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The government has no right to a monopoly on any weapon.

However, my neighbor storing atomic weapons in his garage is a reasonable threat to my safety and so should be heavily regulated. If he can meet the same safety standards as the government (maybe some billionaire collector could do this), the state has no legitimate authority to have nukes of its own while denying him one. Or, ya know, maybe nukes are an inherent threat to people and no one, state or otherwise, U.S. or Iran, can have them. But "we can have them, you can't" is not a logically defensible argument.

My neighbor storing machine guns or a typical shooter's supply of ammo in his garage (again, subject to safe storage requirements, no storing a loaded machine gun pointed at my house) is no more a threat to my safety than him having the usual home hardware and chemicals in there. (

Even a tank is not threat -- and indeed, for just $1175 you can spend a day driving one around.)

see earth from space

Ride a MiG.

Sure, it's not 100km, but it's high enough to get the curvature of the planet and what might as well be a vaccuum outside. And costs a tenth as much. And keeps you up there for almost an hour.

Besides, if it's not orbital, is it really all that different? SS1 is so far from an orbital spacecraft it's not even funny. Now the Falcon, that's a good private rocket :)

You are not to far off check this web site
http://www.incredible-adventures.com/military_adve ntures.html

There are also companies that partner with Russian airbases to take wealthy Westerners up in basically anything with wings. Having a Yankee in the back seat pays for the gas and maintenance, and helps the pilot get some flight hours.

Hey, if you're short on hard currency to pay your troops, why not take some Western cash and make someone happy (whether it be through launching a space probe or giving 'em the ride of a lifetime) while your troops are getting their training.

http://www.forbes.com/2003/04/22/cz_jc_0422feat.ht ml

http://www.incredible-adventures.com/migs/planes.h tml

Google. It's a tool for finding info on the web. I suggest you learn how to use it.

Incredible Adventures has the fix you need. Not an A-10, but way, way faster. Will a MiG-29 do?

Russia will put anyone in space (well at 80, 000 feet, not much air up there) for about somewhere around US$15 000 I think. I couldn't verify that, that's from memory. The will to do this is clearly present in Russia, and certainly not being blocked by their government. The standard-bearer of communism will probably the nation to open up space commercially.

Solo-Trek Personal Aircraft
AND.. The M2 Personal Viewer
AND.. A flight in a KC-135 Reduced Gravity Aircraft
But thats ALL I want!