While Top Gun was officially released in cinemas on May 16, 1986, ‘Top Gun Day’ is observed on May 13 as an unofficial fan-led celebration that was later embraced by Paramount Pictures. The date is tied more to the film’s enduring pop culture legacy and fan tradition than to its actual release anniversary.
To mark the occasion, we spoke to fighter pilots from the MiG-21, Mirage and Jaguar squadrons of the Indian Air Force to relive those formative years, and their Top Gun moments.
Pure fauji lingo
I recently watched Top Gun again, and it brought back several memories. Safe to say, the title track alone fuelled plenty of adrenaline within us. I also remember a few of my coursemates proudly putting up iconic Tom Cruise posters in their rooms. We definitely had our own lingo, which sounded extremely cool at the time.
Wing Commander Vivek Kumar (top left) poses with 5 Squadron wearing Ray-Ban aviators. Pic courtesy/Vivek Kumar
‘Hog of the Month’ referred to the person with the highest flying hours during that month. Similarly, we maintained a logbook, and if someone forgot to sign or write their name in it, we would note their name down and add ‘one beer’. By the end of the month, the person used to pay their dues over multiple bottles of beer.
The coolest inside joke revolved around pilots who flew Jaguars. People used to say the aircraft could only get airborne because the earth was round as it was designed for high-speed, low-altitude flying, and not as an air-superiority fighter with high thrust-to-weight ratios.”
Wing Commander Vivek Kumar (Retd)
Through the danger zone
I remember we were in our prime, and everyone was influenced by the film. During my academy days at Air Force Academy, Dundigal, I completed my first solo sortie successfully in the first attempt. The moment I landed, everyone around me joked, saying, ‘Hey, you think you’re Maverick?’
Group Captain Sanjit Singh Kaila in front of a MiG-21. Pic courtesy/Sanjit Singh Kaila
My lone regret is that when the film was released, we young cadets had planned to watch it together at the NDA (National Defence Academy). Unfortunately, my wrist was broken and I was the only one who could not join the rest. That day, I promised myself I would only watch the film on the big screen, and Top Gun: Maverick (2022) eventually helped me fulfil that dream.
Group Captain Sanjit Singh Kaila (Retd)
OG aviation geeks
We were full of josh, and most of us carried the ‘Sergeant, toh nahi pakdega’ attitude. I vividly remember how Ray-Bans became the unofficial aviator sunglasses. By all, I mean absolutely everyone in the course owned a pair. Even though call signs sounded cool, our surnames were shortened and that became the way we addressed one another.
Group Captain Shreepad Tokekar beside a Mirage aircraft. Pic courtesy/Shreepad Tokekar
For example, ‘Pondi’ was short for Deshpande. We also had Gaby, Kaju and Toks, which happened to be mine (for Tokekar). Another incident from my flying days involved one of my coursemates, who was often described by an instructor as someone with a ‘couldn’t care less’ attitude.
During a sortie, the instructor asked him about the attitude of the aircraft. He completely misunderstood the question and thought the instructor was referring to his personality. He replied, ‘Sir, I couldn’t care less,’ which resulted in rolling on concrete as a punishment as soon as he landed.
Group Captain Shreepad Tokekar (Retd)
The wonder years: early days’ banter
If someone was not flying well, instructors would nickname them “Dodo”, after the bird.
Almost all young officers owned 100cc bikes, in their quest to ape Tom Cruise. Popular choices included the Yamaha RX100, Hero Honda CD100 and Kawasaki Bajaj, usually paired with leather jackets and Ray-Bans.
The MiG-21 cockpit canopy had to be sealed shut, while the Jaguar canopy could be opened slightly for ventilation, which eventually became part of a light-hearted rivalry between both sets of fighter pilots.
