Flight Attendance:
The Air up here is right where you belong
By Steve Adamek, San Diego Union Tribune
Flight attendance: The air up here is right where you belong
May 16, 2004
After reading the in-flight magazine for the second time on a four-hour flight, have you ever been so bored you wished the pilot would come on the PA and ask if any one's up for some acrobatics? For a variety of reasons, things like that don't happen on the airlines. The other thing that does not happen is the experience of the real thrill of flight. If you want that, you need to try Biplane, Air Combat & Warbird Adventures.
The aerial adventure company – located at McClellan-Palomar Airport, Carlsbad – offers an array of packages to suit everyone from dogfighters and daredevils to those who want to simply meander high above it all. And many of the flights allow you to take the controls of the aircraft.
The biplane ride puts you and a friend side by side in the front seat of an open cockpit cruising above the coast or the county. You're in communication with the pilot, so you can make your flying requests. Once you dive bomb a fishing boat on a sunny afternoon, you'll be hooked. These flights start at $59.50 each for two.
If the theme from "Top Gun" is still playing in your head from the '80s, some air combat might be up your (MiG) alley. They offer a variety of packages that can be viewed on their Web site, www.barnstorming.com, or call (800) SKY-LOOP and they will send you a brochure. Since many of their pilots have military experience, this is as real as you can get without signing up or spending a fortune. Prices vary, and there are some discounts available online.
If fighting is not your forte, you may choose just to experience the thrill of flying in a World War II aircraft. As usual, acrobatics can be added to the experience.
For romantics, they have a variety of sunset flights. There is also a dinner package that will put you and other couples up in a WWII transport, listening to Glenn Miller – it's been described as a "time machine." After landing, you can enjoy dinner in a private dining room at the Four Seasons Resort Aviara to cap off a high-end adventure.
