The U.S. Navy Fines Pilots Who Quote Tom Cruise's TOP GUN

It’s probably a safe bet that a lot of pilots in the U.S. Navy are fans of the film Top Gun. Hell, after I saw that movie when I was a kid I wanted to be a pilot! There’s no doubt the movie helped inspire other people to go into aviation. It seems like quoting lines from the movie would be a huge thing for pilots, especially pilots who make it into the actual Top Gun program.

Well, it turns out Pilots at Top Gun are discouraged from quoting the film. If they due quote it, they are fined $5. It’s not a big fine, it’s kinda like a swear jar for the U.S. Navy. However, it is kinda funny that they don’t like pilots quoting the movie.

This reveal comes from a new book titled Top Gun's Top 10: Leadership Lessons from the Cockpit by Cmdr. Guy "Bus" Snodgrass, a former instructor at the Navy's advanced Fighter Weapons School. It’s explained that pilots are required to pay $5 every time they are caught quoting the movie. They're expected to pay in cash the minute they get caught, no excuses.

So, why do they discourage pilots from saying things like, "I feel the need, the need for speed" when they are walking away from their fighter jet? Snodgrass explains...

But, when you get to TOPGUN, because it is such a professional organization and you want to emphasize that you are at the top of your game, that it's about professionalism, about good leadership, you don't turn TOPGUN into a joke by referencing the movie.

What’s funny about that is the fact that they fine pilots $5 for quoting the movie. That seems to make the whole thing even more of a joke when pilots do it. Sometimes it might just be worth paying the five bucks for a satisfying Top Gun quote in an appropriate situation.

Via:  Business Insider