How Top Gun fighter pilots actually work, according to a former instructor
Dave Berke is a retired Marine fighter pilot and Top Gun instructor who explains what it's like to fly combat missions from an aircraft carrier.
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.
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