How TOPGUN Fighter Pilots Actually Work | Authorized Account | Insider

Dave Berke served for over 23 years as a USMC fighter pilot, TOPGUN 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 TOPGUN. 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: The Need to Lead: A TOPGUN Instructor's Lessons on How Leadership Solves Every Challenge By Dave Berke https://a.co/d/07wiGKaz https://echelonfront.com/ Read "A Marine who flew the F/A-18, F-16, F-22, and F-35 says one jet stood apart": https://bit.ly/4ezwKg7 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 ------------------------------------------------------ #fighterpilots #topgun #marinecorps #authorizedaccount MORE AUTHORIZED ACCOUNT VIDEOS: How Psychopaths Actually Work    • How Psychopaths Actually Work | Authorized...   How NASA Astronauts Actually Work    • How NASA Astronauts Actually Work | Author...   How Bounty Hunters Actually Work    • How Bounty Hunters Actually Work | Authori...   Insider is brought to you by Business Insider is a global newsroom covering business, technology, innovation, and the economy. Visit our homepage for the top stories of the day: https://www.businessinsider.com/?utm_... Sign up for our newsletters: https://www.businessinsider.com/subsc... Find Business Insider on Facebook:   / businessinsider   ... on Instagram:   / businessinsider   ... on X: https://x.com/BusinessInsider ... on TikTok:   / businessinsider   ... on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3VMNsyS... How Top Gun Fighter Pilots Actually Work | Authorized Account | Insider