Top Gun released in May 1986 to widespread acclaim for its fast-paced, high-energy style. The film presented a sleek and thrilling depiction of the U.S. Navy, so compelling that military recruiters set up booths outside theaters to attract potential enlistees.
A key element of the movie’s lasting impact was its dedication to authenticity, achieved through the efforts of Rear Adm. Pete Pettigrew, nicknamed “Viper,” who worked hard to ensure its historical accuracy.
Pete Pettigrew’s military career
Before advising on the first Top Gun, Pete Pettigrew had an exceptional military career. He began his service in the U.S. Naval Reserve and earned his wings as a naval aviator in 1966. After completing Fleet Replacement Training with Fighter Squadron 121 (VF-121), he joined Fighter Squadron 151 (VF-151), piloting McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom IIs during two 10-month combat tours in Vietnam aboard the USS Coral Sea (CV-43), where he took part in missions against Russian MiGs.
The US Navy’s Operation Rolling Thunder (1965-68),a bombing campaign against North Vietnam, was widely regarded as unsuccessful, prompting the Navy to reassess its strategy. In response, the Navy created TOPGUN – the Navy Fighter Weapons School—to train its aviators in advanced tactics, equipping them for greater effectiveness in air combat.
The US Navy’s TOPGUN school
Following his deployments to Vietnam, Pete Pettigrew came back to San Diego. As a leading Navy fighter pilot, he took on the role of an instructor at the Navy Fighter Weapons School, where he trained pilots in both air-to-air and air-to-ground combat from 1969 to 1972.
A sign at Naval Air Station (NAS) Miramar, the location of the training, noted, “The four-week course started with a team of instructors covering US and Soviet aircraft types, weapons systems, and fighter training tactics in a 50-foot-long metal trailer at [Naval Air Station] Miramar.”
Pete Pettigrew’s service, Post-TOPGUN school
The training provided to Navy pilots at NAS Miramar quickly demonstrated remarkable effectiveness. Before this program, naval aviators maintained a kill-to-loss ratio of approximately 2:1. After completing the training, this ratio soared to an impressive 12:1. Encouraged by these outstanding results, the Navy chose to increase funding to expand the program further.
In 1972, Pettigrew returned to Vietnam, serving aboard the USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) with Carrier Air Wing II. That May, he and his wingman faced off against four MiG-21s piloted by North Vietnamese forces. Despite the daunting odds, they triumphed, with each pilot scoring an aerial kill. This achievement made Pettigrew the only former TOPGUN instructor to claim a kill in Vietnam. Additionally, many of his students also achieved notable success during the conflict.
A career in film soon came calling
During the production of Top Gun, director Tony Scott and producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer prioritized accuracy. They enlisted TOPGUN instructor Pete Pettigrew to ensure authenticity, fostering a lasting partnership with Paramount Pictures.
Pettigrew collaborated with Paramount Pictures from 1983 to 1986 and even made a cameo in Top Gun, portraying the date of Kelly McGillis‘ character, Charlotte “Charlie” Blackwood, in a scene where Tom Cruise‘s Lt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell tries to win her over.
Additionally, Tom Skerritt’s character, “Viper,” was inspired by a real-life pilot and is partly based on Pettigrew himself.
Pete Pettigrew’s legacy
When Pete Pettigrew ended his Navy career in 1998, he’d participated in over 375 combat missions in Southeast Asia, culminating in over 3,400 hours flying fighter aircraft. For his service, he was awarded a number of decorations: the Joint Superior Service Medal, two Navy Commendation Medals, 30 Air Medals, the Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Legion of Merit with Gold Star, two Meritorious Service Medals and the Defense Meritorious Service Medal.
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The retired naval aviator soon threw himself into triathlons and was a master swimmer. In 2014, he and a team of other men set the record for the fastest swim over the Catalina Channel for those over 70 years old. During a speech to students at Menlo College the following year, he advised:
“The doors are open in your life. Don’t be afraid to go through them. No decision is still a decision, so don’t be afraid you will fail. The more you succeed, the easier it will be to walk through a doorstep. Watch for the doors.”
Rear Adm. Pete Pettigrew passed away on June 23rd, 2024.