Fighter Pilot Rates 'Top Gun' Action Scenes For Realism | How Real Is It? | Insider

Dave Berke, a retired Top Gun instructor, rates the action scenes in "Top Gun" and "Top Gun: Maverick."

He talks about being an effective wingman, piloting an F-14, firing missiles, effectively navigating jet wash, getting out of a flat spin, and how ejector seats work in "Top Gun," starring Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, and Anthony Edwards.

Then, he breaks down the ways a modern-day F/A-18 Super Hornet differs from an F-14, how Top Gun students train for dogfights, the physical effects gravitational forces can have on fighter pilots, the best ways to fight against radar-guided missiles, and how pilots land on aircraft carriers in "Top Gun: Maverick," starring Miles Teller, Glen Powell, and Jon Hamm.

Berke spent 23 years in the Marines Corps as a fighter pilot. During this time, he flew the F-18 Hornet, the F-16 Fighting Falcon, the F-22 Raptor, and the F-35 Lightning II. He is currently the chief development officer at Echelon Front.

Follow Dave here:

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Fighter Pilot Rates 'Top Gun' Action Scenes For Realism | How Real Is It? | Insider

[samueltheprideofafrikarobi]

I REALLY like this gentleman. The worst episodes of this show are when the guests can't differentiate between a documentary and a cinematic film. And they judge them harshly because they don't adhere 100% to realism. Some of the best are when the subject matter expert understands that there is a distinction between the two and they can allow their suspension of disbelief to carry them to where a good film is trying to take them.

This pilot is the latter. He knows that movies aren't a 1:1 with reality and he can sit back and say "This is still great fun." aside from that. And he even takes a moment to explain that he understands why they did it.

Great breakdown.

[wernerheenop]

Favorite line from the Franchise:
"Your ego is writing checks your body cant cash"

[erakfishfishfish]

But how would he rate the volleyball scene?

[MacOriginalGamer]

The F-22: "Would you intercept me? I'D intercept me..."

[sayemdidar]

My man flew F18, F 22 and F35...can you imagine

[paulriccio]

This guy is awesome. So genuinely enthusiastic and not only is an expert, but he understands and appreciates movies. Great video.

[TexasGreed]

The guy flew F-18s, F-22s and F-35s.... That is nuts.

[abdieljimenez]

Alternative title: Fighter Pilot explains why Top Gun is Top🔝

[apolloaero]

For the mach 10 ejection, if they had the whole cockpit act as a capsule, and they showed Maverick getting out of said capsule, it would've done wonders for ejecting at mach 10, which is completely ridiculous

[planetim]

I flew F-16As in the 1980s. I loved the flying scenes in this movie. In my day we were all about low level ingress to popup attacks with dumb bombs. Also, did not have any indicator of AGL level, so it was using the Mk-1 eyeball to be roughly 300 ft on the low level.

[fergiebiker]

I chatted with a recently retired navy pilot, and his assessment of these movies is very close to yours. Also, his dad was an old navy pilot and I asked him if he ever saw Top Gun, and he said when the movie came out he was actually in Top Gun, the school not the movie.

[nicholas_scott]

I remember the IR Flare against Radar missiles was talked about when the movie came out, but other pilots had said you normally release both when you see a missile because you don't know which kind of missile it is.... but you can only see the flare, not the chaffe. So it might not be wrong. Great video, he is th most generous expert I've seen on this channel

[vjwtjhj]

I remember years ago getting buzzed by an F18 while driving through the desert. An F18 turned right in front of me just a couple of hundred yards above the ground. The blast knocked my car several lanes over, but I still thought it was cool. I was at the top of a mountain, and an A10 went right over me. I was surprised at how little blast there was.

[KevinMcNulty]

Need a fighter pilot to rate this video for realism.

6:46 Shows the laser designating pod and mislabels it as the bomb's laser detector
13:40 Shows the Thunderbirds and labels them the Blue Angels
17:36 Shows an F-4 Phantom when talking about the A-4 Skyhawk
17:54 Shows bomb dropping when talking about missile minimum range

Normally, I wouldn't expect journalistic editors to necessarily know the b-roll that well, but you had a fighter pilot on the video, you couldn't have had him watch the cut before releasing it?

[bigfowlboski]

As someone who served in the Air Force ( not a pilot ) but supported with AWACS this dude is the real deal. Humble with humility and highly trained. Thank you for dedication and service. We were all safer because of you.

[TheLazyLabrador]

Thank god they pointed out the sun at 12:30, there’s no way I could’ve spotted that myself.

[michaelw]

Top Gun vs Top Gun Maverick is a great example of Nostalgia Goggles. While Maverick may be more realistic or even better of a movie, I can't help but pick the original over it. Simply because the music, the F14 Tomcat, and the overall cheesiness of it are so ingrained in my head. Also, no one will ever be able to convince me that anything is more cool than an F14 Tomcat

[Bad_Wolf_Media]

Around 9:00 - I'm not trying to contradict a guy that's actually been there and done that, but the countermeasures against the SAMs show the pilots hitting a button labeled "Flares/Chaff." The chaff would have some effect against the SAMs. From a filmmaking standpoint, chaff doesn't look that exciting on film, so the flares are added just for the visual pop.

[nobodynoone]

01:09 i think it would be better if when he ejected the whole cockpit came out kinda like those mechs in gundam

[petere.]

Viper’s it, thaaaats it” perfectly inflects to the call sign.

I did love when people said the flat spin wasn’t realistic, then the real Vioer (Pete Pettigrew) pulled an actual case file.