Text NAVYBONUS to 764764 for information.
Text HELP for help. Msg & data rates may apply.

Patch Wearers

 

 
Real TOPGUN Navy fighter pilots walk across the flight deck to an F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet

The Real TOPGUN

In 1986, a stereotype was born on the back of a motorcycle when a secretive naval aviation school made its Hollywood debut.

TOPGUN.

But real TOPGUN pilots aren’t the mavericks the world knows them as. They’re so much more.

TOPGUN is known to the fleet as the Navy Fighter Weapons School, where its mission statement is simple: win in combat. It was founded during the Vietnam War after naval aviators were sustaining high levels of casualties despite superior aircraft and weapons technology. The school brought in experts to train the pilots and Naval Flight Officers on how to take advantage of new innovations inside the cockpit and properly engage enemy targets. One year after the school opened, for every one U.S. casualty, there were 12 for the enemy.

These highly-skilled men and women describe themselves using three words—humble, credible, approachable. That’s because this school doesn’t accept aviators with an ego, or those who fly with a death wish. Here, they don’t fly to break the rules, but to define them for the rest of the fleet. They experiment with new maneuvers in dogfighting and air-to-air combat. They design methods for low-level bombing runs. Instructors fly as adversaries, testing out enemy tactics on their students. Each day, pilots push their aircraft to the limit, just to see what’s possible.

Based in the remote, high-desert of Fallon, NV, TOPGUN draws the best of the best—experienced pilots from the Navy fleet who demonstrate the smart, skilled flying that make them the world’s most elite. Some graduates are selected to stay at TOPGUN as instructors training the next crop of pilots, while others will be assigned to respective weapons schools where they will provide instruction to the fleet.

All graduates earn the infamous TOPGUN patch—a universal symbol of aviation superiority around the world. It sits on the shoulder of every flight suit, reminding them of the three characteristics they must always embody as an aviator in America’s Navy.

Meet Kyle "Washjob" Haith

Meet Orion "Sid" Kelly

Meet Stu "Gizmo" Whipkey

NAVY FIGHTER PILOT

America’s Navy defends on land, at sea and from the air. As a Navy Fighter Pilot, the latter is your domain. Fly at Mach speeds around the globe while completing complex air maneuvers. Catapult off carriers at 170 mph and land on moving runways only 300 feet long. You will gather intel, drop ordnance and conduct defensive missions—all in the most versatile strike fighters on the planet. The F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and the cutting-edge F-35C Lightning II. It’s time to take your seat in the cockpit. Find out what it means to Fly Navy.

Flight Deck Careers

Naval Aviators and Flight Officers aren’t the only ones in the action. It takes a team of Sailors working together to launch our aircraft. As part of the crew that works on the flight deck of our aircraft carriers, you could maintain the engines, direct aircraft traffic, balance fuel systems, build ordnance, repair the weapon and navigation systems, fix aircraft structures or even launch and recover the jets yourself. Find out all about what aviation jobs are available now.

More Episodes

The Fighter

Kaylah Gillums's dad taught her how to box. The Naval Academy taught her to fight.

READ MORE

The Protector

When disaster strikes, Aircrewman Esmelin Villar leaps into action to save lives.

READ MORE

The Quiet Professional

Silence is a weapon. And no one wields it better than SWCC Boat Operator Nick O’Sullivan. Meet one of the Navy’s best kept secrets now.

READ MORE

The Provider

When Ana Monterrosa became a single mother at 18, everyone told her to stop chasing her dreams, but Ana knew she was capable of more.

READ MORE

Snipe

Engineman Desirae Martinez rolled up her sleeves to become one of the Navy’s first female Mark VI Patrol Boat coxswains.

READ MORE

The Bridge

After a traumatic accident, Hospital Corpsman Dominique Velazquez made a miraculous recovery and joined the Navy to pay it forward.

READ MORE

Liberated

Health Care Administrator Diana Tran-Yu proudly serves the country that gave her freedom.

READ MORE

The Lens

Photographer Kathleen Gorby tells the Navy’s story through the lens of her camera.

READ MORE

Chaps

Chaplain LT Autumn Wilson found that opening her mind can help open others’ hearts.

READ MORE

Homecoming

Doctor treats infectious diseases worldwide—including her childhood home of Liberia.

READ MORE

The Interpreter

Digging for purpose didn’t happen in her own backyard—it took her all the way to Bahrain.

READ MORE

The Seventh Sailor

Home's hard to leave. This Sailor watched 6 siblings join the Navy before it was his turn.

READ MORE

The Wallflower

Sometimes, it takes four legs to remind you how important your purpose is in the world.

READ MORE

Stuntwoman

Dreamed of doing her own stunts but found action that doesn't end when they yell "cut."

READ MORE

The Achiever

For one homeless teen, a Navy education offered a chance to make the world a better place.

READ MORE

El Oyente

Justin Alvarado found his way as he journeyed to Spain in search of a new path in the Navy.

READ MORE

Junior

Michael Benitez thought he was leaving family behind but found a new one joining the Navy.

READ MORE

THE WALK-ON

Some train to play college football, but former SEAL Damian Jackson simply walked on.

READ MORE

Selfless

When this Sailor must leave her family to ensure their future, her strength is tested.

READ MORE

Lifeline

Being curious changed this Sailor's mind about the Navy. Then it changed her life.

READ MORE

The Ascender

A life of relocation and instability set him up to fail, but the Navy ensured his success.

READ MORE

Life Preserver

A life preserver. Sailor saves people from perils at sea and feeds the hungry on days off.

READ MORE

Dirt Sailor

This Sailor learned the importance of a meaningful life while staying true to his roots.

READ MORE

The Driver

As a Navy Reserve Sailor in America's Navy, he’s also chasing his dreams to become a NASCAR driver.

READ MORE

Momma Bear

She juggles multiple roles with pride and proves you can accomplish anything in the Navy.

READ MORE

Miss Congeniality

In remaining an individual, she exemplifies the strength in staying true to yourself.

READ MORE

Citizen No. T399836

Sailor uses personal struggles by giving back to the country that gave his family so much.

READ MORE