience what high performance flying is all about if only they had the opportunity.
After “Tex” left the Air Force, he was determined to make this dream a reality and in early 2011, he finally assembled the team that could make it happen. SCA started in Las Vegas with just two Extra 330LC aircraft, the world’s most advanced FAA certified aerobatic airplane. Certified to +/-10 G’s, it can pull more G’s than an F-16! With the help of some of his fighter pilot buddies, “Tex” started offering rides and aerial dogfighting experiences, eventually adding Waco Classic YMF-5C open cockpit biplanes, a T-6 Texan, and of course, more Extra 330s. As word started to spread, SCA added more advanced tactical missions such as the Adrenaline Rush and the ultimate air combat experience, the Operation Red Flag. In 2015, Sky Combat Ace opened up it’s 2nd location in beautiful San Diego, California and now look for us in beautiful South Lake Tahoe.
From opening day, safety has always been the #1 priority at SCA. By hiring and training the best in the business, we strive to make sure that every part of your experience is the safest it can be, as well as unforgettable. Of course, SCA would not exist without YOU, our most loyal and valuable supporters. We appreciate your business and your help making us the #1 extreme aviation attraction in the world! Fight’s On…