'Top Gun' turns 30 today, and the Navy Blue Angels are inviting Tom Cruise for another ride-along
Paramount Pictures
On May 13, 1986, "Top Gun" catapulted Tom Cruise and US Navy aviation to national prominence. The movie's popularity helped make Cruise the mega star he is today, and increased Navy recruiting by 500% in one summer.
To prepare for the role, Cruise trained with the Blue Angels, the Navy's elite acrobatic flight-demo team, in an A-4F Skyhawk II. Now, 30 years later, the Blue Angels have invited Cruise on Instagram for a ride-along in their current jet, the F/A-18 Hornet.
The Blue Angels' Instagram post reads:
Well, Maverick, it's been 30 years since your last visit, so how do you feel about taking an F/A-18 Hornet for a spin?! Have your people call ours and maybe we can set something up...hey, even if Air Boss says no, we'll work something out, maybe just a quick flyby.
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