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Gauntlet Warbirds – Sugar Grove

40-Minute Stunt Airplane Ride of Antique Warplane Ride (40% Off). Three Options Available.

from$234
Buy
No Longer Available
Fri Dec 02 05:59:59 UTC 2011
Value
$390
Discount
40%
You Save
$156
  • T460x279
  • Adrenaline
  • Once in a Lifetime

In a Nutshell

Antique warplanes & modern trick crafts piloted by certified instructors or riders slice through cloudscapes during 40-minute flights

The Fine Print

  • Expires Sep 1, 2012
  • Limit 3/person, may buy 5 addl as gifts. Limit 1/visit. Valid only for option purchased. 36hr cancellation notice or fee up to Groupon price may apply at appt. Must sign waiver. Must be 18 or older. 260lbs weight max. 6'2" height max for Extra 300L option.
  • See the rules that apply to all deals.

With pterodactyl hang-gliding fading in popularity over the last 65 million years, humans have had to turn to other forms of flight to satisfy aerial urges. Take to the skies with today's Groupon to Gauntlet Warbirds in Sugar Grove. Choose between the following options:

  • For $234, you get a 40-Minute Extra 300L airplane ride (a $390 value).
  • For $234, you get a 40-minute Boeing Stearman airplane ride (a $390 value).
  • For $312, you get a 40-Minute T-6 Texan airplane ride (a $520 value).

Passengers of Gauntlet Warbirds stroll the sidewalks of the stratosphere in their choice of aircraft, skimming the clouds high above the skyscrapers of downtown Chicago. Customers can pull off barrel rolls at a rate of 360 degrees per second in the Extra 300L, a certified aerobatic plane, or strap into the cockpit of one of two of the World War II training craft the T-6 Texan and perform military-style maneuvers. The Boeing Stearman's low-flying capabilities and its sturdy construction made it a popular training craft in World War II and a thrilling ride in today's world of airborne transportation. Before venturing into the wild blue yonder, one of Gauntlet Warbirds' experienced instructor pilots sit down with first-time flyers to discuss and design an ideal 40-minute flight, complete with wingovers, tailslides, torque rolls, snap rolls, and maki rolls.

After strapping on flight gear and taking to the sky, amateur aerialists can either let the instructor pilot the plane or grab the controls themselves, steering the bird under the instructor's tutelage. Once the plane has returned to terra firma, customers can snap photos with the aircraft while wearing their flight gear. Riders can also purchase a video of their ride ($60, not included in this Groupon) as proof of their victory over a bald eagle in a midair wing-wrestling match.

Gauntlet Warbirds

The T-6 Texan isn't like most of the airplanes you see on the runway. For starters, it only has two seats. Then there’s the US Military aircraft crest stamped on the side of its mustard-yellow frame—a reminder of the warplane's years of service, from the 1930s to the '50s, when it carried three 30-caliber machine guns and a 400-pound bomb-load. A 1944 T-6 Texan is part of the fleet of fliers at Gauntlet Warbirds, a flight-instruction center that specializes in warplanes and aerobatic aircraft.

Chief pilot Greg Morris has been flying for more than 15 years and teaching for 10. He has a degree in aerospace engineering from USC and was awarded Master CFI-Aerobatic by the National Association of Flight Instructors. He continues to teach the T-6 to aspiring Air Force test pilots and flight-test engineers at test-pilot school as part of the Qualitative Evaulation program. Morris and his team of seasoned instructors copilot joyrides and offer training programs for mastering each aircraft in their fleet, which, in addition to the aforementioned T-6 Texan, includes the 1942 Boeing N2S Stearman, the L-39 Eastern block military jet, as well as aerobatic stunt planes such as the Yak-52, Extra 300L, Bellanca Decathlon, and Super Decathlon, all of which credit their thrill-seeking ways to strict upbringings.

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Groupon Says

Dem_teaser_cat

The Groupon Guide to: Fancy Hamburgers

Hamburgers used to be the official food of the common man: everyday ground meat put to flame or, sometimes, simply confetti mixed with gravy and shaped into a crude disk shape. But, no more: hamburgers, like all foods in our country, have been given the gourmet treatment. Here are some of the top fancy burgers:

  • Winning Gold at the Burgerlympics: This burger has foie gras for buns, is made from Kobe beef, has blue cheese flown in from the rudest part of France, and is drizzled in ketchup so rich it’s legally recognized as blood in some of the worst hospitals. It is, of course, disgusting, but since when has that mattered?

  • The Fonz Burger: Served in a leather jacket, wearing sunglasses, brought to the table on a (complimentary) motorcycle, and only tastes good for about halfway through

  • The Extra-Delicious Burger: Not just Prime beef and not just grass-fed free-range beef, this burger is guaranteed to have been loved by a child at some point.

  • The You Burger: The latest in the custom food trend, this burger is formed in the exact size and shape as you were when you were born.

  • The Billion-Dollar Burger: Two kinds of lettuce

Are burgers happier when they involve sadness?

Gauntlet Warbirds

4.5 out of 5
Yelp (9 Reviews)
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  • A

    Sugar Grove

    43 W 514 US Hwy. 30
    Sugar Grove, Illinois 60554
    (630) 999-2044
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