Ever wondered what it would be like to fly a MiG-29 Fighter Jet to the edge of space?
Maybe a crazy question. For Mavericks, a perfectly fantastic idea—and one that caught like wildfire once it got kicked around. And of course we Mavericks aren’t big on sitting around wondering for long. We are big on packing our bags, grabbing our Big Lists, and seeing what additional mayhem we can add along the way.
Case in point: Russia.
Last September, eight crazy Mavericks and one Maverick Matroyshka journeyed to Russia, to share more than a few life-changing experiences together … and sample a “few” sips of vodka from the homeland. There were:
The Maverick MiG Crew
Russia, September 2012
Yanik Silver, Maverick Chief Instigator
Sophia Umanski, Maverick Matroyshka
Mike Filsaime, M1000 Member #1
Vishen Lakhiani, M1000 Member #85
William Lee, M1000 Member #100
Ben Roy, M1000 Member #106
Jeff Seigel, M1000 Member #110
Matt Curry, M1000 Member #142
Pete Bennett, M1000 Member #170
What does flying a MiG feel like?
Here’s a little recap from Maverick Will Lee.
Nizhny Novgorod, Russia – 2012 MIG-29
William Lee, Maverick1000 Member #100
There is so much in life to experience, and flying a fighter jet to the edge of space is most certainly one of them. It’s really cool to share these kind of experiences with friends, and this year, I got the chance to do what I have been wanting to do for years.
Of the handful of people I have shared this with before embarking on the trip to Russia, I get a few ‘Why…” — as in why are you doing this? Dumbfounded, I ask:
“Why ask me why? Ask me how.”
I suppose not all people may understand why one would risk their life to do something as crazy as flying a fighter jet.
I recall as a young, scrawny, little boy… the amount of enthusiasm towards life I had. Near fearless, life appeared to be with few boundaries. In hindsight I’d probably give more gravity to being more naive than fearless. Despite, as ‘life’ progressed, I seem to have lost this perspective and attitude.
Where did that youthful enthusiasm for life gone to? As I discover new breakthroughs in my life, I am now in a space where I can embrace adventure, even when my mind says, “Yikes!” So, I consider this as a means in making up for lost times.
There is NOTHING like flying acrobatics with a fighter jet in the world that I’ve come across, or know about to date. To be driving with the F-1 racers of the sky, to witness the stratosphere and see the curvature of the earth is truly incredible.
And one has to wonder…. If I could reach my arms up outside the cockpit, could I… could I really touch it? Could I really touch Space? Unreal.
Here’s the flight plan:
Takeoff. Afterburners at I think was around 30,000 feet. Hit Mach 1.9. Reach 20,000M (thats over 65,000 feet). Watch the curvature of the earth, witness the stratosphere (right before zero-oxygen space). We were at the edge of the earth. Sheeeeeet.
Descend. Acrobatics. Pulling G’s like nothing else I’ve experienced to date. My max G-force was 8.2. ‘G’ as in gravitational. So we pulled over 8.2 times gravity. Sweeeeet!
When I do this again, my goal is to hit 9G’s. Just sayin’.
— William Lee, Maverick1000 Member #100
“The best trip of my life by a long way. The MiG trip was awesome, and I really enjoyed getting to know you and the other Mavericks. Thank you for making me feel so welcome. It’s really given me the inspiration to keep upping my game and making more money for myself, so I can continue to be a part of the group and contribute.” — Maverick Pete Bennett
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