RN air ace is first Brit in US Top Guns
 

Bearing in mind that the FAA inspired the Miramar set-up during the Vietnam war (link), is this really the first Brit to do this?

Well it is The Sun, the home of Page 3 girls. I do not think they get Top Gun.

How very "The Sun" the whole passage reads like a comment on an X Factor contestant. I wonder if Stephen will be lucky enough to be mentored by Tom at some stage?

FB

Or, well done fella! Wish I was that good.

Mentored by Tom ?

I am sure he would much prefer being mentored by Kelly :O


Question for those in the know. They mentioned he has already
been on exchange for 5 years and with this course likely to be
more.

This seems an incredibly long time for an OS exchange.

500N- it's an investment in the future. Seedcorn guys have been told to expect similar timeframes. By the time training on type is complete there is then still a useful period of return of service. They're not seen as one off 'exchange' type tours.

Eventually I would expect Lt Collins to get an F-35 slot at Eglin (which is the point of keeping a group of fixed wing trained FAA pilots), hence extending his time in the US even further.

There are RN and RAF engineers who have been working on F-35 in the US for nearly 5 years now.

OK, thanks :ok:

I did see the ref to the future UK carriers.

deltahotel

It does say he will be trained in the Tom Cruise style, so does that mean he'll be shown how fly with his oxygen mask constantly trailing off the side of his helmet and how to tap frantically at cockpit instruments when trouble arises.

Otherwise, The Sun's cringeworthy headlining and reporting format and style apart, yes I'm sure he is a thoroughly adept individual behind the wheel... Sorry control column.

FB

Well done that man, I bet his father is very proud.

I know a Brit who spent several days at Navy Miramar taking part in the "1 versus many" scenarios of Top Gun, where about 60 aircraft were involved and anybody who was not "your type" was an enemy. That was back in about 1975/76.

But of course that wasn't the whole course.

Well done young man :D:D:D:D

FODPlod... he is the first to be accepted as a student.

The ones you refer to in your "link" helped create the course... therefore they were instructors, not students.

A bit of history. FltLt Peter Maillard and his team (i.e. yours truly) won the FAC phase of BULLSEYE69 at RDAF Skrydstrup in 1969, beating teams from Denmark, Italy, Germany & USA. Smoke markers were prohibited but the Danish team tried using a flare which just happened to produce a lot of smoke; the flare was attached to their 3-tonner and set fire to the canvas tilt!

Flying American Aircraft in an American Squadron from an American Carrier...then off to an American Top Gun School....if he marries and American....there might be a place for him in the American Navy.

Only question really is how he became an "Ace"?

Is he related to Sharkey?

Granted so even more surprising that it has taken 50 years for a Brit to be invited on the course.

No, that's Kris. However, he is the son of retired Sqn Ldr Pete Collins, Flight International's UK test pilot, so he appears to be another 'chip off the old block':

Top Gun at Mirimar was created by graduates on exchange from the intense Air Warfare Instructors school in Lossiemouth, Scotland.

The original instigators included Lt Commander Dick Lord, Lt Cdr Paul Waterhouse and Cdr Doug Macdonald.

As if the course wasn't demanding enough to start with, the'll probably make him "oil up" and play volleyball half naked as well.

Congratulations Mr Collins.
:ok:

Well done Jumper - good flying pal

27 and he's been there five years? Does that sound feasible?