I am very proudly a member of the “Top Gun” generation. In fact, a great many of the fighter pilots I know and call friends are. In some way, shape, or form “Iceman,” “Maverick,” “Viper,” and the rest of the gang were inspirational in us pursuing our dreams of becoming pilots.
Call it cheesy, predictable, inaccurate, or whatever…but the fact is, there is nothing quite so awesome as getting a face full of The Big Fighter in all her glory as she chases black, needle-nosed F-5s around the airspace. They even shot live missiles for the movie. How freakin’ cool is that?!
Enter Captain Lloyd “Bozo” Abel, United States Navy (Retired). Not only was he one of the real F-14 Tomcat pilots who flew in the movie, but he was also the lucky son of a biscuit-eater who actually got to buzz the tower at Miramar. Countless Naval Aviators have dreamt of doing it and, up to that point, no one had actually done it.
The CAG jet from VF-31 tickles the Mach at NAS Oceana during an air show.
This clip takes us behind the scenes in Top Gun, providing background on Bozo’s triumphant pass by the tower, as well as flying Tom Cruise–and making him sick! So for all of you die-hard fans of the movie, take a look at one of our all-time favorite scenes and what it took to get it right for the movie.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend!!