(ARA) - Ah, the holidays! Peace on earth, goodwill toward your fellow man ... and kill or be killed aerial combat.

What's that, you say? How does aerial combat fit into the holidays? Pulse-pounding airborne combat fits perfectly with the holidays, when you give it as a one-of-a-kind gift.

While some Americans will be spending less this year on holiday gifts, others will be looking to get the most "bang for their buck" with a present that surely won't be matched, repeated or topped for years to come. A day experiencing the excitement of a fighter pilot's life, partaking in one-on-one actual aerial combat in a fighter aircraft definitely falls into the "once-in-a-lifetime" category.

With just a few hours of training, would-be fighter pilots take to the air at the controls of Marchetti SF-260 fighter planes, executing death-defying maneuvers and engaging in traditional airborne dogfights - all under the guidance of professional fighter pilots. No previous flight training or experience is necessary, according to the pros at Air Combat USA.

Based in Fullerton, Calif., but operating out of 30 airports across the country, the company has turned more than 40,000 air enthusiasts into fighter pilots for a day since 1988. For less than the price of a quality high-definition flat screen TV, participants receive on-ground training, actual flight time at the controls of a fighter aircraft, about an hour's worth - up to six dogfights - of combat time, and a post-flight performance review.

Air Combat instructors - retired military pilots, many with Vietnam or Desert Storm experience - accompany new pilots on their flight. Dual controls ensure new pilots never get into a situation they can't handle, and veterans handle take off and landing duties. But for the majority of their time in the air, program participants are in complete control of their fighter.

When engaging the "enemy," a fellow program participant will line their opponent up in their sights and pull a trigger that activates light sensors on both planes. The sensors record every hit or miss. A "killing" hit activates a device on the target plane and the "loser" emits smoke to indicate a kill.

Before going up, every participant dons a flight suit helmet and parachute that will be used throughout their time in the air. The entire flight is video-taped with cameras mounted in the cockpit and given to the participant to prove to family and friends who the real top gun is.

To learn more about giving the "Top Gun" gift that no one will be able to top this year, visit www.AirCombatUSA.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent