Tom Cruise Tells US Navy He Wants To Fly F/A-18: Here‘s What The Brass Said

The actor, who flies a P-51 for personal transportation, is gearing up for Top Gun: Maverick, the sequel.

Tom Cruise on the set of Top Gun: Maverick
Tom Cruise on the set of Top Gun: Maverick. Photo courtesy of Facebook
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Tom Cruise is an accomplished pilot who regularly flies his own P-51, even to film locations.
  • For the highly anticipated film Top Gun: Maverick, Cruise requested permission from the Navy to fly an F/A-18.
  • The Navy denied Tom Cruise's request to fly the F/A-18 for the movie.
See a mistake? Contact us.
Tom Cruise on the set of Top Gun: Maverick
Tom Cruise on the set of Top Gun: Maverick. Photo courtesy of Facebook

If you’re a pilot, you probably already know that Tom Cruise is a pilot, and an accomplished one, too. It’s one thing to have the dough to buy a P-51. It’s another to have the skill to fly it, which he does on a regular basis!including to and from the movie location!

Now, the movie in question is one of the most highly anticipated aviation films in forever, Top Gun: Maverick, the follow-on to the classic story of a Naval aviator making his way through the trials and!. Oh, heck, let’s face it. It’s just an awesome flying movie with lots of jets, cars, bikes, and other related goodness, with a love story and drama to spare. The sequel promises more of the same.

What Cruise asked the Navy is, could he fly the F/A-18 in the filming of Top Gun: Maverick, due out to theaters later this year?

And the Navy said! no way! Oh well.

As much as that might have been predictable, but it is kind of cool that he even asked, right?

Plane & Pilot

Plane + Pilot is general aviation’s only adventure-based magazine. From where to go, to how to get there, and everything in between, your next great adventure awaits.
Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get the latest Plane & Pilot Magazine stories delivered directly to your inbox

SUBSCRIBE