attack conditions- both of which
are encountered in
dog ghting. These
factors led to the plot
element of losing
the engines, being
forced to eject and
‘Goose’ then hitting
the canopy.
In F-14 testing,
a RIO had actually
hit the canopy after
ejecting in a at
spin, thankfully he
survived. Although
exaggerated, there
was once again a basis in reality, and the
lm-makers needed something that would
produce a tragedy.
Flying from Miramar to a deployed
carrier. While all forces have plans to
reinforce deployed units with fresh aircraft
as needed in combat, it would be extremely
unlikely that crews freshly graduated from
Topgun would y 10,000 miles (16,093km)
to be in combat.
Buzzing the tower and ying canopy-
to-canopy above a MiG. De nitely possible
but unlikely, because these actions would
probably lead to the pilot and RIO losing their
wings. But they sure made Top Gun more fun.
UNSUNG HEROES
There were many who contributed to making
Top Gun the memorable lm that it is, and
we have limited space here, but I would like
to mention three more people.
Grumman employee Dick Milligan, was
instrumental in developing the specialcamera mounts used on the F-14s. He had
to gure out how to make wiring and aircraft
structure mods that got the job done without
compromising aircraft safety or reliability. He
made it happen.
On the Paramount side, a team of
talented and dedicated professionals was
necessary to creating this high-quality,
ground-breaking lm, including the unit
publicist, Marsha Robinson.
Former instructor ‘Jambo’ Ray paid tribute
to Mrs Robinson after her death earlier this
year saying she, “had to know everyone
and everything that was going on in front ofthe camera and
behind the scenes.
“Diplomat,
interpreter,
organiser, ‘cat
herder’ and
more. Talented,
professional, witty
and bright – she
endeared herself
to aircrews and
troops by gracious
acceptance
of our bawdy
humour and keen
appreciation for
the passion and
zeal that embodied Carrier Naval Aviation.”
She exempli ed the outstanding lm-
makers who worked on Top Gun.
Finally, the story only touched on
the essential role of personnel, such
as plane captains and ight deck crew,
without whom the sleek and powerful
ghters would be no more than ight deck
ornaments. Some of the most memorable
shots are at the beginning, with the
crew scrambling for aircraft launch and
recovery. Their enthusiasm for ight deck
action is evident, and is demonstrated by
the Arresting Gear Chief Petty Officer’s
energetic pull-back and kick after an
arrested landing, a re exive expression of
the excitement of carrier operations.
Top Gun depicted many aspects of Naval
Aviation in a very engaging and effective
way. Despite minor aws and technical errors
in the name of entertainment, it remains a
landmark aviation lm more than 30 years
after its release.20 Aviation News incorporating Jets December 2018
Author Dave ‘Bio’ Baranek was an F-14 RIO and Topgun instructor who assisted with making the lm. You can read more of his experiences in his book
Topgun Days and at his website, http://www.topgunbio.com. Dave thanks the following for their assistance with this article: former Topgun instructors ‘Jambo’
Ray and ‘Nick’ Nickell, former Grumman employee Bill Barto, and aviation enthusiasts Dimitrios Logios and Christian Nentwig. Their assistance is greatly
appreciated. Any errors or omissions are solely the responsibility of the author.Above: Topgun F-5s formate with Clay Lacy’s
Learjet as the gaggle ies out from NAS
Miramar. Lacy received permission from
the navy to operate from the base for lm-
related ights.
Below: A large formation of Tomcats and F-5s
during a real Topgun course – the second
F-14 in the formation carries the ctitious
VF-1 markings used for the lm.