This could actually be good, I'll be damned.

I pray the trailer is not playing games with us, and if it is, as you said, expect an 87 page thread here of pure screeching.

The F14 is a mock up.

Multiple news stories about this.

https://www.10news.com/news/local-news/top-gun-2-plane-driven-through-coronado-streets

Danke!

aging is one thing, but aging after going under the knife is a whole nother can of worms. Too bad she obviously went under the knife. Definitely some filling went on and a whole lotta botox.

Back in the early 90's the AF had a pilot surplus and pilots were being assigned to units to fill duties until pilot slots came open (iirc they were called "banked" pilots).  We had a Lieutenant assigned to my squadron who was an F-16 pilot.  Really decent guy and a big as hell former football player (I think his call sign was "Tiny").  He mentioned that with his gear and helmet on, when seated in the F-16 there was a slight chance that if he ejected and the canopy did not blow he was just tall enough that his helmet could make contact with the canopy instead of his seat.  Obviously didn't stop him from flying, but he was told his position on ejection would have to be pretty text book or he would find out if there space left for compression before he had a head or spine injury.

WTF?????????????

No "highway to the danger zone" theme song in the trailer???

Sucks already.

There’s little crosses in the HUD that line up as you raise or lower the seat. Once hitting the perfect and safe spot the crosses exactly overlap. However, almost all dudes I know sit way higher in the seat for better visibility.

The life support folks at Holloman were prepping us for an incentive ride in the back of an AT-38 way back in the summer of 1991.

Granted it was probably a different ejection seat entirely, but all I remember is either the handle was in your crotch  or on each side of the seat.  I don't remember a top curtain at all.  I do remember the life support guys saying the MX guys wanted to see have the pins in your hand before you could taxi out of your parking spot.

It totally sucked hanging from a parachute harness from the ceiling...green apple...red apple..clear the seat...OWW MY BALLS!  what were you saying?

Can't wait. My now wife and I had our first kiss watch the OG.

Maybe the scene where he’s wearing a SR-71 type helmet was to test secret aircraft to stay in the Navy because he’s “Maverick” and nobody else would fly a dangerous bird?

Who knows?

That is cool as hell.  The sitting higher part makes sense in that we hear a lot of pilots mentioning the ability to see is crucial in dogfighting.  Doesn't the F-16 have the pilot leaned back more than a lot of other aircraft?  I'd be worried about wrecking my knees and lower legs in an ejection.

Lol at the guys who think Top Gun is a documentary about Navy pilots.

Thanks for the info!  you would know.

it isn't?

Tag............

He’s a Navy pilot sooo he’s in character?

For the F-16, yes...the seat leans back 30 degrees.

I don't have a clue what clearance a pilot's knees would have under or around an F-16's " dash ".

But I would imagine that ACES II rocket would have so much gumption to it that inertia wise, your legs would just naturally bend under the seat.

I am sure there is some practicing with the life support folks too where they watch you quickly tuck your legs back and yank the ejection handle at the same time.  Repeatedly.

EDIT:  in their life support shop with a practice ejection seat/mock up of a cockpit.

The seat has straps that pull your legs back towards the seat when you eject so you don’t knock your knees on the instrument panel.

Coulda fooled me

Untrue. Maverick couldn’t reach the handles (and he’s I the worst ejection position possible with his face on the canopy) and goose pulls the top handle. With the delay of the canopy coming off first I don’t think it’s possible. I heard it happened once but the guy didn’t get hit in the head it hit him in the arm or something.

I couldn't remember if that was a British thing or if American fighter pilots had the same equipment.

With the kinda G forces pressing Maverick's face against the canopy, the canopy shoulda be slung clear of the F-14 like a fat kid who can't stay on a merry-go-round.

That's pretty freaking cool.

#nohomo, right? Right?!???!!!

With all of the crap that Hollywood has put out recently, I never thought I say that a sequel 30+ years after the original looks to be a breath of fresh air.

He’s in San Diego Comic Con today

There aren't leg straps on the 16's ejection seat.  You strap in with your harness to the seat kit and risers then you have a lap belt on too.

The seat goes back out at the reclined angle so your legs come out the well on ejection.  I know some jets have the stirrups for the seats but someone with more egress knowledge would have to tell.

Ah good to know

Cruise makes some pretty entertaining movies

Long story short, I was living at NAS North Island when the movie was filmed and was a 2 minute walk from the bar they built for filming on the beach.
I saw a lot of road closures on the base while filming was going on and actually saw Tom filming a scene where he is riding a motorcycle by the main gate at North Island.
It was very cool to have a front row seat!
I can’t go into details but have been told by a very close contact Tom is a very cool person.

