Need funds for the military? Try selling a few rides

SALT LAKE CITY — The White House wants $400 billion in defense cuts over the next 12 years. That's a 400 and billion with a "b," which equates to $1,200 for each living American.

But what if there were a way to boost funding instead — without raising taxes. Let me tell you how the Russians have been doing just that for the past 20 years.

The Russians will basically let anyone who can pass their security clearance go for a ride in one of their sleekest fighters: the MiG-29, MiG-31 or MiG-21.

The cost is outrageous — try $22,000 for a 45-minute flight —  but there is enough interest that you can find several tour companies online that will be happy to set you up. For another $1,000, they'll set you up with a video of your flight.

Greg at incredible-adventures.com didn't get back to me when I asked how much of that the company gets to keep and how much the Russian Air Force gets, but there's some serious money here. And how many of the people plunking down that kind of cash are Americans? Plenty, I'm sure. Which means Americans are ... you got it ... financing the Russian military. Clever, comrades.

But that also means the idea has already been test-marketed and Americans are OK with it. Sure, some laws would have to be changed. But hey — all of those planes and tanks and ships and submarines were paid for by the taxpayers anyway, so why shouldn't we have a little access to the fun stuff?

I've come up with some suggestions to get things rolling, starting with personal experiences with military hardware thanks to access I've had over the years as a reporter covering the armed forces.

For example, I've flown twice in an F-16. Once I just strapped in and held on for dear life as the pilot went through bombing-run maneuvers over the military range in Utah's western desert. The other time I was in one of the Air Force Thunderbirds jets. The pilot had the stick while we pulled nine Gs and punched through the sound barrier. Then he let me take the stick and do just about anything I wanted until we ran low on gas.

I'm serious in believing the three most important words one can hear are "I love you." For me, the four best words might have been when the pilot said: "You have the aircraft."

The Air Force told me it costs $8,609 per hour to put an F-16 in the air — not including the sunk costs or pilot training — so a pay-to-ride program would have to charge a lot more than that to be worth the trouble.