a c t i v i t y r e v i e w | review by Bryant Martini, photos from Flightdeck
Flightdeck
Air Combat Center
M
y palms were sweating and my pulse was racing as I listened to the voice in
my head… “Three Zero Five, come left to heading of Two Niner Zero…Three
Zero Niner, check your six o’clock,” I heard in my aviation headset. Too
Late! Despite the warning in my aviation headset, I’d been hit. Going into
the death spiral wasn’t the worst part. The embarrassment was hearing the
laughter from a seventh grade girl who shot me! Minutes later, after being reset in the middle of
the dogfight, I exacted my revenge on her with a sparrow missile. “Go back to your Barbie Dolls,”
I whooped. One thing good pilots are known for is talking ‘Smack’. Absolutely one of the best
ways to spend an afternoon or evening is at Flightdeck where you learn to fly and dogfight in
advanced flight simulators.
Convenient Location
Flightdeck is located by The Honda Center and Anaheim Stadium, and within 10 minutes of
the Disneyland Resort. I’ve never taken a flying lesson but upon arrival, we were ushered into
the Officer’s Club, where observers can watch and listen to all of the action on video monitors
mounted on the wall. Despite having no experience flying a plane, simulated or real, I was soon
outfitted in a flight suit and trained to battle with several other pilots.
Our flight leader gave us our pre-flight briefing. Then, a crewman helped us up the ladder
and into our cockpit. A final review of the controls and we were ready to learn how to take off, fly
and dogfight with each other.
Cleared for Take Off
The canopy closes and it’s total silence until your engine starts. Your instructor’s voice checks
in with you and your squadron members as you line up on the runways. When your squadron is
cleared for take off, you throttle forward and side-by-side roll down the runway until you pull the
stick back and the wheels leave the ground.
You are flying the F-18 Hornet, one of the best-performing fighters ever made. You feel like
you’re on the pointed edge of a spear, soloing in a high-performance fighter on a fighter mission.
Your wingman is right behind you, and your squadron is counting on you.
Incredible Dogfight at 450mph
I love the thrill of a great roller coaster but flying an F-18 Hornet while traveling at 450mph and
100 feet off the deck is incredible. Before the first dogfight, I remember my instructor smiling and
telling me to relax. “I’m your eye in the sky, ace, and I’ll be with you all the way,” he stated.
This is a fun adventure for everyone. When will you ever get the chance to shoot your spouse,
children, parents or boss out of the air without getting in trouble? Who do you think will be the
ace in your squadron? You never know until you’re in the air doing battle. The thrill of a dogfight,
diving to the ‘deck’ and climbing to the right altitude to execute a maneuver to get your opponent
in your sights are experiences you’ll never forget. We even maneuvered takeoffs and landings at
night from an aircraft carrier, or ‘flat top’ as we new aviator aces call them!
Unforgettable Adventure
After our flight, we hung out in the officers club laughing and talking ‘smack’ with each other and
listening to the observers tell us what they were watching on the monitors while we were flying on
our ‘mission’. When we finally exited the hangar to resume our non-aviator lives, we all planned
to return for another mission. This is one adventure we’ll never forget, and if they make a sequel
to Top Gun, I’m ready! !
Flightdeck Air Combat Center, 1601 S. Sunkist St., Unit A, Anaheim. Hours: Wednesday thru Sunday, noon
to 8pm. (714) 937-1511. www.flightdeck1.com
June/July
2007
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