Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127655
By Kit Palmer NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, NV, FEB. 17 "First, we'll accelerate to about..oh, a little over 400 miles per hour. Then we'll pull four to five Gs and climb two miles - straight up." A h u ge grin forme d on Mike Kiedrowski's face. "After that we'll head to the mountain rang e where we'll perform 'a couple of aileron rolls , barre l rolls and loops. An d then, dep ending on how yo u' re feeling, we'll try for nine Gs. The plane's computer won't let us do any more than nine ." Th e pl ane Captain John Kei th SWitzer was referrin g to was a U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter jet, arguably the most sop histicated and maneu verable aircraft in th e w orld, a nd Team Kawasaki' s fou r-time National MX Champion Mike Kiedrowski was about to go up in one. There probably isn't a person in this worl d who hasn't d reamed of one day taking a ride in a jet fighter to experience wh a t is per haps the u lt ima te demonstration of speed, acceleration and ma neuverability . Last week, Kiedrowski became one of the fortunate few to h av e th is o nce-in -a-Iifeti me dream come true, and it all happened at Nellis AFB in the Nevada desert near Las Vegas. Not only is Nellis AFB one of the busiest and mo st active air force bases in the country, it is also home to the USAF's Thunderbird demonstration team. Bob Gonzalez, who works for Kawasaki's public relations firm, contacted the Thunderbirds, pulled all the ri ght strings and arranged for Kiedrowski to go up in one of the Thunderbirds' F-16s, for what would be a 3Dminute flight. There's more to being a passenger in an F-16 than just squeezing into the captain John Keith Switzer, the Narrator back seat and strapping on the (Above) With Mike Kiedrowski, sitting In the back seat, on the USAF Thunderbird demonstration team , at the controls, feh the awesome acceleration of the F-16 fighter harness. Kiedrowski was Jet at Nellis AFB near Las Vegas. Seconds later, traveling at more than 400 mph, Switzer pulled back on required to a ttend a rather the stick and the F-16 climbed straight up. (Inset) Kiedrowski moments before take-off. (Below) Before len gthy preflight bri efi n g, the flight, Kiedrowski met whh some of the children who attend school on the base. The kids were where he was fitted with a one- fascinated by Kiedrowski and his racing, as well as his Ferrari Testarossa that was parked outside. piece flight / gra vity (or G) suit, and a special helmet, which in cluded an oxygen mask. On ce comp letely familiarized with his equipment, Kiedrowski endured about a 3D -minute lecture involving wha t to do in case of an emergency - in other words, how to eject/bail out! Foll owing th is part of the briefing, Kiedrowski met his p il ot for th e fir st tim e, J.K. Sw itzer, th e m an who was going to give Kiedrowski the ride of his life. Usin g a small plastic model of an F-16, Sw itzer d emonstra ted the maneuvers they were going to perform and discu ssed all the final deta ils in vo l vin g t he flight. " Basically, it' s all up to you," said Switzer. "If you feel sick and don't want to do any maneuver, tha t's fine, just tell me. But you wo n 't have any problems; I've never had a passenger get sick on me." The pressure was on. Kiedrowski didn't want to be the first. don't worry," said Switzer. "That's just (most F-16s are single seaters) and was "We're also going to try for nine Cs," the pl an e's computer asking us if we strapped in. JW the while, less than 100 said Switzer. "That's nine times your really w an t to be doing what we're ya rds away, a large variety of fighter own weight - if you were to stand on a planes, including mili tary-colored F-15 doing, like going straight up. Yes, we scale at nine Gs, you 'd we ight abou t Eagles, F-4 Pha ntoms, A-lO Warthogs want to do it! We call that (warning 1600pounds." device) Bitching Betty." and a pair of F-117 Stealth fighters, were "It's like having William "The Refrigtaking off and landing. Out on the flight line, all eight of the erator" Perry (the famous NFL lineman) Soon, Switzer and Kiedrowski were beautiful red, white and blue-painted Fsitting on your lap:' joked one officer. 16 Th underbird jets were lined up . blasting down the runway, hugging the "Oh, by the way, if you hear 'warnKiedrowski climbed into the number deck at about 400 mph. As promised, ing, warning, warning' over the radio, eight plane, a special two-seat version Switzer pulled back on the stick and the