Is it possible that Tom Cruise's acrobatic flight in “Top Gun: Maverick” is impossible? A real Navy pilot instructor praises it, saying it's “so realistic” and “it could actually happen” | THE RIVER

Many people may have been reminded of the joy of movies in “Top Gun: Maverick” (2022). In this film, you can enjoy plenty of thrilling aerial action that is unique to movies, but in fact, these depictions are so realistic that even those who are experts in the field can see them.

In a popular Insider project where experts from various fields rate the fidelity of movie scenes, David Burke, an instructor who once taught the real Top Gun, appeared. He watched various flight scenes in “Top Gun: Maverick” and examined their realism.

Burke praised the entire film, calling it “so realistic” and “so well-drawn,” but here he focuses on the sequence in which Maverick successfully demonstrates an impossible mission in front of the young pilots.

In one memorable scene, Navy Captain Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) demonstrates an impossible maneuver in front of a group of young pilots: Flying at ultra-low altitude and ultra-high speed over a steep canyon, Maverick fires a laser-guided bomb at a tiny target within a limited time limit.

It's a dangerous and extremely difficult mission that even the best of the best, a group of young elites, all failed. In this scene, Maverick gets into an F/A-18E without permission and enters the training area. His facial muscles are pulled by G-forces as he flies over mountainous terrain, just above the ground. He flies while tilting the aircraft left and right many times, which Burke explains is a technique called “knife edge.” “It's a very well-drawn depiction, and it's very realistic,” he said, praising the accuracy.

Maverick went over the mountain peak and entered the desert. “Pop up, 3… 2… 1…” he said, and Maverick's aircraft soared. This maneuvering technique of increasing altitude from low altitude to high altitude in one go is actually called “low altitude pop.” “You're probably flying 100 feet (about 30 meters) above the ground. That's very low. It requires a lot of attention and skill,” Burke said, impressed.

The Maverick briefly gains altitude, then turns around and heads toward the target, “just like we teach it,” Burke continues.

The reason he needed to turn around was because as he climbed and gained altitude, the plane's angle got steeper, making it harder to see targets on the ground. “So he turned it upside down and looked up into the canopy to keep the target in view,” Burke explains.

Once the plane was in a descent, it would quickly rotate back around, which Burke says involved some pretty impressive G-forces.

Burke said of this sequence, “It's a tough scene, a tough scenario, tough in real life,” and that it “could easily happen in real life, but it's not easy.” He gave the sequence a perfect score of nine points, though he said, “I'm pretty strict with scores, so I don't think I'd give it a 10.” He gave it his seal of approval, saying, “This scene is very well done. Great job. Really well done.”

By the way, I have reported on the same flight experience that the cast of “Top Gun Maverick” did in San Francisco, USA. Just thinking about it makes me feel sick.

Source:Insider