Behind The Scenes Footage of Top Gun: Maverick Stunt Pilots

Former Navy fighter pilot Scott Kartvedt talks about his experiences as a stunt pilot in Top Gun: Maverick.

Bitten by the Aviation Bug

Kartvedt says that he got bit by the aviation bug when he first watched Top Gun in 1986 during his senior year in high school. He later applied to the Navy Aviation Officer Candidate School where he was fortunate enough to choose jets. He eventually retired after 22 years, stayed engaged in aviation, and entered the film industry.

When asked what got him into flying, Kartvedt says “It was really the adrenaline more than anything. When you see the original Top Gun with the steam and the catapults and the airplanes moving around and the music, it gets the blood going a little bit. So, my whole life is just seeking that adrenaline rush.”

Flying for Top Gun: Maverick

Kartvedt says that he flies for the Patriot jet team, a six-ship demonstration team out on the West Coast. The owner of the team, Randy Howell, made Cinejet to put a contract for Maverick and won.

Randy, knowing about Kartvedt’s combat experience, asked him to train actors and actresses in high-performance flights. They did dogfights and pulled eight Gs. In June 2019, when the production needed to film the final scene, Randy and Kartvedt were the opposing solo pilots with the Patriots. “Randy told me that they’re looking for a stunt pilot and asked if I would do it, and I said, yeah of course,” Kartvedt said.

When asked how much of the movie is real, Kartvedt says in a heartbeat, “It’s all real. That’s what makes the movie so phenomenal.”