Things to Do in Orange

The fighter plane's 300-horsepower engine lets out a roar, lifting the plane from the runway. Guiding the plane into the sky, the pilot pursues an enemy aircraft, following its maneuvers and attempting to lock on while the g-force exerted at a 600-mile-per-hour closure rate pushes each pilot back into their seat.

At Fighter Combat Inc, experienced pilots— most trained in military air combat—let guests feel what it's like to fly a plane and engage in aerial warfare. After supplying students with authentic flight suits, instructors teach tactical basics through a blend of classroom training, safety briefings, and lectures. An instructor then leads student pilots through one-on-one, in-air simulated combat that resembles sequences from Top Gun and The Adventures of Milo and Otis, coaching them to out-maneuver their opponent. Every facet of the experience upholds military protocol, and a camera mounted in the cockpit takes photos and records videos of clients operating the controls.

With pristine Newport Bay as the backdrop, more than 250 luxurious vessels and yachts from an array of exhibitors will be on display at the Lido Yacht Expo. Here you’ll see boats ranging from sport fishers and sailboats to cruisers and catamarans, and all of the boats are available for purchase. Yacht purveyors and sailing-based companies from all over the west will converge at the picturesque bay, ranging from San Diego’s South Coast Yachts to Marina del Rey’s Blue Pacific Boating. The 33-year-old expo also has booths with boating gear and complimentary shuttles to and from offsite parking lots.

Pacific Coast Hydrobikes equips seafarers to traverse the open water in upright, foot-powered vessels. Hydrobikes sit atop the water and move like their terrestrial counterparts, with riders pedaling them forward across the waves. The user-friendly craft’s seats are designed for comfort and its storage containers allow riders to cart along a picnic lunch or binoculars. Located right by Newport Bay, Pacific Coast Hydrobikes facilitates daytime jaunts that let patrons pedal past pelicans and sea lions or cast a fishing line in the hopes of hooking an exotic license plate.

Atop Pirate Coast Paddle Co.’s fleet of standup paddleboards, guests glide over the placid inlets of Newport Beach Back Bay in scenic excursions. The paddleboards—which look like slightly larger, heavier surfboards—offer a sturdy enough base for guests to stand upright and propel themselves with a single oar, an action that exercises core muscles better than doing sit-ups with a porpoise on your chest.

Led by a staff of nautical guides, paddleboarding tours send clients into the orange horizon during sunset paddle outings and enjoy an ocean view of the stars during full-moon SUP parties. Pirate Coast also offers private, semi-private, and group lessons. During all excursions, Pirate Coast provides boards and necessary equipment rentals, letting clients worry about how to stave off scurvy while on the ocean.

Trainer Bobby Howard brings more than 40 years of experience to Foxcroft Farm, including 14 he spent as a professional jockey competing in races such as the Kentucky Derby. He distributes this equine knowledge during private and group lessons, as well as hunter- and jumper-training programs.

Though Bobby and the other Foxcroft Farm instructors teach students of all ages, they specialize in teaching young riders. Unique opportunities for kids include seasonal camps, where they can learn everything from grooming to reasons why horses simply aren't a viable replacement for the family minivan.