Tony Scott
Hannover House, 2002.
Topic: F-15 Pilot Training

American Fighter Pilot is an 8-episode TV show that followed three USAF F-15 pilots through their training at Tyndall Air Force Base. The show was almost universally panned for its melodramatic and staccato MTV-like editing. From the perspective of a Christian fighter pilot, this TV series was purchased and reviewed purely because of the constant references to the Christianity and fatherhood of one of the three highlighted student pilots.

The editing critiques were accurate; the show was almost difficult to watch because of the editing style. (The basic content of the video was excellent. One can hope that the original was kept and may one day be made into the 90-minute documentary that was purportedly originally planned.)

Ignoring the poor production, the positives include the introduction of the viewer to the varying personalities, lifestyles, and commitments of fighter pilots. The primary negatives are that there is little depth and that certain aspects of the culture are over-dramatized to the detriment of others. For example, Capt. Marcus Gregory does express reservations about how his faith will be received, but the only aspect mentioned in the show is the implied conflict between religion and killing in combat (which is not a reservation that Gregory himself stated). At one point Gregory notes that he isn’t drinking because his pregnant wife may need him to drive her to the hospital at any point; the show never mentions what the reaction of the other pilots was to his choice.

Gregory also states that he left one of the fighter pilot social events because the Hooters girls were invited and catered it. There are slight references by others to Gregory’s “need to join the culture,” but they are minimal. More interesting is the fact that one of the Hooters girls wrote graffiti on the bar chalkboard that says she “loves” Lt Todd Giggy, one of the other highlighted pilots. Giggy’s wife eventually sees it and tells the camera that was something she never thought she’d have to question in their marriage. At the conclusion of the final episode, the concluding credits note that the Giggys had separated. The Gregorys, on the other hand, were expecting their second child.

In the closing moments of the last episode, the squadron weapons officer (who had been the virtual narrator for the entire series and was portrayed with drill instructor severity) noted that he, too, was a Christian and that the priorities of a Christian pilot needed to be God, family, and country.

Given the poor production quality, this series is recommended only if it can be borrowed or rented; it would be worth seeing for a slight insight into the fighter pilot culture. It would not be worth purchasing except for those who were desperate to have some clue as to how fighter training operates and couldn’t obtain the videos through another means.

This show is available from Amazon. (This site is an Amazon Associate and may earn from qualifying purchases made through Amazon referrals.)

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