After many recent episodes discussing how 1986's 'Top Gun' and this year's 'Top Gun: Maverick' are "movies, not documentaries," it seemed appropriate to round out 'Top Gun Month' (which ended up being two months) with a look at the 2008 Naval Aviation story that IS a documentary.
This week, episode 20 of the F-14 Tomcast is repurposed to further share the story of how 'Speed & Angels' came to be. Tomcast hosts "Crunch" & "Bio" welcome past FPP guest "Paco" Chierici and Meagan "Vargas" Varley who describe how the documentary was imagined and filmed.
Listener questions addressed on this episode include why a pair of aircraft were needed to attack the target in 'Top Gun: Maverick,' inclement weather considerations for fighter cockpits, Super Hornet afterburner use during catapult shots, and why grown men are weeping during 'Top Gun: Maverick.'
Episode artwork by Janek Krause. 'Top Gun' anthem covered by Jaime Lopez / announcements by Clint Bell.