Fighter jet flights
Fly a MiG-15 Fagot
The Soviet jet that gave Western pilots their first serious shock over Korea, and one of the most-produced jet fighters ever built. You fly a two-seat MiG-15 from Hradec Králové, about an hour from Prague, with a qualified pilot, and no licence is required.
Locations
1
From
£2,400 / $3,200 / €2,850
Sortie
20 min
G-range
+4 to +8
Hands on
Yes
What a MiG-15 flight involves
You fly with a qualified pilot in a two-seat MiG-15, with no licence or flying experience required. Every flight includes ground school, a flight suit, a helmet and pre-flight medical screening.
The MiG-15 is subsonic, reaching Mach 0.89, but it is a genuine first-generation combat jet rather than a trainer. Aerobatic profiles typically reach four to eight positive G, and you are taught the anti-G straining manoeuvre before you fly. What happens in the air is agreed with your pilot beforehand and can be adjusted at any point.
The MiG-15 has dual controls, and pilots routinely hand over in level flight and gentle turns once satisfied you are comfortable. Takeoff, landing and low-level flying stay with the pilot.
About the aircraft
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 Fagot is a Soviet first-generation swept-wing jet fighter, first flown on 30 December 1947. Production exceeded 13,000 airframes, and more than 18,000 including licence-built examples, making it one of the most-produced jets ever.
It fought over Korea from 1950, where it outclassed every United Nations aircraft except the F-86 Sabre and forced the B-29 out of daylight operations. More than forty air forces flew it, and airworthy two-seat examples fly today in civilian hands.
Can you buy a MiG-15?
Yes. A small number of ex-military MiG-15s fly in private hands in the United States and Europe as warbirds, most of them two-seat MiG-15UTIs or Polish-built Lim versions and their two-seat SBLim conversions. Airworthy examples rarely come up for sale, and owning one needs a qualified jet pilot and specialist maintenance, so a passenger flight is the practical way to fly in one.
Full specification in the hangarOrigin
Soviet Union
First flight
1947
Top speed
1,075 km/h
Ceiling
15,500 m
Built
13,000+
Seats
1 (2 in trainer)
Can you fly in a MiG-15?
Limits are set by the ejection seat, not by the operator, so they are fixed by the aircraft and cannot be waived. Figures below are typical and are confirmed at booking.
Age
Confirmed at booking.
Weight
Typically up to 105–120 kg, set by the ejection seat.
Height
Typically 157–193 cm, seat-limited.
Medical
Pre-flight medical screening. Heart conditions, severe high blood pressure and recent surgery are typical exclusions.
Experience
None required. No licence, no prior flying.
Lead time
Typically six to ten weeks
Where you can fly one
One location, Hradec Králové in the Czech Republic, about an hour from Prague. Prices and availability are listed in the store.
MiG-15 Fagot history
Mikoyan-Gurevich began work on the MiG-15 in 1946, to give the Soviet Union a high-altitude interceptor that could stop American strategic bombers. Two things made it possible: captured German research into swept wings, and the Rolls-Royce Nene jet engine, which Britain exported to the Soviet Union soon after the war and which was copied as the Klimov RD-45 and later the VK-1.
The prototype first flew on 30 December 1947. At a time when many fighters still had straight wings, the MiG-15's 35-degree swept wing gave it speed and a rate of climb that changed fighter design. NATO gave it the reporting name Fagot, and its success led directly to the MiG-17.
More than 13,000 MiG-15s were built in the Soviet Union, and over 18,000 including licence production in Czechoslovakia and Poland. That makes it one of the most-produced jet fighters in history, and it served with more than forty air forces.
MiG-15 armament
The MiG-15 was built to destroy bombers, so it carried heavy cannon rather than machine guns: one 37 mm N-37 cannon with about 40 rounds and two 23 mm cannon with about 80 rounds each. A few hits from the 37 mm gun could bring down a B-29.
The guns fired slowly, which made fast-moving fighters harder to hit, and that was one of the trade-offs of the design. Later versions could also carry two small bombs or drop tanks under the wings for ground attack and longer range. The two-seat MiG-15UTI flown with passengers today is unarmed.
MiG-15 armament
37 mm N-37 cannon
1, about 40 rounds
23 mm cannon
2, about 80 rounds each
Underwing stores
2 bombs or drop tanks
Passenger MiG-15UTI
Unarmed
MiG-15 vs F-86 Sabre
The MiG-15 and the North American F-86 Sabre were developed at almost the same time and look strikingly alike, with a nose air intake and swept wings. They met over Korea from late 1950 in some of the first large jet-versus-jet battles.
