1986's Top Gun is a good time-infused portrayal of life in Naval flight school, but the program itself was actually inspired by the military branch's involvement in the Vietnam War. The iconic action drama follows Lt. Pete "Maverick" Mitchell (Tom Cruise) as he navigates through victory, tragedy, and romance while attending the prestigious pilot program. However, while the fun-loving, raucous, larger-than-life nature of both Maverick and some of his fellow servicemen is an integral piece of the movie, the actual flight school itself is equally important.
Since its release, the movie has become a well-known '80s blockbuster, and for good reason. The film is filled with iconic moments, such as the notorious volleyball scene, and is accompanied by one of the best-known theme songs from the 80s. Top Gun even caused Navy recruitment to increase in the wake of its massive success. The movie also didn't shy away from showcasing the risky, life-and-death side of military service with incidents like Goose's death. There are other real-life ties, as well – for instance, the movie was based on the titular flight school at a San Diego military base, formerly known as the Naval Air Station Miramar.
However, away from the big screen, the truth behind what prompted the real TOPGUN program's creation came long before it was cinematically mythologized. According to a 2019 article from Time, the original TOPGUN program (which was entitled the "United States Navy Fighter Weapons School") was created in response to a 1968 study that proved Naval pilots needed better training. They had been suffering heavy losses in air fights during the Vietnam War. Cpt. Dan Pedersen, who is known for spearheading the program's creation, told Time about the era, "We were losing a lot of great talent in Vietnam. When I was on the USS Enterprise in 1967, we lost 11 guys in 17 days. We were getting two enemies, North Vietnamese, for every one of us that was shot down out there." The original TOPGUN program was therefore proposed as a sort of "graduate-level school to better train pilots."
Besides becoming the inspiration for one of the most popular and influential films of the '80s, the school also seems to have made a tremendously positive impact on Navy pilots' combat proficiency and saved countless American lives during Vietnam. In the previously mentioned article, Pedersen notes one of the most effective strategies taught there at the time. It involved how to interact with Soviet MiG planes (which had a better turn rate than their American counterparts) in combat. After molding and teaching a technique where American planes would use their superior speed to fly up above, and then dive down behind, MiGs for a quality tail shot, Pedersen said US pilots were "getting 24 of the enemies for every one" of their own servicemen.
However, despite the film's foundation in reality, Pedersen was far from convinced of the end result. Based on his own first-hand experience at the famous flight school, he actually gave Time a fairly mixed review of Top Gun. Like most military films, he noticed some creative license-driven inaccuracies. He said, "My guys were far more serious and cerebral than the guys in the film because there was a war going on. We actually worked seven days a week probably, starting at 4:30 in the morning." Pedersen's takes are understandable, but the film's palpable fun is ultimately one of its greatest assets. Nevertheless, it's fascinating to think that Top Gun's seemingly good time-laden flight school was born out of grim necessity during a major, real-life conflict that certainly wasn't lighthearted at all.
Top Gun: Maverick/Top Gun 2 (2022)
Release Date: May 27, 2022
Since its release, the movie has become a well-known '80s blockbuster, and for good reason. The film is filled with iconic moments, such as the notorious volleyball scene, and is accompanied by one of the best-known theme songs from the 80s. Top Gun even caused Navy recruitment to increase in the wake of its massive success. The movie also didn't shy away from showcasing the risky, life-and-death side of military service with incidents like Goose's death. There are other real-life ties, as well – for instance, the movie was based on the titular flight school at a San Diego military base, formerly known as the Naval Air Station Miramar.
However, away from the big screen, the truth behind what prompted the real TOPGUN program's creation came long before it was cinematically mythologized. According to a 2019 article from Time, the original TOPGUN program (which was entitled the "United States Navy Fighter Weapons School") was created in response to a 1968 study that proved Naval pilots needed better training. They had been suffering heavy losses in air fights during the Vietnam War. Cpt. Dan Pedersen, who is known for spearheading the program's creation, told Time about the era, "We were losing a lot of great talent in Vietnam. When I was on the USS Enterprise in 1967, we lost 11 guys in 17 days. We were getting two enemies, North Vietnamese, for every one of us that was shot down out there." The original TOPGUN program was therefore proposed as a sort of "graduate-level school to better train pilots."
Besides becoming the inspiration for one of the most popular and influential films of the '80s, the school also seems to have made a tremendously positive impact on Navy pilots' combat proficiency and saved countless American lives during Vietnam. In the previously mentioned article, Pedersen notes one of the most effective strategies taught there at the time. It involved how to interact with Soviet MiG planes (which had a better turn rate than their American counterparts) in combat. After molding and teaching a technique where American planes would use their superior speed to fly up above, and then dive down behind, MiGs for a quality tail shot, Pedersen said US pilots were "getting 24 of the enemies for every one" of their own servicemen.
However, despite the film's foundation in reality, Pedersen was far from convinced of the end result. Based on his own first-hand experience at the famous flight school, he actually gave Time a fairly mixed review of Top Gun. Like most military films, he noticed some creative license-driven inaccuracies. He said, "My guys were far more serious and cerebral than the guys in the film because there was a war going on. We actually worked seven days a week probably, starting at 4:30 in the morning." Pedersen's takes are understandable, but the film's palpable fun is ultimately one of its greatest assets. Nevertheless, it's fascinating to think that Top Gun's seemingly good time-laden flight school was born out of grim necessity during a major, real-life conflict that certainly wasn't lighthearted at all.
Top Gun: Maverick/Top Gun 2 (2022)
Release Date: May 27, 2022