Gallery: That Time I Blacked Out Pulling 4 G's in a Stunt Jet

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    Katsuhiko Tokunaga
    01

    BJT-Sonoma 5-Katsuhiko Tokunaga

    The Breitling Jet Team puts on the fastest, loudest, coolest ballet you'll ever see.
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    Katsuhiko Tokunaga
    02

    BJT-Sonoma 9-Katsuhiko Tokunaga

    The world’s largest civilian jet demonstration team, sponsored by the Swiss watch maker, is six months into its first tour of the United States.
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    Katsuhiko Tokunaga
    03

    BJT-Sonoma 12-Katsuhiko Tokunaga

    Seven pilots, each in a L-39C Albatros jet, execute loops and barrel rolls and other feats of derring-do at more than 500 mph.
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    Katsuhiko Tokunaga
    04

    Aero

    The Czech-built L-39 can hit a ceiling of 36,000 feet and 565 mph in a dive.
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    Katsuhiko Tokunaga
    05

    Aero

    What makes their show truly impressive is that they do it in perfect unison, with as little as 10 feet separating one plane from the next.
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    Katsuhiko Tokunaga
    06

    Aero

    Nearly all the pilots are French air force veterans.
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    Katsuhiko Tokunaga
    07

    Aero

    Some saw combat in Bosnia and the first Gulf War, or flew for the Patrouille de France, the country’s Blue Angels equivalent.
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    Katsuhiko Tokunaga
    08

    BJT-Sonoma 29-Katsuhiko Tokunaga

    Team leader Jacques "Speedy" Bothelin is the one exception. He went the civilian route, and amassed one hell of a CV: More than 11,000 hours in 145 types of aircraft.
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    Katsuhiko Tokunaga
    09

    Aero

    I went up with the team for a flight over Northern California.
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    Katsuhiko Tokunaga
    10

    BJT-Sonoma 20-Katsuhiko Tokunaga

    The L-39 is a trainer jet, which means my seat has a full set of controls.
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    Katsuhiko Tokunaga
    11

    BJT-Sonoma 19-Katsuhiko Tokunaga

    I'm strictly forbidden from touching any of them, which is just fine by me.
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    Katsuhiko Tokunaga
    12

    BJT-Sonoma 21-Katsuhiko Tokunaga

    There's one exception: If my pilot yells "Eject!", I am to grab the two red handles between my thighs and pull. Hard.
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    Katsuhiko Tokunaga
    13

    BJT-Sonoma 8-Katsuhiko Tokunaga-2

    Flying straight up delivered roughly four times the force of gravity to my body.
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    Katsuhiko Tokunaga
    14

    Aero

    That is, among other things, enough to impede the flow of blood to my retinas and black out my vision.
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    Katsuhiko Tokunaga
    15

    BJT-Sonoma 4-Katsuhiko Tokunaga

    I feel like chewed gum being slowly, ruthlessly pulled apart.
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