A new six-part series on National Geographic promises to take viewers along the journey to the real “Top Gun” training grounds as cameras follow pilot students from the Navy and Marine Corps through the end of their qualification pipeline.
“Top Guns: The Next Generation,” which is set to air on NatGeo on Sept. 16 — and streaming the next day on Hulu and Disney+ — showcases “six months of high-stakes aerial training, brutal physical demands, and emotional reckoning, where only the top performers earn the chance to fly the most coveted aircrafts,” according to the series description.
“Filmed with unprecedented access, it immerses audiences in a world of intense pressure and soaring expectations, where dreams of earning wings of gold collide with the harsh reality of the grueling training. From bombing drills to close-range dogfights and nail-biting carrier approaches, each episode captures the intense demands of a program that challenges their abilities, endurance and resolve at every turn.”
A recently released trailer and episode descriptions provide a taste of what viewers can expect when they tune in. Here’s what we know so far.
T-45 Goshawk gets its moment in the sun
The 1986 Tom Cruise blockbuster that put TOPGUN on the map — that is, the Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Program, now in Fallon, Nevada — focused on pilots flying the iconic F-14 Tomcat.
This new series, focused on the training prior to making it to TOPGUN, will prominently feature a workhorse of fighter pilot training: the white-and-red T-45C Goshawk trainer.
Imagery from the trailer confirms the action in the new series is taking place at Naval Air Station Meridian, Mississippi, one of two final training locations for naval strike/fighter pilot students seeking to earn their wings of gold.
Made by McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing), the two-seat Goshawk has been in service since the late 1980s, and is the only fighter trainer equipped to land on aircraft carriers.
And while the Goshawk’s top speed of 645 miles per hour is about half that of the F/A-18 Super Hornets and F-35 Joint Strike Fighters the student pilots may soon fly, it’s still an intense ride.
“It’s like we teleport,” one student says in a trailer voiceover.
Leaning into Top Gun nostalgia
From the familiar opening chords of the trailer to a sweaty volleyball game in the sun, throwbacks to the movie that started it all are everywhere.
That may be appropriate, as “Top Gun” lore is now almost inextricably part of the fabric of the Navy.
The movie, at least according to rumor, led to a Navy recruiting boom as the service took advantage of the interest and curiosity it spurred. The Navy also went all in on collaborating with Hollywood for the 2022 sequel, “Top Gun: Maverick.”
Other “Top Gun” callbacks in the trailer include a shot of a student pilot speeding along a highway on a motorcycle a la Tom Cruise, and another mustachioed pilot being compared to “Goose” from the movie.
“Goose dies,” the pilot responds. “I hope there’s not any similarities.”
Drama, conflict and attrition
The trailer and synopses for the six episodes underscore the high-stakes tenor of real-life fighter training.
“If you make a mistake, it is possible you don’t come back,” one pilot intones.
The intensity commences with the first episode, “Strike,” in which the students enter advanced phase training with “a set of breathtaking bombing tests,” according to synopses.
“Diving at speeds they’ve never faced before, students struggle with the dynamic moves and start to make high-risk mistakes. Instructors deliver tough assessments in the debriefs to keep the students safe.”
The second episode will see the students practicing real-world carrier landings, under pressure to succeed. The third takes them into the dogfighting phase, pitting them against seasoned instructors working hard to bring them down. In the fourth, they reach the second dogfighting phase, and the breaking point for some.
“The physical strain proves too much for one student, while another has a crisis of confidence when past failures come back to haunt him,” according to synopses.
Dogfight drama, and tension between students and instructors, continues to feature prominently in the final two episodes leading to the students’ graduation from the advanced jet training pipeline at Meridian.
“It’s the ultimate test of precision, pressure and perseverance,” NatGeo says of the training.
For those interested in fighter aviation and those who think “Top Gun” would be cool even without Tom Cruise in the cockpit, it also sounds like must-watch TV.
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