TOP GUN Misunderstood

[SpankenStein]

OK, so the movie "Top Gun" is a highly motivational and slightly gay fighter pilot movie. But let us lets explore the inconsistencies. For instance, do NFOs go to Fighter Weapon School with their pilot buddies? Or go at all? Do the XO and CO ever go up for a dogfight? Are they the only instructors? And is there still a volley ball sandpit in Miramar?

 

[jarhead]

For instance, do NFOs go to Fighter Weapon School with their pilot buddies?

Squadrons generally work up (train) their Fighter Weapons School selectee pilot & NFO (WSO) together prior to the class date and they will go through NFWS flying together as a crew, unless one fails out.

Or go at all?

Yes, NFO's (WSO's) can be selected to go to NFWS.

Do the XO and CO ever go up for a dogfight?

Yes, they will fly during the classes.

Are they the only instructors?

No

And is there still a volley ball sandpit in Miramar?

Yes

 

[Renegade One]

...is there still a volley ball sandpit in Miramar?

Squadrons generally work up (train) their Fighter Weapons School selectee pilot & NFO (WSO) together prior to the class date and they will go through NFWS flying together as a crew, unless one fails out.

Everything jarhead sez…yes. I'm trying to come up with a situation in which one might "fail out"…but maybe. Not in my day. If you sucked then, you were gonna suck all the way to the end. No TOPGUN Trophy for you. For that matter, no trophy for anyone else either. You just got a patch.

As to the volley ball sandpit…also yes…not far from the Miramar O'Club...but TOPGUN isn't there any longer. Nor do I think it was ever used when TOPGUN WAS there. I gather today's warriors of the 3D Marine Aircraft Wing just do their own sweaty shirtless dog-tag thing and call it PT. On the up-side…maybe it's co-ed nowadays...

 

[MIDNJAC]

Maybe my TOP GUN trivia is wrong, but the Oclub I frequented at Miramar was not the one from the movie, at least as far as I can tell. And what R1 said, it is a MCAS now, complete with Marines and no NSAWC. And they don't have drink chips like the Fallon O'club

 

[Renegade One]

Maybe my TOP GUN trivia is wrong, but the Oclub I frequented at Miramar was not the one from the movie, at least as far as I can tell.

Correctamundo…full marks! While the movie folks did dump a bunch of money into "re-doing" the interior of the WOXOF…they never actually filmed there. Too small or some such thing.

I used to know…but can no longer recall…where the "purported bar scenes" were filmed…Admiral Kidd Club? 32nd Street O'Club?…I dunno. Some active duty club that existed at the time and which struck the "Location Assistant's" fancy. The Miramar WOXOF did get to inherit the large back-lit photos you see in some of those scenes…mostly taken by "Heater" as I recall. But to tell you the truth…the WOXOF was never quite the same afterwards…a shame. My first memories…1972 until the TOPGUN time…were of a small "flight suits" bar basically painted black, with various large squadron patches painted in "day-glo" colors…all pretty much illuminated by black lights. There was more, of course...

What was YOUR timeframe…may help to frame my memories...

 

[MIDNJAC]

Pretty much present day. Mid 2010-late 2011 while I went through the RAG at VMFAT-101

 

[Renegade One]

Pretty much present day. Mid 2010-late 2011 while I went through the RAG at VMFAT-101

Ah…yes. Little remains. Pretty much like walking through "The Alamo" today. But…there was a time…

 

[BigBadBoJenkins]

I get sad when I read about how awesome O-clubs used to be.

 

[HeloBubba]

I know the scene where Maverick follows Charlie into the women's restroom was filmed aboard NTC San Diego....

 

[Fallonflyr]

I get sad when I read about how awesome O-clubs used to be.

The best place to see an O Club is in a museum in P Cola...that is sad.

 

[jmcquate]

Correctamundo…full marks! While the movie folks did dump a bunch of money into "re-doing" the interior of the WOXOF…they never actually filmed there. Too small or some such thing.

I used to know…but can no longer recall…where the "purported bar scenes" were filmed…Admiral Kidd Club? 32nd Street O'Club?…I dunno. Some active duty club that existed at the time and which struck the "Location Assistant's" fancy. The Miramar WOXOF did get to inherit the large back-lit photos you see in some of those scenes…mostly taken by "Heater" as I recall. But to tell you the truth…the WOXOF was never quite the same afterwards…a shame. My first memories…1972 until the TOPGUN time…were of a small "flight suits" bar basically painted black, with various large squadron patches painted in "day-glo" colors…all pretty much illuminated by black lights. There was more, of course...

What was YOUR timeframe…may help to frame my memories...

I met the guy flying the Gypsy Tomcat with the 6 AIM-54 load out in one of those pictures. Never got his name just call sign, "Le Torch". Earned at the annual F-8 shindig when it was held in France..........something to do with a flaming shot incident.
.

 

[Swanee]

The best place to see an O Club is in a museum in P Cola...that is sad.

You can't ride the King Kat in Pcola. But I get what you're saying.

 

[kmac]

The bar scene was filmed at the Lafayette Hotel / Red Fox Room. It's actually a cool little place.
www.redfoxsd.com

 

[Renegade One]

The bar scene was filmed at the Lafayette Hotel / Red Fox Room. It's actually a cool little place.
www.redfoxsd.com

Can't argue with better data...

 

[Renegade One]

The best place to see an O Club is in a museum in P Cola...that is sad.

Uh…it ain't an O'Club…it's a "museum". Don't confuse the two.

It's today's folks' job to make an O'Club. Doesn't need to be "old school"…just needs to be a place where you actually wanna go and mingle with your peers and leaders…however you define that. If y'all would rather go to Hooters or The Tilted Kilt…well, then, that's what you want, I guess. You will never have anything on base other than an "All Hands Catering Venue" to call your own. Nice buffet lunches, tho...

Spare me the diatribe about "but it's different now!". It's always been different. There was a time when choker whites or SDB/Ks were required in the O'Clubs after 1800...