Page 52 - Combat Aircraft (January 2020)

SQUADRON SHOWCASE // US NAVY FIGHTER WEAPONS SCHOOL

Buss is a recent graduate of the course,
and was selected to remain at Fallon to
join the TOPGUN sta as an instructor.
Re ecting on his path to being accepted
as a student, he says, ‘You need to have
completed your rst eet tour and be
a division [four-ship] leader with all the
right quali cations, plus have supporting
letters of recommendation. When you
hear you’re accepted you have about six
months to get ready. Fleet squadrons
do a great job of preparing the students,
making sure you’re not hit by a re hose
when you come here initially. No matter
how much preparation you do, the quality
of instruction and the di culty of the
ights here are unmatched.
‘You get one warm-up ight when
TOPGUN missions typically include course aircrews fl ying you rst arrive, which is usually a local
standard fl eet jets, accompanied by instructors in NAWDC familiarization, but your rst ‘hop’ on
aircraft such as this F/A-18C, but they also use the visiting the course is ‘BFM one’ [basic ghter
aircraft if they are fl ying as a wingman to the students.
maneuvering, ight one], leading a
TOPGUN instructor. It counts at that
be the best and they are challenged to be (WSOs) who, upon graduation, are posted point and the stakes are high. Literally
better every single day.’ to either the TOPGUN sta , Strike sta at everything you do is judged. You have
TOPGUN runs three 13-week student NAWDC, an east or west coast weapons to meet their standard and a big portion
courses each year with aviators who school, a eet replacement squadron of the learning is realizing your mistakes
are hand-picked from eet squadrons. (FRS), or to Test and Developmental Below: ‘Hop’ and showing what could have been
‘Sometimes we’ll have as many as 14 or Squadron Nine (VX-9). SFTIs are complete, a done to prevent them. Then you have to
15 students [per class] when you count designated as squadron training o cers, TOPGUN BFM teach that to the instructor. So much of
our two-seat aircraft,’ explains Myers. who prepare for deployments and keep instructor heads being a patch-wearer is about being a
back to the Fleet
‘That’s 42-45 TOPGUN graduates per year their units abreast of new tactics. Training Building, good teacher.’
[who] then go back to the eet to raise TOPGUN patch-wearers are at the heart which houses
the level of instruction there.’ TOPGUN of eet squadrons, as LT Matt ‘Magic TOPGUN as well The TOPGUN charter
as the HAVOC
teaches the Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor Mutt’ Buss explained to Combat Aircraft: EA-18G Growler, TOPGUN was established in 1969 as a
(SFTI) course, dedicated to maintaining ‘The guys with a TOPGUN patch on their TOPDOME E-2 response to the Ault Report, which found
standards across the eet. It’s aimed at shoulder are extremely professional Hawkeye and that training across the US Navy was not
SEAWOLF MH-60
pilots and weapons systems o cers and they set the pace for the squadron.’ weapons schools. where it needed to be, recommending

52 January 2020 // www.Key.Aero

21/11/2019 21:02
50-59 TOPGUN C.indd 52 21/11/2019 21:02
50-59 TOPGUN C.indd 52