How Top Gun Fighter Pilots Actually Work | Authorized Account | Insider

Dave Berke served for over 23 years as a USMC fighter pilot, Top Gun graduate and instructor, and combat veteran.

Berke became the first operational pilot qualified in the F-35B Lightning II. He flew the F/A-18 Hornet, as well as several other fighter jets, served as a forward air controller on the ground in Iraq, and later became an instructor at Top Gun.

Berke speaks with Business Insider about the realities of operating as a pilot aboard an aircraft carrier, including the demands of carrier life and combat deployments following 9/11.

In 2026 alone, US aircraft carriers participated in combat missions in Venezuela, Iran, and Yemen.

Since retiring as lieutenant colonel from the Marine Corps in 2017, Berke has worked as an instructor and executive at Echelon Front, where he teaches leadership, accountability, and decision-making under pressure.

For more:
https://echelonfront.com/

00:00 - Introduction
00:33 - The Danger
04:25 - Top Gun
08:50 - Call Signs
10:33 - The First Mission
13:21 - The Mentality
16:41 - The Aircraft
20:55 - 9/11
24:29 - Instructor
27:26 - Career Change
34:33 - The Reality
38:42 - The Return
44:44 - The Future
47:39 - The Aftermath
50:17 - Credits

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How Top Gun Fighter Pilots Actually Work | Authorized Account | Insider