Fighter jet flights
Fly a MiG-29 Fulcrum
The Mikoyan MiG-29 Fulcrum is one of the few supersonic fighters ever offered to paying passengers. Flights in the two-seat MiG-29UB, including the Edge of Space programme, ran from Russia and are not currently bookable.
Locations
None
From
Unavailable
Sortie
25 or 45 min
G-range
Up to +9
Hands on
Limited
What a MiG-29 flight involves
Flights operated in the two-seat MiG-29UB, a training variant without radar. You flew with an experienced pilot after a short health examination, a meeting with the pilot and a safety briefing on the flight rules.
Two programmes ran: a 25-minute aerobatic sortie, and a 45-minute flight with supersonic aerobatics or the Edge of Space profile, climbing into the stratosphere. Edge of Space was the more popular.
Limited handling was permitted in level flight. Takeoff and landing stayed with the pilot. These flights are not currently bookable.
How high did the MiG-29 Edge of Space flight go?
Edge of Space flights were guaranteed to reach 17,000 m (about 56,000 ft) and could climb higher in good conditions, to the point where the sky turns dark blue and the curvature of the Earth is visible. The pilot accelerated to supersonic speed before pulling up into the climb, so the flight also took you through the sound barrier.
Why can't you book a MiG-29 flight today?
Every civilian MiG-29 flight sold to the public flew from airfields in Russia, first at Zhukovsky near Moscow and later at the Sokol airfield in Nizhny Novgorod, and Jetify does not currently offer flights there. For a genuine Cold War fighter you can book now, the Hawker Hunter from Sion in Switzerland is the fastest jet Jetify offers, and the MiG-15 from the Czech Republic is the closest Soviet-built alternative.
About the aircraft
The Mikoyan MiG-29 Fulcrum is a Soviet twin-engine fighter, first flown in 1977 and in service from 1982. Designed to counter the American F-15 and F-16, it is known for close-in agility and a helmet-mounted sight, and more than twenty-five air forces have flown it.
Two crew sit in tandem in the MiG-29UB, the training variant used for passenger flights. It lacks the radar fitted to combat versions, and it flew passengers from Russia.
When was the MiG-29 made, and who makes it?
The MiG-29 was designed in the 1970s by the Mikoyan design bureau in Moscow, now part of Russia's United Aircraft Corporation. The first prototype flew on 6 October 1977 and the type entered Soviet service in the early 1980s, so the basic design is more than forty years old. Upgraded versions such as the MiG-29SMT, the carrier-based MiG-29K and the MiG-35 have kept it in production and service.
Full specification in the hangarOrigin
Soviet Union
First flight
1977
Top speed
2,400 km/h
Ceiling
18,000 m
Built
1,600+
Seats
1 (2 in UB)
Can you fly in a MiG-29?
These flights are not currently bookable. Limits are set by the ejection seat rather than the operator. The figures below are typical and would be confirmed at booking if flights resume.
Age
To be confirmed if flights resume.
Weight
Typically up to 105–120 kg, set by the ejection seat.
Height
Typically 157–193 cm, seat-limited.
Medical
A health examination before flight. Heart conditions, severe high blood pressure and recent surgery are typical exclusions.
Experience
None required. No licence, no prior flying.
Lead time
Historically about two months, to clear passport details with the airbase.
Where the MiG-29 has flown
MiG-29 flights ran from one location, the Sokol plant airfield at Nizhny Novgorod in Russia. They are not currently offered, so there is nothing to book at present.
MiG-29 Fulcrum history
The MiG-29 came out of a Soviet requirement in the early 1970s for a new generation of fighters to answer the American F-15 and the lightweight fighters that became the F-16. The work was split in two. Sukhoi took the heavy, long-range role and built the Su-27, while Mikoyan took the lighter tactical role and built the MiG-29.
The first prototype flew on 6 October 1977 and the type entered Soviet service in 1982. NATO gave it the reporting name Fulcrum. It caused a stir in the West at the 1988 Farnborough Airshow, where tail-slides and very low-speed manoeuvring showed handling few Western fighters of the time could match.
More than 1,600 MiG-29s have been built, and more than twenty-five air forces have flown the type, including Russia, India, Poland, Algeria and Ukraine. Later upgrades such as the MiG-29SMT and the carrier-based MiG-29K added new avionics, multirole weapons and longer airframe lives, and these 4+ generation versions still serve alongside fifth-generation fighters today.
MiG-29 size, speed and cost
How fast is a MiG-29?
The MiG-29 reaches Mach 2.25 at altitude, about 2,400 km/h or 1,490 mph, and around Mach 1.2 at sea level. Its service ceiling is about 18,000 m (59,100 ft), and lightly loaded it has more thrust than weight, so it can accelerate while climbing vertically.
How big is a MiG-29?
The MiG-29 is 17.32 m (56 ft 10 in) long, with a wingspan of 11.36 m (37 ft 3 in). It weighs about 11,000 kg empty and is powered by two Klimov RD-33 afterburning turbofans. Its combat radius is around 700 km on internal fuel.
How much does a MiG-29 cost?
A new MiG-29 has typically been quoted at around $22 million, depending on the version and the customer. Used airframes sell for far less: in 2019 a low-hours MiG-29 was advertised for sale at about $4.65 million. Running and maintenance costs, not the purchase price, are why so few fly outside air forces.
