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As reported by major media outlets, Tom Skerritt who played Commander Mike “Viper” Metcalf in Top Gun passed away on Oct. 21, 2026.
Top Gun is one of the most era-defining movies of the 1980s.
Action, drama, fighter jets, aviators, and slamming anthems, the film captured the imagination of adrenaline junkies all around the world.
In 2022, Paramount released “Top Gun: Maverick,” the sequel to Tom Cruise’s 1986 classic, featuring Pete “Maverick” Mitchell still flying combat missions as a captain after more than 30 years of service in the US Navy.
The movie, which featured a new group of U.S. Naval Aviators that joined Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer (who returned as Iceman). However, the motion picture did not include Tom Skerritt’s return.
But what would have been the career path for Maverick and Viper after the events in 1986 Top Gun, assuming both stayed in the Navy?
John Chesire, Former U.S. Naval Aviator/combat fighter pilot/TOPGUN grad, answers the answer on Quora.
‘Maverick would have returned to his F-14 fleet squadron after Top Gun to become the squadron’s training officer. After that tour of sea duty, he would rotate to shore duty, most likely as an instructor, either at Topgun, the F-14 Replacement Air Group (RAG), the Navy Training Command, or VX-4, He would probably be too junior for a Washington job.’
Chesire continues:
‘As far as the schools’s CO, Viper, here are the career paths of two former Topgun COs I knew:
Roger Box: 1971-1972 Commanding Officer of TOPGUN. 1972-1973 Commanding Officer of VF-114, an F-4 Fighter Squadron aboard USS Kitty Hawk. Combat deployment to Vietnam. 1973-1975 Director of Flight Test, U. S. Pacific Missile Test Center, Pt. Mugu, CA. 1976-1977 Commander Carrier Air Wing 14. Led a group of 10 aircraft squadrons aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise. 1977-1978 Commanding Officer (Captain) USS Hassayampa, (AO-145) U. S. Pacific Fleet. 1979 Naval Air Systems Command, Washington, D.C. Program Coordination Officer (Captain).
1979-1980 Commanding Officer (Captain), USS Ranger (CV-61) U. S. Pacific Fleet. 1980-1981 Chief of Staff (Promoted to Rear Admiral) Commander Naval Air Forces, U. S. Pacific Fleet, San Diego, CA. – Continued – 1959 [sic] 1997 Ruthie Duty Assignment Chronology continued 1981-1983 NATO SHAPE, Mons, Belgium Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff for Plans and Policy, Operations and Readiness Officer (Rear Admiral). 1983-1985 Battle Group Commander, U. S. Atlantic Fleet Battle Force Commander U. S. Sixth Fleet (Rear Admiral). 1985-1987 Plank Owner Director of Operations (Rear Admiral) United States Space Command Colorado Springs, CO. 3/1/87 Retired from active duty.
Ronald ‘Mugs’ Mckeown: He commanded Top Gun for three years before being assigned to other leadership stations, including F-14 Tomcat Project Officer at Naval Air Systems Command, chief of staff for operations with Commander Carrier Group Eight, the battle group that developed electronic warfare tactics and procedures used in Desert Shield, Desert Storm and other conflicts in the Middle East, and chief of staff and executive assistant to the Chief of Naval Material. In addition to the Navy Cross, he was awarded the Legion of Merit and Distinguished Flying Cross.
‘He was being assigned as the Executive Officer of an aircraft carrier, but he declined and retired instead,’ Chesire concludes.
Photo credit: Paramount
F-14 Tomcat
