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Top Gun question re: the hard deck

Posted on 3/7/21 at 8:48 am
Posted by CocomoLSU
Inside your dome.
Member since Feb 2004
156396 posts
Posted on 3/7/21 at 8:48 am
Seems like every time I watch this movie I have a question thread*here about something.

So on the one hop, the hard deck is 10,000 feet. And based on everything shown you’re not supposed to go below it. The rules are in place for the pilot’s safety and the safety of his team, per Viper.

So shouldn’t Commander Heatherly/Jester have gotten into big trouble for retreating below the hard deck in the first place? He had Maverick in his sights until he hit the brakes and made him fly right by. So once Mav had control and had him nailed, didn’t Jester basically cheat by running below the hard deck?

Is it a situation where the hard deck only apply to the students and not the “enemies”? I admit I’m unfamiliar with Navy/Top Gun rules but it seems like if the hard deck is there for “safety,” then it should also apply to instructors as well. And Mav’s defense that Jester retreated below the hard deck, he had him in his sights, there was no danger, so he took the shot...seems pretty legit.

Any ideas?




ETA: * Previous TG question threads:

Goose/s fidelity (2019)

Ice should've gotten shite for murdering Goose (2015)
This post was edited on 3/8/21 at 8:59 am
Posted by Major Dutch Schaefer
Location: Classified
Member since Nov 2011
38869 posts
Posted on 3/7/21 at 8:50 am to
Jester knew he was toast, he high tailed it below the hard deck like a bitch.
Posted by Honest Tune
Louisiana
Member since Dec 2011
19285 posts
Posted on 3/7/21 at 8:52 am to
Rules for thee but not for me. Jester was a punk biotch and even Tim Robbins character could have shot him down.
Posted by StickD
Houston
Member since Apr 2010
11784 posts
Posted on 3/7/21 at 9:20 am to
Hard deck my arse. We nailed that son of a bitch.
Posted by theunknownknight
Baton Rouge
Member since Sep 2005
60899 posts
Posted on 3/7/21 at 9:26 am to
quote:

Also Gun


FIFY
Posted by RollTide1987
Baltimore, MD
Member since Nov 2009
70976 posts
Posted on 3/7/21 at 9:32 am to
quote:

Jester retreated below the hard deck, he had him in his sights, there was no danger, so he took the shot



...AND BROKE A MAJOR RULE OF ENGAGEMENT!
Posted by Freauxzen
Washington
Member since Feb 2006
38630 posts
Posted on 3/7/21 at 9:56 am to
quote:

the hard deck only apply to the students and not the “enemies”


This.

Think of it like some sports cone drills. The instructors can probably go below the hard deck to create different kinds of situations. Plus, for safety reasons - they would be "more skilled and aware" than younger pilots.
Posted by udtiger
Over your left shoulder
Member since Nov 2006
114960 posts
Posted on 3/7/21 at 10:14 am to
quote:

This.

Think of it like some sports cone drills. The instructors can probably go below the hard deck to create different kinds of situations. Plus, for safety reasons - they would be "more skilled and aware" than younger pilots


This.

The hard deck was an imaginary no go line to simulate ground fire/air defense threats.

Jester was a bitch, but him having Maverick chase him brought him and his aircraft into a fire zone.

It would be as if the fox led a hound into a den of other foxes with machine guns.
This post was edited on 3/7/21 at 10:18 am
Posted by kilo
No block, no rock
Member since Oct 2011
30152 posts
Posted on 3/7/21 at 10:18 am to
quote:

Hard deck my arse. We nailed that son of a bitch.


Posted by CocomoLSU
Inside your dome.
Member since Feb 2004
156396 posts
Posted on 3/7/21 at 10:44 am to
quote:

Jester knew he was toast, he high tailed it below the hard deck like a bitch.

A bitch 100%. And Viper even knew it and called him out on it.

I just wonder if Jester ever got in trouble for breaking a major rule of engagement. Because he should have. And even though Maverick broke the hard deck, he was justified in following him and taking the shot IMO.
Posted by dpd901
South Louisiana
Member since Apr 2011
7897 posts
Posted on 3/7/21 at 10:45 am to
Would seem that the hard deck is representative of the ground were it a real life scenario, so he basically forced his bogey to crash. Points Maverick
Posted by 12
Redneck part of Florida
Member since Nov 2010
19834 posts
Posted on 3/7/21 at 12:43 pm to
Yee haw, Jester's dead!
Posted by CaptainsWafer
TD Platinum Member
Member since Feb 2006
59284 posts
Posted on 3/7/21 at 1:08 pm to
quote:

Would seem that the hard deck is representative of the ground were it a real life scenario,
Posted by TomBuchanan
East Egg, Long Island
Member since Jul 2019
6269 posts
Posted on 3/7/21 at 1:10 pm to
(no message)
This post was edited on 11/6/23 at 8:14 pm
Posted by LooseCannon22282
South Alabama Fan
Member since May 2008
35925 posts
Posted on 3/7/21 at 3:20 pm to
quote:

And Viper even knew it and called him out on it.



he got you didn't he?

:hits cigarette:

Yeah..
Posted by putt23
Pingree Grove, IL
Member since Oct 2010
5373 posts
Posted on 3/7/21 at 4:27 pm to
I was in a teams meeting and the VP got on the call unannounced. I texted in the chat "Holy shite it's Viper!"

No one found it funny
Posted by mizzoubuckeyeiowa
Member since Nov 2015
39382 posts
Posted on 3/7/21 at 5:17 pm to
Didn't Jester call "no joy" by deliberately going below the hard deck?

Basically saying, I quit and Mav still pursued him.
Posted by BRIllini07
Baton Rouge, LA
Member since Feb 2015
3206 posts
Posted on 3/7/21 at 5:52 pm to
This pilot agrees, they both "crashed" when they hit the hard deck.

Some other funny things noted as well (in too much detail if you're not into military and or air combat stuff).

We are the mighty
Posted by BabyTac
Austin, TX
Member since Jun 2008
16561 posts
Posted on 3/7/21 at 5:59 pm to
Jester was giving us all insight into modern day politics. Do as I say, not as I do. Applies to all political parties.
This post was edited on 3/7/21 at 6:02 pm
Posted by CocomoLSU
Inside your dome.
Member since Feb 2004
156396 posts
Posted on 3/7/21 at 8:52 pm to
quote:

Didn't Jester call "no joy" by deliberately going below the hard deck?

In the meeting with Viper, he says that Jester called no joy. But in the fight scene we don’t ever see that I don’t believe. We just see Goose say that he was going for the hard deck and to go get him. I don’t think we ever see or hear Jester concede. May be wrong on that though.
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