MiG-29 at a glance
Top speed
Mach 2.25
Service ceiling
18,000 m
Length
17.32 m
Wingspan
11.36 m
Engines
2 × Klimov RD-33
New unit cost
About $22 million
MiG-29 armament
Combat versions of the MiG-29 carry a single 30 mm GSh-30-1 cannon in the left wing root and six underwing pylons, eight on some later versions, for up to about 4,000 kg of weapons. Typical loads are R-73 short-range missiles, which the pilot can aim with a helmet-mounted sight, and R-27 medium-range missiles, plus rockets, bombs and drop tanks.
The two-seat MiG-29UB used for passenger flights has no radar and is flown unarmed.
MiG-29 vs its Western rivals
The MiG-29 was built to fight the same generation of aircraft as the F-16 Fighting Falcon and the F/A-18 Hornet, and it is often compared with the French Mirage 2000.
MiG-29 vs F-16
The MiG-29 is the bigger and faster aircraft, with two engines against the F-16's one and a top speed of Mach 2.25 against about Mach 2. The F-16 carries a heavier and wider range of weapons on nine hardpoints, and it brought fly-by-wire controls into frontline service. At close range, the MiG-29's helmet-mounted sight and R-73 missile gave it an advantage that surprised NATO pilots when they first trained against it.
MiG-29 vs F/A-18 Hornet
The F/A-18 Hornet is close in size and also has two engines, but it was designed to fly from aircraft carriers. It is slower, at about Mach 1.8, and carries a wider range of strike and anti-ship weapons. The MiG-29 was optimised for close air combat from land bases; the Hornet for flexibility at sea.
Head to head
MiG-29 top speed
Mach 2.25
F-16 top speed
About Mach 2
F/A-18 Hornet top speed
About Mach 1.8
MiG-29 engines
2
F-16 engines
1
F-16 hardpoints
9
MiG-29 variants and the MiG-29UB
The MiG-29 has been built in more than a dozen major versions. The main ones are the original MiG-29, the MiG-29S with improved radar and weapons, the MiG-29SMT upgrade, the naval MiG-29K and MiG-29KUB, and the MiG-35.
The MiG-29UB is the two-seat trainer, with NATO reporting name Fulcrum-B. It has a second cockpit, no radar and an infrared sensor only. That is why it is the version used for civilian flights: the passenger sits in one cockpit with a qualified pilot in the other.
Can a civilian fly or own a MiG-29?
Yes, but very few have. Civilian passenger flights in the MiG-29UB ran from the Sokol plant airfield at Nizhny Novgorod in Russia for many years, including the Edge of Space profile that climbed into the stratosphere. Those flights are not currently bookable through Jetify.
Private ownership is rarer still. Air USA, an Illinois company owned by Don Kirlin, made the first flight of a privately owned MiG-29 in December 2010. In 2024 Jared Isaacman was flying what was described as the only civilian MiG-29 in North America, and restoring two more MiG-29UBs.
If you want to fly in a genuine fighter jet today, the closest bookable alternatives are the Hawker Hunter from Sion in Switzerland and the MiG-15 from Hradec Králové in the Czech Republic.
Civilian MiG-29s
First private MiG-29 flight
December 2010
Passenger flights flew from
Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
Bookable through Jetify
Not currently
Closest alternatives
Hawker Hunter, MiG-15
Flying the MiG-29
What is a MiG-29 like to fly in?
The MiG-29 is fast and agile to fly in. It reaches Mach 2.25 and, lightly loaded, can accelerate while climbing vertically. It became famous in the West for the tail-slide and cobra manoeuvres shown at air shows from 1988.
Is the MiG-29 a real fighter jet?
Yes, the MiG-29 is a real fighter jet. It is a frontline multirole fighter flown by more than twenty-five air forces, with combat service from the Gulf War to Ukraine. Passenger flights used the two-seat MiG-29UB, a trainer variant without radar.
Do I get to fly the MiG-29 myself?
No, not in full. On MiG-29 passenger flights that operated, limited handling was permitted in level flight, while take-off, landing and manoeuvring stayed with the pilot. No MiG-29 flights are currently bookable.
How much G-force does a MiG-29 flight pull?
A MiG-29 passenger flight typically pulled four to eight positive G on aerobatic profiles; the airframe is rated to +9 G. The Edge of Space profile traded manoeuvring for altitude and was physically far easier.
Where could you fly a MiG-29?
MiG-29 passenger flights ran from a single location, the Sokol plant airfield at Nizhny Novgorod in Russia, where the two-seat MiG-29UB is built. MiG-29 flights are not currently offered.
How does the MiG-29 compare to the Hawker Hunter?
The MiG-29 reaches Mach 2.25 against the Hawker Hunter's Mach 0.94. The practical difference is availability: the Hunter flies today from Sion in Switzerland, from around £6,400, $8,500 or €7,600, and the MiG-29 is not currently bookable.
Other aircraft you can fly
Hawker Hunter
Switzerland · from £6,400 / $8,500 / €7,600
The fastest aircraft bookable today.
MiG-15 Fagot
Hradec Králové · from £2,400 / $3,200 / €2,850
A first-generation combat jet, not a trainer.
