Fighter Combat International - Mesa, Arizona

Samuel Dyk

As a newer pilot, I wanted to get some experience in aerobatics and more aggressive flying. I did the “air combat mission” with Duke & Monte while on our anniversary trip. It was a blast… definitely pushed my motion sickness limit but I was able to do & experience things that you could never do in most GA planes. I plan to come back for training in the future! Great people and facility.

BillyToro87

Booked the flight of your life super ride ! Got "DQ" as my pilot who was just a super guy and a great pilot ! Ex snowbirds lead solo who I probably saw fly at the Abbotsford airshow 94/95 which was pretty cool also. From front desk to all the staff on hand were super helpful and enthusiastic. They have a great team there and just a great vibe. The flight itself was wild ! I wish I didn't start to feel a little queasy so I could have pulled some more G's ! I will definitely be back ! Loved every second of it! Could have stayed there all day !

Milan Patel

My wife booked 'Flight of your life super ride' and one of the coolest things I've done. My instructor was Gaucho, and he was a cool dude! Walked me through everything we were going to do and guided me the whole way. The staff was really friendly and welcoming too. From the time I got there till I left, I felt well taken care of!

James Falconi

My children surprised me with a Christmas gift of the aerobatic mission. I am a private pilot and was ready to do some basic maneuvers like a roll or stall. Well, this ride was way more than I ever expected.
After being greeted by the staff and shown around the facility I sat on the observation deck and watched the air traffic. I was introduced to my instructor “Monty” for a preflight safety briefing. The briefing was very professional and thorough, including the maneuvers we would be performing and bailout procedures. Monty walked me to the plane, the staff set me up with a parachute, strapped me in, and had me repeat the bailout steps.
Monty sat in the back seat, and I sat in the front. After takeoff Monty turned over control, and I flew out to the practice area as he explained what we would be doing. He showed me a maneuver then had me take control to repeat it. What an insane experience!!! My expectations were to do some basic rolls; heck no, I got the “Full Monty”. The plane is an Extra 300 and it is a horse; so much power to weight ratio, something I had never experienced.
Get ready for the ride of a lifetime. Your instructor will talk you through the maneuver, let you perform it and assure you that you cannot get into anything that is “unrecoverable”. Without revealing too much information, the ride can be as calm as you want, or you can get the “Full Monty”. It’s a week later, and I am still reveling in the whole experience and watching the videos of the flight.
From the time you arrive until you calm down and leave the facility, this is a five-star event. A big shout out to all the staff for making this a wonderful once in a lifetime experience. A special thanks to my son and daughter for getting me this gift.

Michael Cocanower

Had the experience of a lifetime last week flying a simulated combat mission with Otter. What an amazing experience and I can't say enough good things not only about Otter as a pilot and instructor, but also about FCI overall - I have rarely seen such a highly executing and well run organization. I will tell anyone who will listen about what an amazing time I had with my flight with FCI and the team. HIGHLY recommended!

Dan

I've never flown a plane before and jumped into the advanced air combat mission - it was insane fun! An experienced and fun-hungry pilot sits in the back seat and you sit in the front. He shows you a maneuver then you take control and repeat. Then you go into a combat setting and the reigns are yours to take down the other plane in the sky! Your plane is equipped with lasers and a sight and when you hit the target smoke comes out of their plane! It seems crazy this is allowed for the general public but the planes are the most capable acrobatic planes bar-none and the pilots in the back make sure you don't expose yourself to anything unsafe. These planes get tossed around, flipped, stalled, etc. and they get corrected as though it never happened. If you communicate your stomach/head status to your co-pilot they will keep your flight to your physical abilities...if you want to be aggressive...you push g's until you pass out! The dark stars were creeping into my vision twice during my flight but I hung on and stayed conscious haha sounds insane but if you are an adventure seeker this is an absolute must! Take a friend with you if you can so you can dogfight each other in the sky!

Gina Arnold

Rajib Hassan