The summer movie blockbuster season kicks off May 27 with the release of a sequel to the 1980s hit "Top Gun." And Northwest moviegoers may recognize some familiar Puget Sound scenery in the background.
"Top Gun: Maverick" brings actor Tom Cruise back to his role as the ace Navy fighter pilot.
Cruise reportedly insisted on filming the aerial action in real fighter jets and rejected where possible using computer-generated imagery. So, Paramount Pictures struck a production assistance agreement with the Navy to make it so.
A copy, first obtained by the website The War Zone, shows Cruise and company set up shop at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island in March 2019. The Navy leased out the Officers' Club on base for the crew to use for catering, briefings and rehearsals. Cast and crew were allowed to bunk at an on-base inn, which provided privacy.
The actors flew eight sorties with a squadron of two-seater jets. While experienced Navy pilots were at the controls, the aerial scenes were filmed to make it appear Cruise or his co-stars (always in the back seat) were actually piloting the powerful attack aircraft in tight formations.
You have been assigned to help film the fighter sequences.
Report to Whidbey Island NAS.
Date | Departure | Arrival | Pilot | Aircraft | Landing rate | Distance | Flight time | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
16DEC24 1541Z | CYQQ | KNUW | Jose Luis G. | Socata TBM-9X0 (TBM9) | -289 ft/m | 128 nm | 00:33 | View | |
10DEC24 1612Z | KKLS | KNUW | Daboss514 | BELL-AGUSTA AB-139 (A139) | -53 ft/m | 137 nm | 01:01 | View | |
15NOV24 0755Z | KCLS | KNUW | Scotty Clifford | Beechcraft Super King Air 350 (B350) | -82 ft/m | 127 nm | 00:34 | View | |
15NOV24 0112Z | KCLS | KNUW | VAF155 Alberto | Cessna Skyhawk (C172) | -128 ft/m | 114 nm | 00:53 | View | |
13NOV24 0138Z | CAG4 | KNUW | Aaron Priest | Cessna 310 (C310) | -140 ft/m | 210 nm | 02:10 | View | |
11NOV24 1407Z | KMUO | KNUW | zerosopviolations | Boeing 737-800 (B738) | -170 ft/m | 517 nm | 00:36 | View | |
10NOV24 2209Z | KMWH | KNUW | Newhampshires | Boeing 747-8 (B748) | -389 ft/m | 225 nm | 00:50 | View | |
07NOV24 0802Z | KCLS | KNUW | Jason F/Petroho | BELLANCA Viking (BL17) | -62 ft/m | 105 nm | 00:42 | View | |
26OCT24 0954Z | KCLS | KNUW | XxGuI2eNxX | Cessna Caravan (C208) | -31 ft/m | 152 nm | 00:51 | View | |
17OCT24 0840Z | KPDX | KNUW | J_Thananrat | Boeing 777-300ER (B77W) | -194 ft/m | 214 nm | 00:43 | View | |
13OCT24 1328Z | 56S | KNUW | Unknown | Pilatus PC-12 (PC12) | -228 ft/m | 180 nm | 00:55 | View | |
06OCT24 0808Z | KVCV | KNUW | Dmitry125RUSVL | Boeing 737-700 (B737) | -211 ft/m | 889 nm | 02:23 | View | |
23SEP24 1609Z | KMWH | KNUW | Robert B Dickerson | Griffin Splinter Desert | -376 ft/m | 210 nm | 00:22 | View | |
21SEP24 0500Z | KPDX | KNUW | Christian | Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor (F22) | -201 ft/m | 169 nm | 00:16 | View | |
19SEP24 0113Z | 2S9 | KNUW | Rp | Cessna Skyhawk (C172) | -235 ft/m | 115 nm | 00:39 | View | |
09SEP24 1017Z | KPDX | KNUW | PAPA974 | Cessna 700 Citation Longitude (C700) | -185 ft/m | 229 nm | 00:50 | View | |
01SEP24 2251Z | KCLS | KNUW | Mike Hawk | Cessna 700 Citation Longitude (C700) | -129 ft/m | 102 nm | 00:15 | View | |
28AUG24 1827Z | S35 | KNUW | Krupke77 | MQ-9 Reaper 08-053 Unite | -70 ft/m | 136 nm | 01:10 | View | |
18AUG24 2137Z | CYLW | KNUW | Fab Roy | Honda HA-420 HondaJet (HDJT) | -55 ft/m | 199 nm | 00:44 | View | |
18AUG24 0213Z | KLPC | KNUW | TrailMix | Cessna 414 Chancellor (C414) | -241 ft/m | 874 nm | 04:13 | View |