The MiG-15 could climb faster and fly higher, and its cannon hit harder. The Sabre had better high-speed handling, a radar-ranging gunsight and six .50-calibre machine guns that fired much faster. Pilot training mattered as much as the aircraft, and the Sabre ended the war with the stronger record.
About 10,000 F-86s were built, the most of any Western jet fighter of its era. The Sabre left frontline service decades ago, while two-seat MiG-15s remained in use as advanced trainers much longer.
MiG-15 speed, size and NATO name
How fast is a MiG-15?
The MiG-15bis reaches about 1,075 km/h (668 mph) and climbs to a service ceiling of about 15,500 m (50,900 ft). It is a compact fighter, 10.11 m long with a wingspan of 10.08 m, powered by a single Klimov VK-1 centrifugal-flow turbojet.
What is the MiG-15's NATO name?
NATO gave the MiG-15 fighter the reporting name Fagot, and the two-seat MiG-15UTI trainer the name Midget. Under NATO's system, fighters were given names beginning with F, and miscellaneous types, including trainers, names beginning with M. Its successor, the MiG-17, became Fresco.
MiG-15 at a glance
Top speed
About 1,075 km/h
Service ceiling
About 15,500 m
Length
10.11 m
Wingspan
10.08 m
Engine
Klimov VK-1 turbojet
NATO name
Fagot (trainer: Midget)
MiG-15 vs MiG-17 and F9F Panther
MiG-15 vs MiG-17
The MiG-17 was Mikoyan-Gurevich's development of the MiG-15, first flown in January 1950 and in service from 1952. It has a longer fuselage and a thinner wing swept at 45 degrees inboard, against the MiG-15's 35, which cured the MiG-15's poor handling close to Mach 1. The MiG-17F added an afterburner, and over Vietnam the type proved a dangerous opponent for far heavier American jets.
MiG-15 vs F9F Panther
The Grumman F9F Panther was the US Navy's main carrier jet fighter over Korea. Its straight wing made it slower than the swept-wing MiG-15 at altitude, but on 9 November 1950 Lieutenant Commander William Amen, flying a Panther from USS Philippine Sea, shot down a MiG-15, the US Navy's first jet-versus-jet victory.
MiG-15 in later wars
After Korea, MiG-15s and their successor the MiG-17 fought in the Middle East and the Taiwan Strait. Over Vietnam, the nimble MiG-17 proved a difficult opponent for much bigger and faster American jets such as the F-105 Thunderchief and the F-4 Phantom II, because a small, agile fighter could turn inside them at close range.
MiG-15 variants
The MiG-15 was built in many versions for different roles and export customers. The main ones are:
MiG-15bis: the improved standard fighter, with the more powerful VK-1 engine.
MiG-15UTI: the two-seat trainer, NATO name Midget. It became the standard Soviet-bloc jet conversion trainer for decades, and it is the version passengers fly in today.
MiG-15P, MiG-15SB and MiG-15bisR: all-weather interceptor, fighter-bomber and reconnaissance versions of the bis.
S-102 and S-103: licence-built versions from Czechoslovakia, where the aircraft has a long history.
Flying the MiG-15 Fagot
What is a MiG-15 like to fly in?
The MiG-15 is a genuine fighter with sharp performance for its age. It reaches Mach 0.89 and could out-climb the American F-86 Sabre it faced over Korea, though the Sabre handled better at high speed.
Is the MiG-15 a real fighter jet?
Yes, the MiG-15 is a real fighter jet. It is a first-generation combat fighter, not a trainer, that fought over Korea from 1950 and served with more than forty air forces. Passenger flights use a two-seat example.
Do I get to fly the MiG-15 myself?
Yes, in most cases you can fly the MiG-15 yourself. It has dual controls, and pilots routinely hand over in level flight and gentle turns once satisfied you are comfortable. Take-off, landing and low-level flying stay with the pilot.
How much G-force does a MiG-15 flight pull?
An aerobatic MiG-15 flight typically pulls four to eight positive G in sustained turns and down to around minus four G. You are taught the anti-G straining manoeuvre before you fly.
Where can I fly a MiG-15?
You can fly a MiG-15 from Hradec Králové in the Czech Republic, about an hour from Prague. It is currently the only MiG-15 location on the Jetify roster.
How does the MiG-15 compare to the Hawker Hunter?
The Hawker Hunter is quicker than the MiG-15, at Mach 0.94 against Mach 0.89, and costs more than twice as much, from around £6,400, $8,500 or €7,600 against around £2,400, $3,200 or €2,850. Both are genuine fighters rather than trainers.
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