Watching the sunset on a beach is the most picturesque thing you will ever see. Suddenly, the once white, fluffy clouds turn tangerine orange against the coral sky. The apricot-colored sun is lowering under the earth's surface while the sky turns pitch black. This is because sunsets are so simple compared to life; all the sun does is lower until it is below the surface, while the moon comes and lights the pitch black sky at night.
I stood on the beach watching the gorgeous sunset. I could not help but think of all the possibilities and results of going to Top Gun. What if I fail? What if I'm not good enough? For some weird reason, I am attracted to the negative thoughts that keep popping into my head. I guess I have a good reason for having them, but I needed to block them out. I would not give up my only chance to succeed. So I hopped into my car and drove to Admiral Ford's office.
"Lieutenant D'Arpino, I expected you to be packing and resting for your journey tomorrow. What seems to be the trouble?" Says Admiral Ford in a concerning tone.
"I wanted to be in the air, to clear my mind, sir. May I have permission to fly for about an hour, sir?" I ask the Admiral, hopefully. I need to be in the air and maybe even practice.
"You may, Lieutenant D'Arpino, but remember, don't do anything stupid and reckless." So says Admiral Ford directly and firmly.
"Yes, sir!" I state somewhat excitedly.
No matter how many times I've flown, I always feel at peace. As soon as I turn on the engine, you can feel the vibrations; once the canopy closes, you start to feel some adrenaline. As soon as the F-14 was speeding down the runway, I was already where I belonged. I was in the air, flying, and I was free. Free from all the pressure the world puts on you, and once you figure it out, the world turns again and never stops. After I felt comfortable, I started practicing some of the maneuvers I would have to do at Top Gun because I wanted to ensure I was prepared to do things without my usual wingmen. After I was done, I decided to do something slightly stupid. I was going to give the air control tower a flyby with or without permission.
"This is Chaos I requesting a flyby?" I state it in the comms.
"Negative Chaos I, the pattern is full." So stated the air control tower.
Oh, well. I will do it anyway because the Navy can't kick me out now. I think to myself. My beautiful F-14 Tomcat flies right by the tower, causing it to shake violently for a second. They can't lecture me about it tomorrow because I will be long gone on the way to Miramar. I lined the F-14 with the runway, and once the plane's wheels touched the pavement, I realized how much I loved being in the air, even without my RIO. So I drove back to my quarters, packed all my belongings, and got some much-needed rest.
Once I got to Miramar, California, there was a gigantic hangar that said "Fightertown U.S.A," I just stood there in amazement. Wondering how this, of all times, was the time I finally got my dream shot, but then again, I realized that there was a lot of pressure to live up to. Since my father was a Top Gun pilot and not just any pilot, he was top of his class as well. So once I arrived, I went to my quarters to drop my things off. Unlike some of my past quarters, this one was a beautiful house. It was super cozy, and I never wanted to leave because I was tired from the last five hours of traveling. I then checked my watch for the time, and there wasn't much time before orientation started, so I went to class.
When I walked in, there were rows of seats; I quickly took a seat towards the back because I didn't want to draw too much attention. Usually, I would sit with Hurricane in the front, but I wasn't feeling so brave and bold today. Once everyone was seated and some guy, whose name I don't know, turned on a TV. It was footage from the Korean War. He then paused it after a few minutes and proceeded to talk.
"During Korea, we shot down twelve of their jets for every one of ours. During Vietnam, that ratio fell to three to one. Our pilots became dependent on missiles and lost some of their dogfighting skills. Now Top Gun was created to teach A.C.M. Air Combat Maneuvering. Dogfighting. By the end of Vietnam, that ratio was back up to 12-to-1. Blinds, please. Now I'd like to take this opportunity to introduce you to our commanding officer at Top Gun. The very first man to win the Top Gun trophy. You will not find a finer fighter pilot anywhere in the world. Commander Mike Metcalf. Callsign, Viper." Says the guy, whose name I still don't know.
It seemed that this orientation was highly informational; all we learned was the reason why Top Gun was created. I wanted to learn new moves and become the best pilot, just like Hurricane always believed.
"Gentlemen. You are the top one percent of all naval aviators. The elite. The best of the best. We'll make you better. You'll fly at least two combat missions a day, attend classes in between and evaluations of your performance. Now, on each combat sequence, you're gonna meet a different challenge. Every encounter is gonna be
much more difficult. We're gonna teach you to fly the F-14 right to the edge of the envelope, faster than you've ever flown before and more dangerous. Now, we don't make policy here, gentlemen. Elected officials, civilians, do that. We are the instruments of that policy. And although we're not at war, we must always act as though we are at war." Says Viper.
There seems to be some chatter at the front of the classroom, but I can't hear what they say.
"The tip of the spear best be sharp. In case some of you wonder who the best is, they're up here on this plaque on the wall. The best driver and his RIO from each class has his name on it. And they have the option to come back here to be Top Gun instructors. You think your name's gonna be on that plaque?" Says Viper.
I thought of another achievement when I win Top Gun; I would be the first woman to graduate and win Top Gun. Now, I hope I can push my fear aside and rise to the challenge.
"Yes, sir." A boy from the front row says.
I thought that question was supposed to be rhetorical, I thought to myself.
"That's pretty arrogant, considering the company you're in." So says Viper, hoping to intimidate him.
"Yes, sir." The boy answers again with no hesitancy."
"I like that in a pilot. Just remember, when it's over out there, we're all on the same team. Gentlemen, this school is about combat. There are no points for second place. Dismissed."
It seems like that boy got Viper's approval, something I still need to get.
"Nice going." Says the boy sitting next to the arrogant boy.
"The plaque for the alternates is down in the ladies' room." So says a boy that was sitting in the middle row.
There was a burst of sarcastic laughter from the guy sitting next to the arrogant boy.
"Oh, man. Oh, you kill me. You really do. No, no, no, no. There's two O's in "Goose," boys."
With that, everyone exited the classroom and headed to the bar.
YOU ARE READING
STARS // PETE "MAVERICK" MITCHELL
AdventureG-Force and Hurricane were the best of the Navy until a tragic mission occurred. G-Force makes it out alive, but her RIO, Hurricane, doesn't. Out of all the times, she gets selected to go to Top Gun, but she's without her partner. She then meets ano...
