LET'S
LET'S GET
LET'S GET TO HEATHER. HEATHER: LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS
INTERVIEW.
INTERVIEW. THE HUGELY POPULAR 1980'S MOVIE
" TOP GUN" IS GETTING A SEQUEL
SET TO COME OUT NEXT YEAR.
WE ARE GOING BACK IN TIME WITH A
MAN WHO SAYS HE CREATED THE TOP
GUN SCHOOL.
GUN SCHOOL. HE WAS TASKED WITH CREATING AN
ELITE FLIGHT SCHOOL 50 YEARS
AGO, AND HE IS SHARING HIS STORY
IN A NEW BOOK, "TOP GUN -- AN
AMERICAN STORY."
AMERICAN STORY." FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR
SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY.
YOU CHANGED THE GAME.
>> MYSELF AND 8 OTHER YOUNG
FELLOWS.
FELLOWS.
FELLOWS. HEATHER: TAKE ME BACK 50 YEARS
AGO.
AGO.
AGO. WHAT
AGO. WHAT WAS THE SITUATION LIKE THEN
DURING THE VIETNAM WAR, AND WHO
CAME TO YOU AND SAID THAT
SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE?
>> WE WERE FIVE YEARS INTO THE
WAR, AND THE VICTORY RATIO WAS
2-1.
2-1.
2-1. THAT
2-1. THAT IS UNSATISFACTORY IN
AMERICAN HISTORY.
AMERICAN HISTORY. A GREAT MAN WROTE A REPORT, VERY
COMPREHENSIVE REPORT.
COMPREHENSIVE REPORT. TWO OF HIS STRONG
RECOMMENDATIONS WERE THAT WE
REVISE OUR TACTICS.
AIR POLICE DIDN'T CUT IT.
THE WEAPONS DIDN'T WORK.
I WAS TEACHING RIGHT OF THE
ROAD.
ROAD.
ROAD. HEATHER: RIGHT HERE.
>> RIGHT HERE.
SOMEBODY CAME TO ME ONE MORNING
AND SAID, "READ THIS.
HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO START THE
SCHOOL?"
SCHOOL?"
SCHOOL?" WE WERE PRETTY OPINIONY GUYS
COME IN WITH THE OPINIONA
TION, YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO DO
IT, -- TO FIX IT, YOU MIGHT AS
WELL DO IT.
GREAT AVIATORS.
GREAT AVIATORS. HEATHER: OFF YOU WENT.
>> OFF WE WENT.
THEY GAVE US 60 DAYS TO HAVE A
FIRST-CLASS READY.
FIRST-CLASS READY. 60 DAYS TO BUILD A GRADUATE
SCHOOL -- WE DID IT.
HEATHER: WE STARTED THIS WITH A
BARE-BONES OPERATION.
BARE-BONES OPERATION. -- YOU STARTED THIS WITH A
BARE-BONES OPERATION.
BARE-BONES OPERATION. UP IN THE TOP RIGHT CORNER IS A
TRAILER.
TRAILER.
TRAILER. IS THAT CAP GUN HEADQUARTERS
BACK IN THE DAY -- TOP GUN
HEADQUARTERS BACK IN THE DAY?
>> THEY SAID -- NO REAL
FINANCING.
FINANCING. I HAD TO BORROW AIRPLANES TO GET
THE SCHOOL GOING.
WE DON'T THINK WE HAVE ANY
CLASSROOMS OR OFFICE SPACE FOR
YOU.
YOU.
YOU. WE
YOU. WE ARGUED FOR THAT TRAILER
THERE, FOR A CASE OF SCOTCH.
HEATHER: CASE OF SCOTT GOT YOU A
TRAILER.
TRAILER.
TRAILER. -- CASE OF SCOTCH GOT YOU A
TRAILER.
TRAILER.
TRAILER. HOW DID THIS CHANGE COMBAT?
>> YOU AND I DIDN'T GET TIME TO
TALK A LOT AT ALL, BUT WE TOOK
THE EXISTING AIRPLANES, F-4
CANCER, AND IT JUST CHANGED HOW
WE -- F-4 FANS HIM, AND IT JUST
CHANGED HOW WE FLUID.
