{
  "id": 11513498,
  "title": "After 30 years they finally let Ace Combat's director fly in a real jet, and I'm taking credit",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/after-30-years-they-finally-let-ace-combats-director-fly-in-a-real",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-02T19:44:33.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "PC Gamer",
    "slug": "pc-gamer",
    "url": "https://www.pcgamer.com/games/sim/after-30-years-they-finally-let-ace-combats-director-fly-in-a-real-jet-and-im-taking-credit/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In a groundbreaking development for the beloved Ace Combat series, the franchise's director, Kazutoki Kono, has finally experienced the thrill of flying a real jet - an F-16 to be precise. Kono, who has been steering the Ace Combat franchise since 1997's Ace Combat 2, had long wished to test the real-life version of the games he's overseen for over three decades.\n\nKono's long-awaited moment came to fruition recently, when Bandai Namco released a promotional video alongside Ace Combat 8, revealing that Kono had climbed into the cockpit of a jet and lived the game's reality. While the video clip does not depict any combat sequences, Kono's words paint a vivid picture of the experience. He described the initial fear he felt before boarding the aircraft, but once airborne, the experience turned into a \"beautiful one.\" The G-force during turns was indeed noticeable, but what stood out the most was the feeling of being pushed downward into the seat.\n\nKono expressed his admiration for the compact cockpit, a stark contrast to larger aircraft, which he found incredibly appealing. He was particularly struck by how the experience made him appreciate the appeal of fighter jets. To some, this development may seem like a logical marketing step for a series that Bandai Namco has been investing more resources into, including a live-action YouTube miniseries. However, for Kono, the real reason behind this sequence of events was the public outcry following his interview, which led to his unprecedented flight experience.",
  "summary": "This is what a man looks like after fulfilling a lifelong dream.",
  "key_points": [
    "Kazutoki Kono, Ace Combat director, flies F-16 jet",
    "Kono's dream fulfilled after 30 years of series oversight",
    "G-force and compact cockpit impressed Kono during flight"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}