TOPGUN Video Pitch - 1987

In 1987 I started work producing training videos for TOPGUN, the Navy Fighter Weapons School. They were obsessed with excellence, as they should be, but their video equipment was old, shabby, and not up to snuff. Even for the days of 3/4" tape, it was bad.

To get the instructors behind me in my quest for a production budget, I produced this video at another facility. It's pretty funny now, but it sure did the job.

FYI, TOPGUN was merged with the Strike Warfare and the Airborne Early Warning Schools and moved to NAS Fallon, NV. I did not go along for that ride - I'm not a desert person.

I do miss the action and pizazz of that place, though. The pilots could be hard to deal with, but they sure could fly - and did a great job teaching fighter pilots to be top notch.

Several of the instructors I worked with went on to fly with the Blue Angels. They must have a great scrapbook!

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• top
• gun
• topgun
• navy
• flight
• fly
• aviation
• fighter
• jet
• plane
• train
• kill
• war

[TopGun8993]

@KutWrite, I was a plane capt. and AMS at Top Gun from 89-93. I remember many pilots when I hear their names. The ones I remember off the top of my head are Cooke, McMasters, Capt. Taylor, Cmdr. Gallagher, Maj. Miles, Ffield, Vandershoot, Orr (his call sign was "Gasm" but had to change it after Tailhook),...That's about all I can think of right now. Of course I didn't know these men on a personal level, just got to know them from walk-arounds, launch, & recoveries.

[KutWrite]

@TopGun8993 - Hi; we were there at the same time. I left before the move into the building across from the hangars. I worked for "Kato" and "Hack" whom you mentioned & remember most of the others. Ffield was Air Force, right?

Hope you're doing well!

[clarkdoc]

@ KutWrite, who do you know other than "Elwood" that went on to become blue angels and what are there callsigns?

[KutWrite]

@clarkdoc Far as I know, just Pat Cooke (Kato), for whom I worked my last few months at TOOPGUN. Why?

[DarakAttack]

Ah... Why did they have to remove the 'FIGHTERTOWN USA' Banner from hangar 2 :(

[TopGun8993]

@KutWrite - "Hack" was McMasters, right? ....and no, if I remember, Ffield was a Navy Lt....I may have bumped into you, but I was just a 18-22 year old (depending on the year) Top Gun Plane Capt./Aviation Structural Mech. At the time, I wouldn't have acknowledged someone who worked with the Top Gun instructors. We kept our distance from the officers and their affairs. I am doing well though, thank you. I am currently a firefighter in Wisconsin (in my home town). I wish you the best too.

[Tomcat56th]

Rush - YYZ, nice :)