WE COMPREHENSIVELY WENT THROUGH
ALL THE WEAPON SYSTEMS AND
CHANGE THE FIRING.
VERY COMPLEX, LONG TALK.
BUT IT WORKED.
HEATHER: WE WATCHED THE MOVIE,
AND TO FIND AN AMERICAN WHO HAS
NOT SEEN "TOP GUN."
ARE THERE PARTS OF THE MOVIE
THAT ARE TRUE TO LIFE?
DID THEY CONSULT WITH YOU?
>> BY THE END OF THE VIETNAM
WAR, FROM THE BEGINNING DAY OF
TOP GUN TO THE END OF THE WAR IN
1973, WE GOT THE KILL 2 RATIO UP
TO4-1.
TO4-1.
TO4-1. SECOND WORLD WAR, IT WAS 12-1.
IT WORKED.
IT WORKED. HEATHER: PUT THE EXCLAMATION
POINT ON THAT.
>> VERY SATISFYING.
HEATHER: DID THEY CONSULT WITH
YOU?
YOU?
YOU? >>
YOU? >> THE MOVIE?
THE MOVIE SULFATE TICKETS --
SOLD GREAT TICKETS,
ENTERTAINMENT.
ENTERTAINMENT. BUT THE FLYING WAS DONE BY TOP
GUN GUYS.
GUN GUYS.
GUN GUYS. VERY RELISTED.
VERY RELISTED. THE OTHER THING I LIKED ABOUT IT
IS THE MUSIC.
GREAT MUSIC.
GREAT MUSIC. BUT WE'RE A BROTHERHOOD.
50 YEARS NOW.
THE BROTHERHOOD HAS GROWN FROM
THE ORIGINAL NINE GUYS, AND EACH
10 YEARS, GET A NEW INFUSION OF
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. IT HAS ADDED UP TO -- THIS
WEEKEND WE HAD 160 GUYS IN THE
HOTEL AND WE JUST HAD A GREAT
REUNION.
REUNION.
REUNION. HEATHER: A FANTASTIC READING.
>> BUT THERE WOULD NEVER HAVE
BEEN ANY CONFLICT -- THE GUYS
ARE BROTHERS.
ARE BROTHERS. WHEN YOU FLY EVERY DAY AND YOUR
LIFE IS DEPENDENT ON EACH OTHER,
YOU DON'T COMPETE.
THERE ARE BIG EGOS, BUT NO REAL
OVER COMPETITION.
OVER COMPETITION. HEATHER: WOW.
HEATHER: WOW. I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE TWO HOURS
TO SIT DOWN.
>> I WISH WE DID.
HEATHER: I DO, TOO.
"TOPGUN --AN AMERICAN STORY" IS
THE TITLE OF THE BOOK.
ONE OF THE TOP-SELLING BOOKS ON
AMAZON RIGHT OFF.
YOU CAN GO GET BANK AND A NUMBER
OF OTHER STORES TO GET IT.
I WANT TO EMPHASIZE AGAIN, YOU
SINGLE-HANDEDLY HELPED SAVE
THOUSANDS OF LIVES WITH CREATING
THIS SCHOOL.
THIS SCHOOL. AND I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR
THAT.
THAT.
THAT. FAMILIES AND GENERATIONS --
>> GREAT THING.
I STARTED IT, BUT THERE HAVE
BEEN ABOUT 542 SKIPPERS IN 50
YEARS, AND ABOUT -- PARDON ME,
500 INSTRUCTORS.
500 INSTRUCTORS. THEY DID IT ALL.
GOOD OR BETTER TODAY THAN IT WAS
50 YEARS AGO.
HEATHER: THANK YOU FOR YOUR
SERVICE.
SERVICE.
SERVICE. THE FAMOUS LINE FROM THE MOVIE,
"I FEEL THE NEED FOR SPEED," HE
SAID, DID THAT EVER HAPPEN?
>> YOU KNOW, CRUISE, HE HAS HIS
FAMOUS QUOTE, BUT WE LIKE TO GO
UP STRAIGHT UP AND DOWN.
[LAUGHTER]
[LAUGHTER]