Top Gun 2

There will be a wave of airplane movies over the next few years. Hollywood loves to follow trends. Clint Eastwood is doing Miracle on The Hudson with Tom Hanks. Top Gun 2 is in the works. Cruise is shooting another airplane movie in Atlanta right now. And the story of Doug White(Niner Delta Whiskey) is currently in development.

I can't see any of those movies being that compelling though I will probably watch them when they hit TV.
 
I wore out the Beta video cassette with Top Gun recorded on it as a kid. I can almost quote the entire thing, lol. However, there are other aviation movies I wore out, too, mainly Memphis Belle, The Right Stuff, Flight of the Intruder, and Tuskegee Airmen. Even though there are some pretty glaring inaccuracies in all of them, I still won't usually flip the channel if it comes on tv.
 
Like was mentioned, Libya x2, Gulf War, Deliberate Force/Bosnia, and the most recent MIG kills by US forces were in Allied Force/Kosovo in 1999. Most all were USAF only engagements, with exception of Libya and a couple in the Gulf War being USN.

But how many of those were dogfights in the sense of up close gunfights versus missiles from afar? I seriously do not know the answer to my question but I suspect few if any were true dogfights.

With our modern technology and our vast superiority over most all of our modern day foes, I just do not find it as interesting or exciting in the real sense or as very good movie material.

Note to the usual PoA shinola stirrers: Please do not misconstrue this as a slight against the aerial skills of the modern fighter pilot or their heroism or their dedicated service to our country all of which I recognize and have respect for.
 
I love that the Cessna is "racing" the motorcycle and they are neck and neck but the plane is at full flaps.

I think that was an Aerobat 150/150 (hp). A stock 150 with full flaps is hard-pressed to stay airborne. Especially not with the added drag of a smoke can.
 
But how many of those were dogfights in the sense of up close gunfights versus missiles from afar? I seriously do not know the answer to my question but I suspect few if any were true dogfights.

With our modern technology and our vast superiority over most all of our modern day foes, I just do not find it as interesting or exciting in the real sense or as very good movie material.

Note to the usual PoA shinola stirrers: Please do not misconstrue this as a slight against the aerial skills of the modern fighter pilot or their heroism or their dedicated service to our country all of which I recognize and have respect for.

There were a couple very textbook BVR (longer range) shootdowns in the Gulf War, but most of the fights mentioned above were in visual range. A couple of which involved extended maneuvering, ie "dogfighting".
 
Man I liked the first one. I own it and still watch it from time to time, in fact. Sure it was pretty cheesy, but it was pretty dang cool in a lot ways as well.

I can't imagine a fighter jet movie that involves drones could possibly be worth a crap.


Instead of playing Kenny Loggins' "Danger Zone", the new movie will be playing Muzak with the pilots sitting in recliners with their joy sticks in hand.
 
"Shoot em! Shoot em! Fox two"
"I can't! I don't have a ******* tone! Select Fox....beeeeeeeeeep."
 
There will be a wave of airplane movies over the next few years. Hollywood loves to follow trends. Clint Eastwood is doing Miracle on The Hudson with Tom Hanks. Top Gun 2 is in the works. Cruise is shooting another airplane movie in Atlanta right now. And the story of Doug White(Niner Delta Whiskey) is currently in development.


How about a movie of our own David White getting all the hot chicks being an Alaska bush pilot? :yes:
 
I met Art Scholl at Moffitt Field when I was a kid. He was super cool to me. Got his autograph. Started the love of flying for me.
 
I can still remember so much of the dialog from that race scene.
"Doug! You're coming up on Devil's face!!"
"That's where Jimmy Branson Bought it"
"Doug, there's white smoke coming out of your manifold"
"Knotcher made me do it"
"Land the plane man! Land the plane!"

I love that the Cessna is "racing" the motorcycle and they are neck and neck but the plane is at full flaps.

I loved that move. Totally implausible BS but much more fun as a kid to watch.


You're right. While top gun got me interested, that Doug vs Knotcher race sealed the deal.

It's on YouTube replete with the whole obscure but very catchy "Old Enough To Rock and Roll" song. Still fun to watch... ;)

http://youtu.be/JeMzhlRXDe4


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There were a couple very textbook BVR (longer range) shootdowns in the Gulf War, but most of the fights mentioned above were in visual range. A couple of which involved extended maneuvering, ie "dogfighting".

Thank you! That is what I was curious about. My assumption was wrong.
 
Thank you! That is what I was curious about. My assumption was wrong.

Not wrong, it is exactly what everyone wants to happen. Unfortunately, there are still many reasons that you could still find yourself at the "merge" with a bad guy, even today. The good news is that we train harder for that contingency than probably any other nation out there.
 
How about a movie of our own David White getting all the hot chicks being an Alaska bush pilot? :yes:

I do off airport and beach landings in Alaska but David is the resident hot shot bush pilot..??? :lol::lol:

I digress though, I am married so my chasin' days are over.....:(
 
hahaha yeah, isn't that awesome video?

Yep. Great CRM between pilot and RIO.

I was a kid when that happened but I remember a lot of controversy surrounding the shoot down. Basically the news implied bloodthirsty pilots who weren't provoked. Hard to tell in the vid but it sure seemed like a lot of offsets that lead took to avoid conflict only to have the Migs turn back into them.
 
When it comes to movies about air combat, I prefer ones that involve guns in close quarters, not missiles from afar. So the movies about the more modern wars and their form of aerial warfare I find the least interesting. I also prefer WW2 era warbirds over modern jets from an aesthetic view as well.


A film about Mig Alley would work for you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmQUCN39qLo
 
I can't see TG2 being anything worthwhile. Cheesy plot line aside what makes any movie of this sort watchable is actual aerial footage and I don't see that happening in this day and age. It will be 100% CGI and consequently completely ridiculous and unreal. Whatever your opinion on the original TG it was one of the last films made with a very decent amount of actual aerial shooting. Really the only later film I can pull off the top of my head would be "Blackhawk Down", there's really nothing anymore the likes of "Battle of Britain" or "The Blue Max" or "Waldo Pepper" or "Great Santini" or "Final Countdown" or "Bat 21" or even "Apocalypse Now"

Those days are gone forever along with Paul Mantz, Frank Tallman and Art Scholl.
 
I can't see TG2 being anything worthwhile. Cheesy plot line aside what makes any movie of this sort watchable is actual aerial footage and I don't see that happening in this day and age. It will be 100% CGI and consequently completely ridiculous and unreal. Whatever your opinion on the original TG it was one of the last films made with a very decent amount of actual aerial shooting. Really the only later film I can pull off the top of my head would be "Blackhawk Down", there's really nothing anymore the likes of "Battle of Britain" or "The Blue Max" or "Waldo Pepper" or "Great Santini" or "Final Countdown" or "Bat 21" or even "Apocalypse Now"

Those days are gone forever along with Paul Mantz, Frank Tallman and Art Scholl.

Amen. I am looking forward to the Spielberg 8th AF series though. Man, I hope it isn't ALL CGI.
 
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