Air Combat Challenge – Mayor vs. Mayor

April 4, 2003 by pransbury
Filed under Press Releases

Fighter Combat International Ribbon Cutting Features Arizona Mayors in Head-to-Head Air Combat at Williams Gateway Airport

Mesa, Ariz–Aerial adventure provider and expert flight training organization Fighter Combat International (FCI) is pleased to celebrate the official opening of the its world headquarters in an all-new Himovitz Properties $3-million hangar/office facility at Williams Gateway Airport (IWA) on Wednesday, April 9, at 11:00 a.m. To kick off the event, Airport Board Members–Mesa Mayor Keno Hawker, Queen Creek Mayor Wendy Feldman-Kerr and Gilbert Mayor Steve Berman—will participate in a “Mayors in Combat Challenge.” These fearless elected officials are launching prior to the ribbon cutting in real aircraft for a “knock’em down, drag’em out” air combat adventure with real F-16 and F-18 fighter pilots using the Extra 300L, the highest performance certified aerobatic aircraft in the world.

The three mayors will begin with a compressed 30-minute tactical briefing with FCI fighter pilots at 9:00 a.m. where they will receive their “call signs” and “flight suits” for the day. The aircraft will launch at 9:30 a.m. towards the Superstition Mountains where the combat event will take place. The guest fighter pilots, Mayors Berman, Feldman-Kerr and Hawker, will get a hands-on refresher from FCI’s fighter pilot instructors prior to engaging in a real dogfight against each other in head-to-head fun-filled battle. The aircraft will return to the IWA for a hero’s arrival battle-break approach (low altitude, high speed, formation fly-by) landing at 10:30 a.m. to review in-cockpit videos tapes and determine the winner before preceding with the 11 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“As we enter or 10th year of combined international business, the entire Fighter Combat team is excited to be kicking off our third full-time season in Arizona at the Williams Gateway Airport,” said company President Paul “BJ” Ransbury. “This new state-of-the-art facility is a hallmark in the growth and development of our international flight training and adventure company. An on-going goal for our organization is the promotion of economic growth through elevated consumer spending in the tourism, flight training and corporate incentive marketplaces.”

In addition to a short presentation by FCI company president and other guest speakers, the event will feature a four-ship formation fly-by at 11:15 a.m., interaction with real military-trained fighter pilots, aviation and military memorabilia displays, aerial combat video, facility tours, adventure highlight screenings, and refreshments. Media is welcome to attend. For more information, contact BJ Ransbury at: 480-279-1881.

ABOUT FIGHTER COMBAT INTERNATIONAL (FCI)

FCI is an aerial adventure and flight training company that provides a wide spectrum of aviation services. Adventure-seekers can experience Flight of Your Life aerobatic rides and our premier adventure, the Aerial Combat Mission – a true dogfight. Guest pilots have the opportunity to fly 75 percent of the flight. This is not a simulation and no flying experience is required. FCI Emergency Maneuver Training, a division of Fighter Combat International, specializes in teaching pilots of all experience levels how to recognize, avoid and recover from unusual flight conditions. Each pilot is an experienced fighter pilot with multiple tours of military flight duty and thousands of flying hours. For more information, please visit FCI online at:

www.fightercombat.com or APS Emergency Maneuver training – www.apstraining.com

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