Mach 1 anyone?'Aviation tourism' offers high thrillsJanuary 20, 1997Web posted at: 11:30 p.m. EST (0430 GMT) CAPE TOWN, South Africa (CNN) -- Hurtling hundreds of miles per hour through the air, spinning 360 degrees and skimming mountain tops -- it might read like the kind of jet flight most travelers want to avoid. But in South Africa, it's exactly what the tourism industry is offering. It's called "aviation tourism", offered by Classic Jets South Africa in Cape Town. Tourists buckle into a fighter jet with an experienced pilot and take the ride of their life. One customer celebrated his 40th birthday by breaking the sound barrier, Mach 1, and rolling figure-eights. "I was just enjoying the view," said Bernard Langer, who believes the thrill is in the speed, not the danger. "It is absolutely safe, absolutely by the rules, nothing dangerous, nothing foolhardy." Reuters contributed to this report. 
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