Gallery 2

Marine Corps F-4 Phantom II

A US Marine Corps F-4 Phantom II is silhouetted against early morning clouds as it returns from an air combat maneuvering training flight near Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, SC.

T-2C Buckeye basic jet trainer

One of the trainers the author flew in Pensacola was the sturdy T-2C Buckeye. It was a good way to teach students -- both pilots and Naval Flight Officers -- airmanship, navigation, and other introductory material.

T-39 Sabreliners in the morning fog

A row of T-39D Sabreliner trainers waits for the early morning fog to clear at NAS Pensacola. Student Naval Flight Officers trained in groups, taking turns in the "hot seat": using the radar system while being evaluated by the instructors in the plane.

F-5 Tiger II leads a couple of F-14 Tomcats

A Topgun F-5E Tiger II is dwarfed by two F-14A Tomcats as they proceed toward their assigned area for air combat training over the Pacific Ocean. Aircraft size was based on many factors, including mission and expected operating environment.

Tomcats and Hornets go to school

Navy F-14A Tomcats and F/A-18A Hornets fly near the Salton sea in Southern California on their way to a Topgun class training flight in 1986.

Plane captains washing a Tomcat

During a port visit to Singapore in 1982, plane captains from Fighter Squadron 24 (VF-24) performed maintenance on the aircraft before going on liberty. They washed the aircraft on a regular schedule as part of the corrosion control effort.

Seconds after the catapult launch

The author took this photo by pointing the camera behind him a second after his catapult launch from a carrier (probably USS Ranger).

F-14 refueling from Marine Corps KC-130

A Navy F-14 Tomcat refuels from a Marine Corps KC-130 Hercules tanker variant off Southern California during training. It was important to practice with all types of aircraft that could be used in a real-world operation.

Aerial refueling, view from the cockpit

The KC-130 crew trails the hose from a pod on their wing. The F-14 pilot extends the refueling probe from the right side of his aircraft, and then maneuvers to plug it into the basket on the end of the hose. Aerial refueling requires great skill, and fighter pilots must be proficient at it whether daytime and night.

"Makeup!"

This Topgun squadron F-5E Tiger II shows peeling paint as it climbs above the Pacific Ocean on the way to film scenes for the movie "Top Gun." Paramount technicians touched up the paint daily. Although quite obvious in this photo, these flaws were hardly noticeable with all of the action on the big screen.

Topgun instructors are dedicated

Real-life Topgun instructors Sunshine, Rat, and Hollywood strike a pose after filming scenes for the movie "Top Gun."

It's not about the office space

Topgun instructors Circus and Kraut do paperwork in the cluttered Training Office at the Navy Fighter Weapons School at Naval Air Station Miramar, 1986. A cut-away model of a missile seeker head can be seen on the cabinet behind Kraut.

Monk and Tex in "their" Tomcat

It was nice to have your name painted on the side of an aircraft, but when it came time to fly, you took what was available and assigned to you. In this photo, however, Monk and Tex are in the F-14 Tomcat with their names on it. They are in tight formation returning to the carrier from a training mission.

Tomcat with Sparrows and Sidewinders

This F-14 sits on the ramp at Miramar under picturesque clouds, loaded with AIM-7 Sparrow and AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, in preparation for a missile shoot off the California coast. The target this day was a supersonic drone, which was destroyed by the first missile fired.

Steel beach picnic

On many non-flying days on a carrier, the mess department set up barbeques and grilled for the 5,000-person crew. These are on an aircraft elevator that was lowered so the cooks could work in the shade.

Midnight maintenance

Maintenance technicians of VF-24 work on an F-14A Tomcat under the low-intensity orange lights aboard the carrier USS Constellation in 1981. Taken in the Indian Ocean during a routine 7 1/2 month peacetime deployment.

Topgun Tiger

An F-5E Tiger II gets close to the author's aircraft as they proceed to their assigned area over the Pacific Ocean off San Diego. Notice the gun gas vent doors are open on the nose: the pilot squeezed the trigger for this photo, and the doors opened automatically.