What’s the greatest aviation movie of all time?
“Top Gun,” according to a poll conducted by the Experimental Aircraft Association.
The 1986 blockbuster, which starred EAA member Tom Cruise, Kelly McGillis, Tom Skerritt, Val Kilmer and Anthony Edwards, is a drama loosely based on the U.S. Navy’s “Top Gun” fighter training school. The movie, which was the biggest grossing film in the U.S. that year, will be shown during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2007 at the Fly-In Theater, presented by Ford Motor Co. and Eclipse Aviation.
“Top Gun” was one of 10 finalists in an online poll at Airventure.org. It collected more than 20.5% of the more than 10,000 votes cast, ahead of the classic 1949 film “Twelve O’Clock High” (17.7%) and the more recent World War II epic “Memphis Belle” from 1990 (12.2%).
The finalists were the 10 most-nominated films by EAA members earlier this year, who submitted more than 140 aviation movies. Others in the final poll included “Battle of Britain” (1969) with 11.8%; “Spirit of St. Louis” (1957) and “The Great Waldo Pepper” (1975), each with 8.6%; “Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines” (1965) 7.1 %; “The Flight of the Phoenix” (1965) 5.2%; and “The High and the Mighty” (1954) with 4%.
The viewing date of “Top Gun” will be finalized in the coming weeks. Also on the schedule is “Apollo 13,” which will be shown Friday, July 27, and introduced by actual Apollo 13 commander Jim Lovell.
For more information: Airventure.org
WHAT MOVIE GETS YOUR VOTE?
Do you agree with the EAA poll? What movie do you think should claim the title as Greatest Aviation Movie of All Time? Send your suggestions to [email protected] and we’ll print them in an upcoming issue.
