Page 54 - Combat Aircraft (January 2020)

SQUADRON SHOWCASE // US NAVY FIGHTER WEAPONS SCHOOL

go further. We need people who are the F-4 Phantom II, the F-14 Tomcat and Right: Wearing
credible, humble, approachable and today in the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, the trademark
hard-working. Talented instructors who TOPGUN remains weighted towards light blue T-shirt
and black
are intellectually curious and outstanding air-to-air. Myers says, ‘It’s still the Navy fl ying boots,
teachers. All of these talents together Fighter Weapons School and our charter a TOPGUN
make for a rounded human being who is is to ensure the eet is ready for air-to- instructor
walks away
also excellent in an aircraft.’ air combat. We do have a signi cant from a
period of air-to-surface training as well, mission in
BFM — the foundation but for the most part it’s an air-to-air one of
of TOPGUN weapons school.’ NAWDC’s
‘vanilla’
Despite the evolution of naval ghter The TOPGUN course is divided into F/A-18Fs.
aviation over the past 50 years, through four phases: basic ghter maneuvering

54 January 2020 // www.Key.Aero

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