They filmed some of it at Leemore NAS (Cali). An ex-co-worker’s husband was a Super Hornet pilot and some of their friends are in the movie as extras. They are pumped about the movie.

That is all sorts of cool.

I did the seat shots at NAS Point Mugu.
The training device seat that was used was an F-4 Martin-Baker H-7 seat.

https://screenrant.com/top-gun-2-trailer-breakdown-character-story-reveals/

No spoilers inside, just a breakdown of characters and what was in the preview.

Cruise said on TV when he was approached about the sequel, that he would only do it if there was no CGI. Had to be in cockpit cameras like the F-14's.

Yeah I saw The Big Red One in the movies when it first came out. Lee Marvin was still carrying his WWI knuckle knife. And Heartbreak Ridge? I watch it every time it comes on. That movie has some great lines in it. Cracks me up..

I was talking to a friend who works for the USAF as a civilian F-16 ejection seat mechanic.
He said that the F-16 ACES II ejection seat does not have canopy breakers on it as the canopy of the F-16 is too strong for a seat mounted canopy breaker to work.
Something to do with the canopy being built strong enough for bird strikes.

He said after the ejection sequence has been initiated hot gas exits one side of the seat from the initiators on the front of the seat.
That gas actuates the mechanisms that break the posts on which the canopy lock onto which allows the canopy to release and jettison.
Once the canopy is gone an initiator sends hot gas back in thru the hoses on the other side of the seat.
Some of this gas is directed to the sequencer, and some goes directly to the catapult to initiate it.
Boom, out the plane goes the pilot.

If the canopy does not release and jettison the ejection cycle cannot continue.

Yes, it is a stretch with him still being in.  Still actively flying at that,

But,
O6 is not so much an up or put position.

In general, not for a Doc, Lawyer, or some other special situation,
In modern military timelines,

Someone comes in as an O1.
In about 3 1/2 years of service they will be an 03.
In about 9 years of service they will be an O4.
In about 15 years of service they will be an O5.
Around 20 years of service they will be an O6.

A couple of years earlier, or a couple of years later, depending on which decade, etc.
The majority of officers will make those ranks as long as they stay in.

Now, just because 90% of SF O5s make O6 does NOT mean 90% of SF O6s are going to make O7.
There are typically about 9000 O5 officers in the Army.
There are typically about 4000 O6 officers in the Army.
This is NOT because less than half could get promoted- people take better jobs, have paid off service commitments, got hurt, died, retired because they were prior service enlisted and already over 20, etc.

Now, again, let’s go back to about 4000 O6 officers.  
There are only about 140 O7 slots they could be promoted to.  
The odds are better or worse from some branches.
O7s lose their branch, meaning an O5 or O6 from a branch with some serious specials pays and bonuses make more.
Plus, many are over 20 years, can retire, new career, make more on the outside, etc.
But even after that there are not enough slots to promote every O6 that wants to stay.
Maybe about 1% of O6s staying in would have a potential slot to make O7.

The maximum retirement age is 62, with I believe another three years or so that can be approved and waivered.
There are also a ton of Professor, staff, etc. positions where an O6 can pretty much stay until that max age if they want.  Some 44 year old guy that took 20 years to make 06, spent three years as an O6 and could fully retire as an O6,
Could actually stay in the Army for another 20 years.  Spending more time as an O6 than it took to become an O6.

So, say 21 year old Maverick joined the Navy in 1981,
In Top Gun in 1986 he is 26  and has five years of service and is an 03.
In 1990, at 30, he becomes an O4.
In 1995, at 35, he becomes an O5.
In 2000, at 40, he becomes an O6.
In 2020, it is Top Gun 2 time.  He is a 60 year old O6.

Probably fairly close to his real life age.

We all know top gun isn't in Miramar.

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Heartbreak Ridge was in Sept./Oct. 1951, Grenada was Oct. 1983(32 years later). Obviously Hollywood took artistic license with the time line, but even then, Highway would be in his late 40's(assuming he joined at 18) not late 50's.

Most enlisted guys that I saw that were lifers looked way older than their years. I had a couple of Tops(Master Gunnery Sargent) and several Gunnies that were in their late thirties but looked like late 50's. The Suck itself , bad marriages , and hard drinking can do that to a person.

EDIT: I was a young Naval Aviator when Top Gun came out. Was good to use for trying to get the chicks.

This seems highly likely.

My boner couldn’t handle that.

If Tom Cruse dies in the opening credits, it would be epic.

But would a Naval aviator fly Air Force gear??