McGuinness hits 600mph... in RAF jet.

Isle of Man TT ace John McGuinness is used to 'flying' on two-wheels, but nothing could prepare the Brit - who also rode for AIM Yamaha and then Vitrans Honda in the 2005 BSB championship, before rounding off his racing season with second in the recent Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix - for flying high in the sky at over 600mph in an RAF jet.

It was at the 2004 TT that the seeds for the once-in-a-lifetime outing were sown, when - during a chance paddock conversation with RAF pilot Al Waring - McGuinness cheekily asked is there was 'any chance of a go in one of your planes?'

John didn't expect anything to happen, but the pair kept in touch - McGuinness running an RAF sticker on the belly pan of his R1 at this year's TT, to celebrate 60 years of the RAF - and Waring put the wheels in motion. One year later and McGuinness was offered the chance to ride in the ?8-million plane.

The flight took place recently at RAF Leeming, near Scots Corner (UK), with John, partner Becky and son Ewan spending the day at the airbase - during which the eight-times TT winner, and outright lap record holder, took to the air for almost an hour.

"To be honest, it's really hard to put into words but it was one hell of an experience!" grinned John. "I arrived at the base in the morning and had a full medical where things like blood pressure were checked and they really looked after the whole family.

"I was measured for the helmet and g-suit, which had to fit perfectly, and it was incredibly interesting, learning all about the canopy, ejector seat and the like. I've flown a bit with Jim Moodie so know a bit about all the instruments but they practically gave us a guided tour of the entire plane as well as being shown around Tornados and Chinook helicopters.

"The weather wasn't the greatest but we got up to 34,000 feet over the North Sea and were almost flying at the speed of sound," he continued. "Another jet had flown up from Wales on a training exercise so we were flying close together and had a mock dogfight and all sorts - absolutely mega!

"The Hawk, used by the Red Arrows, is very manoeuvrable and nimble and they even let me have a bit of a go at the controls. We dropped down to about 20,000 feet but things happen that quick and the G-force is unbelievable so when the pilot pulled back on the lever a bit quick I had a bit of a black out - we were up there for almost an hour and, I have to admit, I did reach for the sick bag on one occasion!

"We were able to do 180 degree rolls and all sorts so it really was a once in a lifetime experience. The pilot let me land the plane on one occasion as well but I don't think that's strictly legal so I better not say too much about that! It's serious business up there so I can't thank everyone enough for the way they looked after me and the whole family - the entire day is something I'll never forget," McGuinness concluded.