And watching Maverick on the big screen just doesn’t quite cut it.

That’s why Fighter Combat International provides the chance to get your Top Gun on with unbeatable bravado. The world leader in aviation adventure offers you the opportunity to fly real air combat with real military fighter pilots, flying the Extra 300L: the world’s highest performance certified aerobatic airplane.

You’ll see first-hand that only the bullets are simulated as you’re catapulted through the sky, performing white-knuckle acrobatics while maneuvering between enemy attacks.

Even if you don’t win their prestigious “Nerves of Steel” award, you’ll walk away looking badass and feeling even more like Iceman than you ever dreamt possible.


Book your adventure today at fightercombat.com.

You may know the drill. Every year, the good people at Pirelli (yes, the Italian tire makers) pick an exotic locale, gorgeous models, and an accomplished photographer to produce the ultimate pin-up calendar for their best clients.

It’s a shame to tag Pirelli’s annual timetable a “calendar”: Shot in a serene Pudong Shangri-La Hotel setting, the 2008 Pirelli Calendar features eleven rising models and actresses (Gemma Ward, Catherine McNeil, Maggie Cheung) all captured masterfully by fashion photographer Patrick Demarchelier. “The casting was a fascinating mix between the West and the Orient: an interesting group of faces,” adds Demarchelier. He’s right.

Navigate to The Cal’s (that’s what they call it) site and you can even view exclusive content, like behind-the-scenes shots and access to the archive (check out vintage Cindy Crawford and Kate Moss in ’94).

Happy New Year, indeed.

Discover the new Pirelli Calendar.

It’s also why you’ll appreciate the fine art that is the Pirelli Calendar.

If you already know about the A-list models that headline this year’s exquisite calendar, just skip ahead to PirelliCal.com. For the rest of us, Pirelli is mostly known for Italian tires. But once upon a time, forty years ago, one of their marketing execs dreamt up the idea of a luscious, pinup calendar for their best clients.

Along the way, they’ve brought on superstar photographers and shot some of the world’s most beautiful women in (almost) equally gorgeous surroundings.

For this year’s calendar, rock star photographer Patrick Demarchelier, along with Adriana Lima, Filippa Hamilton, and Valentina, among others, were sent to Rio de Janeiro. Their mission was simple: capture the essence of Carnival in black-and-white while posing in sexy swimsuits.

Mission: accomplished.

Available online at PirelliCal.com.