Actual TOPGUN, Dave Berke, Reacts to 'TOPGUN: Maverick' with Jocko Willink

Join the conversation on Twitter/Instagram: @jockowillink @echocharles

[larrybrown]

Great interview! In 1983, Air Force pilot at the 426th Fighter Squadron, I was the Chief of Aerial Comabt Tactics and Dissimilar Air Combat Tactics instructor and got selected to attend TopGun school. First flight at TG, got my ass handed to me on a BFM 1v1! These guys are good! learned alot. 2 years later, I was selected to the SR-71 and flew that great machine for 4 years.
Thanks for that great interview Jocko

[carlosmunoz]

I couldn't stop smiling while watching this movie in the theater. This is really a masterpiece! Top Gun Maverick is the Best movie I've seen this year!

[NotRiansLuke]

Finally saw this movie last weekend, loved it. Way better than the original, IMO. Thing is, they don't make movies like this anymore. Practical effects, a tough-guy hero who doesn't get gutted by the writers, no politics... loved it. Wish Hollywood would do more of this.

[gcm]

This dude is humble, humble bragging for 37 minutes! What an accomplished pilot and amazing individual. Go see Top Gun Maverick. See it as it is - a movie, not a documentary. It’s a blast!

[teti_]

This dude is the real frickin deal. I learned from the legendary Jerry Rice at football camp once, "When you're good at something, you'll tell others. When you're excellent at something, others will say it for you." 🇺🇸 Thank you both for your service, legends. 💯

[justintime]

So many vets here. Thank you all for your service. You guys are all the foundation of our great country.

[gilcordova]

I was at TopGun 1979-1983 and 1986-1988, as one of the 15 Marine enlisted working there at Miramar. Got qualified to fly backseat, ran the flight line, airframes, hydraulic shop, seat shop, power plant s and operation and logistics. Great six years of my 23 years in the Marine Corps.

[nuklehead]

Having served with Dave in the USMC...he was an amazing officer to be around. I served with him at ANGLICO...truly a great professional and even better man.

[Tain]

This was one of the best interviews I’ve seen in a while. The fact that one of the best Jet fighter pilots is such an actual fan of the Top Gun movies is awesome 😎

[poltex]

My dad was a missile analyst with Top Gun when it started. Worked with F-14 thru F-18. He got to tell them if it was pilot error, missile error or plane error. He spent 25 yrs doing this after 24 yrs as ECM/navigator in the Air Force.
My younger son watched the original movie so many times, it drove his brother crazy, but my dad enjoyed it, even if it was a movie. My older son got to go inside a TG meeting once as a kid. I told his teachers if he draws pics of bombs & missiles, don't worry because that's what his grandpa worked with. I went to see the new movie & got choked up thru out thinking about my dad & also we worked with family services all the time & you know what it's like when you lose a crew. I thought it was fantastic & I think my Dad would have too!

[paulisaaksohn]

It couldn't have gotten any better - a highly experienced top-notch Navy SEAL interviewing a real-life TopGun instructor - a fighter jet super pilot...Thank you, Jocko and David-absolutely an amazing episode just like all the others served to us by Jocko and his team. Wish our politicians were a bit more like you...Sounds like a wishful thinking, I know...Loved how Jocko was bantering David slightly ("Humblebrag".) David's skillset and resolve are mind-boggling and a very humbling experience to discover, as most people have difficulty operating a vehicle let alone piloting a supersonic aircraft loaded with sensitive and ultramodern technology. I cannot wrap my brains around how much actual knowledge, endurance and so much more it takes to just be able to fly one particular type of aircraft, to navigate and engage other skilled pilots successfully...This guy is qualified to pilot 4! types of fighter jets...Awesome episode-inspiring and humbling...

[msdunkel]

BTW another anecdote -- I was an F-16 instructor at Luke AFB. We would occasionally bring a few jets to Fallon to fight the Top Gun students. The guys at Fallon run a class act and just the brief before the fight is the stuff of legends. My first fight was against a couple students in a Rhino and it was like shooting fish in a barrel. My 2nd fight was against an older and lighter F-16 flown by one of their instructors. An hour later we're in the bar debriefing the mission and I was the fish in the barrel, it's amazing how an incredible pilot can make a good pilot look plain-old bad (and I was in my main jet, the instructor who smoked me basically flew F-16s in his spare time). Great school and great movie.

[TheInnerParty]

I’m a marine. Never in my entire life did I ever hear of any marine aviator who flew an F 22.
Amazing guy

[Momabear]

As a daughter of a Fighter Pilot Thank you so much for this insightful interview. I loss my dad in 1968. He is my Hero. I remembered how exhausted he was whey he finally came back to us after long deployment. I have never met a man worn his courage and honor. Thank you for this. 😍

[scsc]

Berke is not lying. I saw it with my wife yesterday, and it was freaking amazing! We both loved it. It was sad that it ended at all.
There are hardly any movies this good anymore. On top of that, there was no woke bs. I'm definitely going to see it again.

[scottbelcher]

Jocko is possibly one of the very best interviewers ever. His ability to throw out the little ball busting comments that friends do is priceless. Always get some good laughs during his interviews. Two American Hero's. Well Done.

[konakindaguy]

My good friend, Gary Turner, was an advisor and Top Gun instructor for the first movie. He had over a 1000 carrier takeoffs and landings. Miss that guy!

[psixakias]

The only reason i ve seen the movie in my living room all by myself is cause i knew i am gonna burst into a lot of tears remembering the boy i was back then on the 1st Top Gun and the people actors used to be back then. This movie is a time capsule for all of us on our +40s. Top Gun is not just a movie for me, is the reason why i became a fighter pilot and why i am now an instructor who will pass on my knowledge to the ones after me

[johnsvedics]

This was a really great podcast. Two badass guys that have achieved such greatness in life, and are completely humble. It's people like this that should be our country's leadership. Without any doubt. 🔥

[brittjuergens]

I’m almost 40 with two children. I was going through some of my old school stuff from when I was a kid to show my son the other day and I saw a drawing I had done. It was a military jet. Underneath it read “I wana b a jat pilet”, and at that moment I remembered how much I wanted to fly jets as a kid. Throughout life with all the ups and downs I had forgotten that was my dream. I never did become a jat pilet and now it’s too late and it made me a little sad. Moral of the story is, kids, don’t forget your dreams and strive to be the person and do the things you always wanted to do. Don’t let life take that away from you.