Top Gun at 30: A Retrospective from Two Naval Aviators
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As naval aviators, the most frequent question we get asked at cocktail parties is, “how much do you love the movie Top Gun?” Though frequently answered with a coy and deflecting response, the true answer is … a lot.
Yes, in the ready rooms of Navy squadrons today, aviators make a pastime of mocking the film and any pilot that dares to quote the movie with any hint of seriousness. To be fair, there are many technical and cultural inaccuracies in the movie: beach volleyball is sadly rare in our community (although that is exactly what we look like with our shirts off), the inverted polaroid shot is insanely impossible, and we do not randomly wear so many patches on our flight suits. But underneath the mockery is a deep feeling of pride in the portrayal of the Navy fighter community in such a popular film. Bankers don’t love the movie Wall Street for the insights into the due diligence of corporate acquisitions, but they still secretly wonder whether they are more of a Gordon Gekko or Bud Fox in private.
The film remains the most accurate popular depiction of the thrill of flying fighters and the camaraderie and culture of a fighter squadron. So we love it. The daily excitement and challenge of flying a jet supersonic, fighting adversaries, and operating at maximum performance fills pilots with such adrenaline and pride that there is a natural desire to relive airborne glories when on the ground, telling stories to anyone who will listen. Because the flying can be so technical and exists in a sensory world unlike any other normally experienced in life, it can be incredibly difficult for a pilot to communicate the excitement of any given flight to anyone other than fellow pilots. This movie, for the first time, captured the intensity, danger, and beauty of flying low and fast; and it continues to be the best reference for military pilots to reach a common understanding with spouses, families, and the general public...
Commander Greg Malandrino has flown F-14 Tomcats and F/A-18 Super Hornet aircraft for the Navy for over 16 years and is a graduate of Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN).
Lieutenant Commander Jeff McLean has flown Super Hornets for the Navy since 2008. He is a graduate of Navy Test Pilot School and serves on the editorial board of the U.S. Naval Institute. The views and opinions expressed are theirs alone and do not represent the views of the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Navy, the American Film Institute, or any other agency...
https://warontherocks.com/2016/04/top-gun-at-30-a-retrospective-from-two-naval-aviators/
