FAQ

No. SkyThrills gives you the opportunity to actually fly our world-class airplanes hands-on for up to 90% of the flight time - even if you have never stepped foot in an aircraft before. You will learn everything you need to know on the day; and will have a very experienced flight instructor with you at all times who will keep you safe and ensure that you have as much fun as possible.

Flying aerobatics is extremely exciting, yet totally safe. We would not put you or ourselves into an unsafe situation. We have been in this business for over a decade, and have executed thousands of extreme thrill rides successfully. We have an impeccable safety record, and only employ highly experienced pilots to fly our customers. We are fully insured, and all of our aircraft are meticulously maintained to be safe and airworthy at all times.

Yes. You will be at the controls for as much as 90% of your time in the aircraft. Everything except for the takeoff and the landing will by flown by you.

No. You are more than welcome to sit back and relax, and let your expert aerobatic pilot fly all of the maneuvers for you, or you can choose to fly the controls with him as he talks you through each maneuver. Our goal is to get you on the controls as much as you are comfortable with. We will not force you to do anything you are not comfortable with.

We recommend that you wear something easy to change out of. We do not allow anything in the cockpit that can break loose such as keys, change, pens, earrings, etc. We wear t-shirts and undershorts under our flight suits and thin rubber soled shoes like racing shoes.

Yes. It's a common misconception that flying on an empty stomach suppresses motion sickness, when in fact the complete opposite is true. You should definitely eat something before you fly. Eat light, small amounts of healthy foods. High carb and high protein is ideal. Or power bars are good right before you go up if you don't get a chance to eat a meal.

Avoid drinking alcohol at least 12 hours before flying anything. It's not only a good idea, it's the law. The FAA says 8 hours minimum, we say 12 or more just to be safe. Avoiding alcohol will not only avoid feeling queasy during your flight, but it will make it much easier to really enjoy the complex task of flying a high-performance aircraft.

G-Force is a unit of measurement of the loads that we and our aircraft experience while maneuvering through the air. It's technically a centrifugal force pushing us straight down into our seats, and its how we measure this force relative to units of Gravity we feel here on Earth. The aircraft's structure is designed to be exposed to these load factors, and as a certified aerobatic aircraft, they must be able to withstand up to 9 Gs or 1.5 times the design limit. There are exercises that will help you cope with positive and negative G-Loads, and these will be explained during your pre-flight brief.

Not really, however you must be big enough to wear a parachute (approximately 4 feet and above), and be mature enough to operate it in the event of an emergency. We have flown children as young as eight years old, and adults as old as 85! We can also tone down the extremity of the ride to suit our customer's preferences.

All flights are flown out of the Fullerton Airport and are flown out over the Pacific Ocean between Long Beach Harbor, Palos Verdes, Point Fermin, and the Port of Los Angeles. This is an absolutely beautiful backdrop for your thrill of a lifetime!

Simply buy your chosen program online, and call or email us to arrange a suitable time to fly. We can fly weekends and during the week; and we normally need at least a weeks notice to schedule a weekend flight since they are very popular. Weekday flights can quite often be booked last minute.

Yes. When you place your order online, simply state in the notes section that you would like a gift certificate, and provide all the details (name of flyer, occasion, etc) and we will email it to you. Our gift certificates are valid for 1 year.

Everything. There are no additional costs to pay.