Zócalo's Connecting California
Gunning for human excellence
California could use a lesson from elite fighter pilots who used to call the Golden State home.
By Joe Mathews • • 5m ListenZócalo Public Square commentator Joe Mathews wants Top Gun back. Yes, a sequel to the late ‘80s Tom Cruise film is in the works, but Mathews is talking about the real deal - the U.S. Navy graduate school for elite fighter pilots that inspired the movie. It’s since moved to Nevada. Mathews says that what made Top Gun special was its focus on the humans behind the planes, not the machines themselves. And he says that offers lessons we should take to heart in our increasingly tech-driven world.