What's It Really Like Flying at Sky Combat Ace?

That is, until the second last day before we were due to leave, when one of my friends said, “How about we try Sky Combat Ace?”

Just between you and me - I still remember the bolt of terror that shot through my belly at the mere suggestion of such a wild activity. I mean, was this even possible?!

In a moment of extreme bravado, I shoved down my knee-jerk reaction to shout “no way!” and remembered that everything we ever want in life exists on the other side of fear. If we're gonna end this trip with a bang, we might as well go big or go home.

See, I'd never managed to conquer my fears enough to go skydiving, but surely this would be less scary because I'd stay safely inside the plane the whole time, right?

Besides, everyone's gone skydiving - but who could actually say they've done aerobatics like you see on TV in the Red Bull Air Races? Or even flown a plane themselves? 

This was something else.

When else would we get the chance to experience anything remotely as amazing as this?

So it was decided. The very next morning, we'd be picked up from our hotel and whisked off to play stunt pilot for the day. (I'm still getting goosebumps remembering that feeling, all these years later…)

Not gonna lie, breakfast was the last thing on my mind that morning. We'd been instructed to eat something light before our flight, but I was so giddy with anticipation that my stomach was full of butterflies.

After a long staring contest with a bagel and cup of coffee, I realized I may be the most nervous customer ever to walk through the doors at the SCA hangar.

Perhaps I was most worried about looking like a complete wuss in front of those badass pilots. Surely, a few jitters were normal before doing something so adrenaline-pumping?

Suddenly, I remembered that my pilot would happily dial down the intensity if I wasn't feeling so daring once we were airborne - It was just the boost of assurance I needed to not completely chicken out. Luckily, my friends were all riding a high of excitement, so I was confident it would all be worth it.


Before the SCA driver arrived to pick us up, there was just enough time to give myself a quick pep talk in the bathroom mirror, and I got my game face on.

Listen, nothing - and I mean NOTHING - prepares you for that moment when you first climb into the cockpit. It's like strapping into the world's most insane roller coaster, except YOU get to drive the thing. The instrument panel looked like something out of Star Wars, but Tex broke it down so simply that even my adrenaline-soaked brain could follow along.

That first takeoff? Pure magic. As we ascend, I'm overcome by the sheer magnitude of sensory input washing over me - speed, altitude, and just pure freedom. Suddenly as the horizon expanded, all those everyday worries seemed to shrink.

Seeing Vegas sprawled out below us like some glittering miniature city, it was like seeing the familiar through a completely different lens. Talk about an insane metaphor for how new experiences broaden horizons and shift your perspective. For a moment, I totally forgot to be scared... and it felt AMAZING.

Just when I'm thinking "this view is insane," Tex drops the question that changed everything: "Ready to see what this baby can really do?"

The wild part? After that first maneuver, something clicked. Each new move - the loops, the hammerheads, even the heart-pounding tailslide - felt less like "Woah, that sounds crazy" and more like "Woah, I'm actually doing this!" My brain couldn't process that I was pulling off the same moves I'd seen in airshows. Me. The person who gets nervous on ferris wheels.

After demonstrating each aerobatic maneuver, my pilot handed over the flight stick and it was my turn to give them a shot. Tentatively at first, I took control of the plane and felt just how responsive this thing really was. It handled like butter - with even the slightest input on the controls, we'd be pivoting on our own axis, or suddenly soaring vertically to the heavens. I could see why these incredible aircraft were considered the world's most advanced stunt planes - I felt like I was flying a rocket.

All the while, we flew alongside my friend in another plane, who was pulling off the same stunts with their instructor pilot guiding them through. We'd take turns putting on a private air show for each other, heckling and hollering to each other over the radio about how awesome this was. Despite being sky-high, we were totally floored by how much fun we were having.

For the grand finale of the aerobatic profile, Tex took over flying to show me some advanced stunts, which included maneuvers like an inverted flat spin, and a mind-bending Lomcevak tumble. (Translation: This crazy maneuver is about the closest you'll ever come to experiencing controlled chaos!)

The G-forces pressed me into my seat, but instead of fear, I felt an incredible rush. It was as if all my senses had been dialed up to eleven. The combination of speed, skill, and sheer audacity was unlike anything I'd ever experienced.

5. The Air-to-Air Dogfighting

6. The Air Strike Mission

With the dogfighting behind us, I thought the adrenaline rush had peaked. Boy, was I wrong.

On the way back to base, there was one more adventure left before we'd completed our fighter pilot mission: Carry out an air strike on a simulated enemy target, buried in a secret underground bunker in the rugged desert landscape.

Tex's voice boomed through the headset: "Ready for the next phase? We're going low and fast. Time to sneak up on the enemy." We swooped down to just 10 feet above the desert floor, the ground blurring beneath us as we weaved through canyons, hugging the terrain to avoid enemy radar detection. It felt like we were defying the laws of physics.

"Control, this is Ace One, checking in,"  Tex radioed to mission control, slipping back into his F-16 pilot persona as if his last Air Force combat mission was only yesterday.

The response was immediate: "Proceed to target coordinates. Enemy SA-5 missile site detected. Engage and neutralize."

We zoomed through a tactical low-level approach, reacting to simulated threats like ground-to-air missiles and anti-aircraft artillery. My heart was pounding as the landscape became a high-stakes obstacle course, every rise and fall of the terrain a new challenge.

"Target in sight," Tex announced. "Dropping bombs in 5, 4, 3..."  My finger hovered over the trigger as we lined up for the low-angle attack. "Steady... now! Bombs away!"  I squeezed the trigger, releasing our simulated 2,000lb payload...

For a moment, there was silence. Then, a plume of smoke erupted over the target area. "Direct hit!" Tex cheered.

As we pulled up, leaving the target behind, I couldn't help but laugh. This wasn't a video game or a daydream - it was the real deal. The combination of high-speed flight, tactical maneuvering, and the sheer wildness of the mission had me feeling like I'd just starred in an action movie.

"Welcome to the big leagues," Tex said with a grin in his voice. As we headed back toward the hangar, cruising above the desert with the sun beginning to dip in the sky, I knew this was an adventure I'd be talking about for the rest of my life.

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