USAA welcomes Top Gun pilots to San Antonio headquarters

SAN ANTONIO (KTSA News) — Top Gun and other U.S. Navy pilots paid a visit to USAA headquarters in San Antonio for a military acumen event Tuesday, and employees got the chance to hear about everything from launching a fighter from an aircraft carrier to filming last summer’s hit movie ‘Top Gun:Maverick.’

KTSA had to chance to talk to Lieutenant Commander Amy ‘BACON!’ Heflin, who flew an F-18 Hornet for some of the actors in the movie.

“When Paramount came out to film, I happened to be pretty much the only female pilot at my squadron that had all of my (qualifications), so they asked if I’d be able to fly. So, I flew for Monica Barbaro and Lewis Pullman,” said Heflin.

Barbaro went by the call sign ‘Phoenix,’ while Pullman’s character had the call sign ‘Bob.’

Heflin is a native of Lubbock and she learned to fly the F/A-18 Super Hornet at Naval Air Station Lemoore, California in June 2013.

Also attending the event was Captain Kevin ‘Proton’ McLaughlin, a former Top Gun instructor who now serves as President of the TOP GUN Association and now works for Boeing. McLaughlin offered his take on both the original Top Gun film, as well as the sequel.

“The second movie is much more realistic in terms of the missions, in terms of how the aircrew operate together and just sort of the dynamics among the pilots. There are a couple of things in there that are certainly ‘Hollywoodized,’ but by and large it’s a pretty decent representation,” said McLaughlin.

McGlaughlin is a native of Newport Beach, California and he was commissioned and designated a Naval Aviator in August 1993.

Captain J.J. ‘Yank’ Cummings grew up in Sharon, Massachusetts, and earned a B.A. in physics from Bates College in 1990.  He completed Aviation Officer Candidate School in November 1991, earned his pilot wings in October 1993 and completed training in the F-14A Tomcat in June 1995. He holds a Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College.

Captain Bill White, Senior Vice President and General Manager for Retirement at USAA tells KTSA a group of military veterans formed the organization in San Antonio in 1922. One century later, USAA has more than 13 million members.

You can learn more about USAA and its services for veterans and their families by clicking here.