NEW RELEASES
Flying High in Hollywood Atlanta native and U.S. Navy Commander Frank J. Weisser takes Tom Cruise up and away in Top Gun: Maverick By Lydia Martin
“ Tom wanted everything we filmed to be as aggressive as possible and to
fly the jet to its absolute limits. ”
Tom Cruise
Image courtesy of Paramount Pictures
F ilm fanatics and Naval enthusiasts alike gathered at The Springs Cinema & Taphouse in Sandy Springs, Georgia, for a special viewing of Paramount’s summer box office hit— Top Gun: Maverick . But this was no ordinary film preview. This special feature also included an exclusive Q&A with U.S. Navy Commander Frank J. Weisser—the actual U.S. Navy Blue Angels pilot that professionally (and tactfully) flew the planes shown in the film for Tom Cruise’s classic character, Lt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell. In fact, Weisser spent most of his time filming while flying in the aircraft alongside Cruise. “Tom is such an experienced pilot that it made flying with him much easier than it would normally be with an actor,” notes Weisser. “He was so strong in the jet that there were no limitations to what we could do. We were only limited by the jet’s performance capabilities.” Weisser was recruited by the Paramount team be- cause of his training as a Blue Angels pilot, particularly for his strength and capability to fly at extremely low al- titudes. While it might not seem like a daunting task to fly a jet as close to the ground as possible, it’s actually an incredibly difficult feat to fly at low altitudes both safely and successfully. “The liaison for the movie worked really hard to find the right people for the right roles,” says Weisser. “My role [flying at low altitudes] was because for one scene
they wanted an airplane right on the deck, about 10 or 20 feet, and have the airplane just come up right out of the dust.” Weisser’s expertise and knowledge of his craft helped the actors, film crew, extras and more remain safe while still producing exciting action scenes for the film. “Really, our rule is that 200 feet is the absolute minimum you can ever go, because if you look away for just a second you could be on the ground,” he explains. Still, according to Weisser, Cruise was a fun and ad- venture-seeking co-pilot. “There was almost no forward visibility at all, which is a recipe for air sickness, but Tom had no issues at any time,” he recalls. “Tom wanted ev- erything we filmed to be as aggressive as possible and to fly the jet to its absolute limits.” When asked about his thoughts on whether or not the film accurately depicted the aerial action scenes, he had nothing but praise: “I think the movie did a great job representing what it’s like to be a Navy fighter pilot. It showed us operating off of aircraft carriers where we literally live for years of our lives!” But it wasn’t just the accuracy of life on the aircraft that Weisser appreciated about the film’s representation of Navy fighter pilots, it was also the proper execution of the aerial filming sequences. “The movie showed air-to-air maneuvering the same way we would train and conduct ourselves in an air-to- air engagement,” notes Weisser. “It depicted bombing
runs and low altitude ingresses into a target area in a way that’s very analogous with how we train and operate on a daily basis.” While Weisser was definitely pleased with the film’s depiction of Naval aviation, he does add some humorous insight into the reality of Hollywood movie magic, fame and fortune. “You know, if we had 1,000 people in this theatre, and Tom and I were sitting here doing this [Q&A] and then afterwards we both walked out—you’d have 1,000 people who saw [the movie] walk right up to Tom with questions about aviation! Because nobody wants to talk to the pilot, right?” Weisser says with a laugh. Now retired, it’s clear that the enthusiasm for avia- tion still remains sky-high for Weisser. His passion for flight is palpable, and his kindness towards others feels unparalleled. It’s been said that “there are no stupid ques- tions,” and speaking with Weisser makes that statement seem true. Weisser doesn’t make anyone feel left in the dust with inquiry. He listens and is happy to explain, which made for an incredibly informative and enjoyable behind-the- scenes look at Top Gun: Maveric k. So, U.S. Navy Commander Frank J. Weisser, we truly thank you for your service … and for the awesome aviation action scenes.
@topgunmaverickmovie
40 | THE GEORGIA HOLLYWOOD REVIEW | FALL 2022
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs