Scott Manley details his exhilarating experience flying with Jared Isaacman's Ghost Squadron, a private air force, over Montana. He recounts the initial disappointment of a planned flight in Isaacman's unique privately-owned MiG-29 being canceled due to an engine "chip light," a serious mechanical issue. However, this is overshadowed by two flights in an Alpha Jet, a twin-engine light jet trainer. The first flight involved an unscheduled five-ship formation flyover, while the second featured more dynamic maneuvers, including canyon flying, simulated "dogfighting," and basic aerobatics, with Scott taking control of the aircraft for turns and aileron rolls. The video highlights technical aspects of the MiG-29 (engine intakes, braking, flight control) and Alpha Jet, the unique operations of a private air force, and Scott's personal thrill of flying high-performance military jets, culminating in a deeply appreciative reflection on the entire experience.
My Thrilling Experience Flying with Ghost Squadron
0:00 Introduction to Ghost Squadron Flight: Scott Manley shares his experience flying a French Alpha Jet over Montana with Ghost Squadron, pulling G-forces and briefly taking controls. Jared Isaacman, a prominent figure in private spaceflight, is in the front seat.
1:10 The Pilot: Jared Isaacman: Introduction to Jared Isaacman, known for organizing Inspiration4 and Polaris Dawn, as the founder of Shift4 and owner of Draken International, a private air force with a collection of fast jets, including the only privately-owned MiG-29.
1:40 MiG-29 Flight Cancelled: Scott's highly anticipated flight in the MiG-29 was cancelled due to an engine "chip light," indicating metal debris in the oil system, a severe issue requiring engine shutdown and immediate landing. Scott had extensively studied the MiG-29 manual and simulator in preparation.
4:24 MiG-29 Cockpit and Features: A virtual tour of the MiG-29's cockpit, showcasing its heads-up display, Garmin primary flight display, wall-mounted throttle, bike-style brakes, combat controls, ejection seat, and its two-seater trainer configuration.
5:52 MiG-29 Control System & History: The MiG-29 uses a "not quite fly-by-wire" system with attitude/rate limiters and was developed by the Soviet Union in the 1970s as a counterpart to US F-16/F-15 jets.
7:11 Unique Engine Intakes: The MiG-29 features distinctive engine intakes that can close on the ground to prevent Foreign Object Debris (FOD) ingestion, with upper dorsal intakes providing air during low-speed operations.
8:33 Drogue Parachute for Landing: The aircraft is equipped with a parachute for slowing down and enabling short-field landings, necessitated by its powerful engines and smaller brakes.
9:30 Ghost Squadron Hangar & Aircraft: A glimpse into the Ghost Squadron hangar reveals various jets, including a Panavia Tornado (a favorite from Scott's youth), L39s, and Alpha Jets.
10:18 First Flight: Alpha Jet Flyover: Scott's first flight was an unscheduled flyover for a national anthem event. After an ejection seat briefing, he flew in an Alpha Jet as part of a five-ship V-shaped formation, using his iPhone 16 Pro for air-to-air photography.
13:03 Successful Flypast: Despite minor positional adjustments, the flypast was executed successfully, creating an impressive spectacle for the crowd.
14:37 Order 66 Cantina: Post-flight debriefing took place at the Star Wars-themed "Order 66 Cantina," featuring unique props inspired by military hardware, including jet engine flame tubes.
15:44 Day Two: Dynamic Alpha Jet Flight: The second day involved a more dynamic Alpha Jet flight, for which Scott had also reviewed the aircraft's manual to be a more prepared passenger.
16:42 Alpha Jet Specifications: A detailed overview of the Alpha Jet: a twin-engine light jet trainer/attack aircraft, first flown in 1973, weighing 5 tons empty, capable of 540 knots, with features like pressurized cockpits and integrated boarding hardware.
18:33 Cockpit Audio and GoPro Data: The flight captured cockpit audio and GoPro footage, which included embedded inertial measurement unit (IMU) data (G-meter, turn rate), though GPS data was unavailable.
20:19 Formation Takeoff (Day 2): A thrilling formation takeoff with three Alpha Jets, where trailing aircraft had to set their transponders to standby to prevent onboard collision warnings.
22:30 Dynamic Maneuvers and Terrain Warnings: The flight involved dynamic canyon flying, triggering persistent Garmin terrain warnings. Scott concentrated on anticipating the lead aircraft's movements to manage the G-forces.
24:46 "Dogfighting" and High-G Turns: The most dynamic segment included "dogfighting" maneuvers, with Scott trying to maintain a "dead six" position behind the lead aircraft, reflecting on the sustained high G-forces possible in jet aircraft.
27:43 Slot Roll and Scott Takes Control Again: A carefully executed slot roll (formation barrel roll) was performed, after which Scott again took control of the Alpha Jet to practice basic left/right turns and aileron rolls.
31:36 Final Approach and Landing: The flight concluded with a left break over the airfield, followed by a characteristically flat jet approach and landing.
33:32 Gratitude and Takeaways: Scott expresses profound gratitude to Jared Isaacman and the Polaris program/Ghost Squadron for an incredibly special and educational experience, which included numerous opportunities for stunning aviation photography.