Top Gun, NAS Mirimar, CA July-August 1995

Front face of building, with quote by famous WWI German Ace, Max Immelman: "...

The front panels show dead MiG's shot down by Top Gun Graduates since around Viet Nam. The different plane shillouettes are mostly MiG-21's and MiG-23's. Inside, there are many more. In the movie, 'Top Gun', there are indoor scenes showing these enemy planes, painted red on the white stairway walls, the part where Ice Man says, "Maverick, who was watching your wingman?".

Fightertown USA Hangar, the real thing, seen in the 1985 Movie 'Top Gun' with Tom Schmooze.

Inside, we watched footage of some of these being shot down, including ones I already saw on TV. There, we carefully analyzed the kills, what was done wrong (especially where the enemy got away, or even turned around to re-engage, like Col. Tomb!), and what could have been done better. Also to contend with were the machine-gun fire from the ground, and Surface-to-Air-Missiles (SAM's), the kind that one Communist-manipulated starlet, the controversial daughter of a famous Hollywood actor of classic films whom I shan't name here, was pictured sitting on.

Capt "Twist'n" Shoup, USMC, Marine F-18 Naval Flight Officer

THE TONED DOWN 90's ENVIRONMENT

As an interesting side-note, the Tailhook scandals of 1992 made the 1995 version of Top Gun (the one I attended) a lot more toned down than in 1985 (when the movie came out). At the Officer's club on Wednesday nights, I talked with a veteran instructor, now a Navy Captain. He looked around at the young officers and ladies there, and pointed out the environment was noticably different, not as open.

We still had good fun. However, it was controlled. People seemed quite conscious to maintain discipline with the ladies, and the ladies likewise. Only the Brits, our guests, seemed quite the noisy party dudes. Of course there was plenty of posturing. There I witnessed a wild game where the participants whip some pool balls at high speed at opponent's territory. Some consider it loud and dangerous.

Few civilians in the world get to observe the course.

Unfortunately, the environment at Top Gun in 1995 was that of budgetary cutbacks. The Air Force had already disbanded their Agressor Squadrons, removing a key element in Air Force pilot readiness. Top Gun was next to be axed. I had my Navy flight card, but could not fly because budget cuts took away their two-seat A-4's, which they used to use prior for instructors (Viper) and civilian observers like myself. That too was a major disappointment. I had physically-trained for over a year in preparation for this event, going through the swim-drills in full gear, the altitude chamber tests (where they removed oxygen from the air), the ejection seat and more. Then I learned that Top Gun lost it's observer planes.

Top Gun, Mirimar was further slated to close, and move to another base. We were literally the last couple classes at Mirimar before it lost Top Gun. As a result of severe budget cuts, Top Gun had to give up its F-16N's, a special variant of the Air Force F-16 which was modified to simulate the flight characteristics of Russian planes. Top Gun used to fly a wide variety of simulated "enemy planes", the nimble A-4 (as flown by Viper in the movie), the awesome F-16N, and many others--now gone. All Top Gun flys now are F-18's and F-14's versus F-18's and F-14's, which doesn't help our pilots train as well against dissimilar aircraft. The domino effects of these cutbacks have whittled away at our most important asset, quality training.

One former Top Gun instructor then California Senator, the Honorable Randy Cunningham, our first Viet Nam Ace, once said in the mid-80s that Top Gun not only teaches about the enemy's machines, but about the man in the cockpit. They studied the his ideology (Communism, meaning anti-religion, meaning anti-human-rights), his eating habits, his society, typical family profile. I was disappointed to find that the 1995 Top Gun did not include this in the syllabus, at least during the two weeks I was there.

"I want you."

San Diego

San Diego Rock Beach, plenty of pockets of water with sea anemonies in it for the picking.

An LHS/LTV Troop Carrier? Sailing a 35-footer around Coronado Bridge Coronado Naval Air Station. Taken from "the Point", a nice high hill on the other side. Good hiking.

Sorry, no more Top Gun. Ran out of panoramic film.