Those of us who have seen the movie Top Gun will remember the dramatic dogfight scenes that made the movie famous, but most of us don’t know much about the real fighter pilots who flew those planes day in and day out.  In his new book, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the movie’s release, Topgun Days: Dogfighting, Cheating Death, and Hollywood Glory as One of America’s Best Fighter Jocks Dave Baranek gives us an inside look at the life of a radar intercept officer of an F-14.  Baranek also became involved with the making of Top Gun—assisting the writers with some of the cockpit dialogue and flying in the aerial sequences for the movie.  Recently, we had the opportunity to interview Dave Baranek about his new book and his experiences with the movie Top Gun.

What made you decide to write Topgun Days?

I wrote Topgun Days to give people an idea of what it’s like to fly jet fighters — which is very exciting. But also, what it is like to be in a fighter squadron and ultimately TOPGUN, with the challenges, uncertainties, the different personalities, and of course the danger. I have to confess I also enjoyed writing the book and reliving those years.

Why did you want to become a fighter-pilot?

The dream of flying fighters started when I was about ten, and it just grew. I was probably attracted to the excitement, although I’m not a “daredevil” at all. I just loved jet fighters as machines. My eyesight went bad when I was in college, so I could not become a pilot, and I became a radar intercept officer (RIO) in the F-14 Tomcat. That worked out well for me.

What was the most challenging, dangerous mission you faced during your career?

Several missions stand out as more challenging, and they were all night-time missions. (Chuckle) One was a training flight over the western United States when the weather was terrible, but the others were actual patrol missions near Iran or over Iraq. On each of them my pilot and I evaluated risks as we faced them, and decided we could continue. I have to tell you, it was a relief to get back on deck after each of them! You know, there was this one flight that ended when my pilot and I ejected from our F-14, and then had to struggle to survive. That whole episode was dangerous. I describe it in nail-biting detail in Topgun Days, but it was the result of a series of errors, not a dangerous mission.

What was a typical day like in the Navy Fighter Weapons School, “Topgun”?

It wasn’t like the movie! Okay – I got to the squadron around 7 AM. Many of us participated in “FOD walkdown” with the maintenance department, which means we walked the flight-line looking for bits of metal or rocks that could damage engines. Then did paperwork such as planned a flight or training exercise, or updated my lecture. Ate pre-lunch (a sandwich) around 9:30 – really. Then got back to paperwork or went to the flight brief if I was scheduled. Took off around 11:30 for a one-hour flight. Ate lunch and then debriefed the flight, which always took more than an hour. If it was a good day I went flying again, or did paperwork until around 5 PM. About twice a week we went to the officers club after work, which was always fun!

What was one of the most memorable moments from the set of “Top Gun”?

For me, it was when we flew the head-on passes, and they weren’t close enough. So we arranged to fly closer. And then the director, Tony Scott, said he wanted us even closer! We were flying head-on about 700 mph, so let’s say it was thrilling. And I will always remember being at Paramount Studios in Hollywood when the call came in that veteran air show pilot Art Scholl had been killed while flying to film for “Top Gun.” That was a shock.

Was Tom Cruise involved in any actual in-the-air stunts filming “Top Gun” and how much of the filming was done in the studio?

Tom and most of the other actors flew in the back seat of an F-14 to film scenes that were to be used in the movie. But they all got sick and none of the film was used. I cover this in my book (chapter 13) and it was hilarious. That meant that Tony Scott had to film all of the scenes of the actors flying by using a mock-up of a cockpit. Those turned out well. I have to say that Tom now pilots his own P-51 Mustang (powerful World War II fighter plane), so he has made a lot of progress.

How did you get involved with editing the cockpit dialogue of the movie?

They filmed about twice as much flying action as they had planned, and then realized they needed dialogue. So Paramount called the TOPGUN squadron and asked for assistance. One of my projects included teaching fighter pilots and RIOs how to communicate effectively, so I was a natural. I teamed with former F-14 pilot John Semcken and we went to Paramount for two days, watching the flying scenes and coming up with appropriate words. Some key phrases were already chosen based on the writers visit to TOPGUN and NAS Miramar, but we filled in the rest.

What was your reaction to the movie when it came out? Was it a realistic portrayal and were you pleased with the results?

I was simply amazed. Amazed. It was spectacular: dramatic photography, very high quality, fantastic music, and a compelling story. Was it realistic? Well, parts of it were: the stress, the excitement of flying, etc. But they never showed pilots doing FOD walkdown or eating brown-bag lunches — as I mentioned before.

Are you involved with the sequel? Anything you can tell us about it?

I’m not involved in the sequel, so I can’t offer any insights. I hope they meet the audience’s expectations, which are high. But these guys are talented, so…get ready!

What was most challenging thing about writing and publishing Topgun Days?  Are you planning any other writing projects?

The most challenging thing was keeping the manuscript to a reasonable length. I wanted to tell more stories! My wife helped me keep it under control from the start, then the publisher gave me a firm limit. The other big challenge was dealing with the realities of getting published: there is a lot of worthy competition out there! So it is very rewarding to finally see the actual book. I’m currently writing occasional short articles while I get mentally ready to write a second book. More flying stories, but definitely a different flavor.

What do you hope readers will take away from Topgun Days?

I want readers to appreciate what flying jet fighters is all about. It is a hell of a thrill, but it doesn’t come cheap. Everyone there has worked hard to get there. I mention two friends who gave their lives, a small tribute and a reminder.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

You know, I wish I had something profound to say, but I’ll just say, “I feel the need for speed!”