Topgun instructors and staff, 1985

Back row: Patty, Kodak, Sobs, Horse, Bio, Secks, Tex, Circus, Organ, Jaws, Sunshine, Linda

Front row: Ed, Hollywood, Cowboy, Jambo, Player, Otter, Rat, Boa, Vida, Flex, Derf

TOPGUN F-5 LEADS TWO A-4S BACK FROM ANOTHER BATTLE

Near Naval Air Facility El Centro, California, three Topgun aircraft descend after doing battle with Navy and Marine Corps fighters over the desert near Yuma, Arizona.

ABOVE THE PACIFIC ONE AFTERNOON

Three Topgun fighters, from right to left: an F-5F Tiger II (two-seater) leads an F-5E Tiger II (single-seater) and A-4F Skyhawk above the Pacific during air combat training off the coast of Southern California.

MARINE CORPS F-4 PHANTOM II

A Marine Corps Phantom as seen from a Topgun jet. This photo was taken during the transit back to base, after the dynamic maneuvering portion of the flight was complete.

F-21 AND F-5

A Topgun F-5E Tiger II in formation with an F-21 Kfir from adversary squadron VF-43, based at Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia Beach, Virginia.

F-14 REFUELING FROM KC-135

Above the central Indian Ocean, Navy F-14 Tomcats refuel from an Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker. It was important for the carrier-based fighters to be comfortable operating with assets such as the KC-135, which would be critical to most contingency operations. I like how the clouds look in this photo.(1982)

"FILL 'ER UP!"

View from the F-14 rear cockpit while taking fuel from a KC-135. Now imagine doing this at night...when you are low on fuel...and you have to plug in order to save your aircraft. Imagine....

REFLECTION

The author took this photo of his reflection in the radar scope while sitting in the aircraft on the carrier flight deck for several hours as an alert. Boredom, aircraft cockpit, and camera -- an interesting mix.

SR-71 AT KEY WEST

The Air Force's super-secret, super-capable SR-71 made an unscheduled visit to Key West in April 1986, at the same time as Topgun was in Key West for a training detachment. The full story is posted here: SR-71 Encounter.

BIO AND BLACKBIRD

Before it left Key West, the SR-71 was rolled out of the hangar for public viewing.

SLICK F-14, LOW AND FAST

This Tomcat cruises low and fast above San Clemente Island, off the coast of Southern California, during a training mission. The aircraft is clean of external tanks and under-fuselage rails for the AIM-54 Phoenix missile, which are seen in many photos. It carries only a training version of an AIM-7 Sparrow missile under its right wing.

SKYHAWKS AT DAWN

Four A-4 Skyhawks patrol the morning sky near Naval Air Facility China Lake, California, with the moon in the background. They display the variety of paint schemes Topgun and other adversary squadrons used.

BURNER 1 - F-14

An F-14A Tomcat streaks across the southern California sky in full afterburner (Zone 5), showing well-defined "discs" caused by shockwaves within the burner plume. For more of Bio's afterburner photos, including a nighttime shot taken with flash, go to Airfighters.com.

BURNER 2 - F-5E

Not quite as impressive as the afterburner in the mighty Tomcat, this F-5E Tiger II pilot lights the blowers in the evening sky.

BURNER 3 - F-21

Powered by a J79 engine, the same as used in the F-4 Phantom, this F-21 Kfir shows "shock diamonds" in its burner plume during an evening transit flight from Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, back to Naval Air Station Miramar, California.

JAWS FLYING OTTER'S JET

This is Jaws (LT Sandy Winnefeld) flying the jet with Otter's (CDR Tom Otterbein) name on it. Names were painted on aircraft based on seniority in the squadron, but aircraft were assigned on an as-available basis, so it was relatively rare that a pilot (or RIO) would fly the aircraft with their name on it.

ONE OF THE LAST PHOTOS OF 159623

This photo was taken in November or December 1981, just weeks before this aircraft was lost, ironically when the author and Skipper Switzer had to eject during a landing mishap on USS Constellation, December 19, 1981. The split-second decision, the rocket ride, and subsequent life-or-death struggle are described in TOPGUN DAYS. The plane was "Renegade 205," also known by its unique bureau number, 159623. A video of the ejection is on this page.