re: How hard is it to be a fighter pilot?

My roommate in college’s best high school friend went to the Naval Academy. Apparently he saw Top Gun (seriously) when he was younger and decided that is what he wanted to do ( no shite).

He graduated from Naval Academy got accepted and became his dream.

Quite amazing to have such determination and focus at such a young age.


Funny story, at some point- I think a year out of the academy- we were all at my roommates parents house in Florida and the now fligh school friend flew down in a prop plane- apparently part of your training is also getting flight hours on small planes ( which makes sense). Anyway, we go up with him and he’s showing off a little.

He somehow gets the engine to kill mid flight and goes -Oh shite!

Of course we freak out, he tilts the plane and he engine cranks back up- something about the angle of the plane and being able to put the plane in a controlled stall.


We were none to happy and glad to be on the ground a few minutes later.

Dude went on to fly sorties in the Iraq war on and off air craft carriers- which he said is the most nerve racking thing of everything he does. Apparently landing on those moving platforms is different each time and not taken for granted by these guys ever.

Great stories this guy can tell. Get to see him when i get toether with my old roommate.

ETA: Funny little antecdote, the pilots don’t choose their call sign- Viper, Maverick, etc. Members of your squad do and it’s usually because of something you do during training that’s usually an inside joke. This guy I knew was quite the character and he had a pretty funny one. I won’t divulge it here, but it fit him really perfectly.

The one fighter pilot I know is OCD as hell