The United States Navy’s Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor program, more commonly known as Top Gun, was established in 1969 during the Vietnam War to train elite fighter pilots. Since its inception, Top Gun has produced some of the best fighter pilots in the world. But has Top Gun ever produced any black fighter pilots?
The Origins of Top Gun
Top Gun was created by the United States Navy in response to analysis showing that air combat maneuvering skills and tactics were crucial in engagements between American and North Vietnamese fighter pilots during the Vietnam War. The Navy found that between 1965-1968, its fighter jets were only achieving a 2:1 kill ratio over North Vietnamese MiGs. This was far below expectations, considering the technical superiority of American fighter jets.
To address this problem, the Navy established the United States Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor program at Naval Air Station Miramar in California. The intensive training course was designed to enhance fighter pilots’ dogfighting skills and ability to perform air combat maneuvers. By training elite pilots in the latest aerial combat techniques and tactics, Top Gun aimed to improve the Navy’s air-to-air combat kill ratio.
The first Top Gun class commenced in March 1969. The course was an immediate success, with Top Gun graduates recording improved combat performance during their Vietnam deployments. By the end of the Vietnam War, the Navy’s kill ratio had improved to 12:1, validating Top Gun’s training.
Racial Barriers in the Military
When Top Gun commenced in 1969, racial segregation was still prevalent in the US military, a legacy of the discriminatory policies and attitudes that limited opportunities for African Americans. The US military was not fully desegregated until the mid-1950s, and it took time for equal opportunities to translate into significant numbers of black officers and pilots.
By the Vietnam War era, there were some black pilots in the Navy, Air Force, and Marines, several of whom became aces with multiple aerial kills. But they still faced institutional and social barriers, such as restrictions from flying certain aircraft types. Overall opportunities for black aviators remained limited compared to the high proportion of white pilots.
Top Gun’s first classes consisted exclusively of white pilots, unsurprising given the still small pool of black Navy pilots. But as equal opportunity policies took effect, a handful of skilled black aviators would break racial boundaries and earn selection into the elite Top Gun program.
First Black Top Gun Pilots
In 1971, US Navy pilot Lt. Philip Smith became the first African American pilot to graduate from the Top Gun program. Smith was a naval aviator flying F-4 Phantom II jets with Fighter Squadron 213 (VF-213). His outstanding abilities as a fighter pilot led to his selection to train at Top Gun, a significant achievement for a black pilot at the time.
After graduating from Top Gun, Lt. Smith continued his Navy flying career, serving as an instructor pilot and safely flying thousands of hours in high performance jet aircraft. He helped pave the way for future black pilots to succeed in the elite Top Gun school.
Over the next few decades, more exceptional African American fighter pilots would join Lt. Smith as Top Gun graduates. These include Major Thomas B. Bostic, one of the first black Marines to become a naval aviator, and Commander Vincent Wiggins, a highly decorated Navy pilot who rose to command his own fighter squadron.
Recent History
In more recent decades, African Americans have played prominent roles in aerospace and naval aviation, both as pilots and commanders.
For example, Vice Admiral David Steindl became the first African American to command a US naval flying squadron, Helicopter Combat Support Special Squadron FIVE, in 1989. Another groundbreaker was Major General Charles Bolden, who flew over 100 combat missions in Vietnam before becoming an astronaut and later Administrator of NASA.
The pool of black pilots available to attend Top Gun has increased significantly thanks to equal opportunities in recruitment and training. Black Top Gun graduates are still a minority but their ranks include some truly exceptional aviators.
Commander Andre Webb graduated Top Gun in 2003 and flew missions over Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Another noteworthy recent graduate was Lieutenant Jamal Sheffield, who became the first African American to qualify to fly the Navy’s advanced F/A-18E/F Super Hornet jet.
Current Status
While African Americans have come a long way in naval aviation, there is still room for greater diversity. Black pilots remain underrepresented in the Navy’s aviation officer ranks compared to the proportion of enlisted sailors.
Nonetheless, Top Gun is clearly more diverse than it was during the early Vietnam War era classes. The Navy does not release demographic details on current Top Gun classes, but photos show several black pilots among recent graduates.
Prominent former Top Gun African American aviators also attest to the program becoming more inclusive over time. In a 2012 interview, Vice Admiral Steindl recalled being the only black pilot in his class in the 1980s but noted that in just 25 years diversity had “changed tremendously.”
Another former Top Gun instructor, Lieutenant Commander Andre Webb, recalled being one of five African American pilots among 250 students across six classes in the early 2000s. He emphasized that skill was the key factor in getting into Top Gun, regardless of race.
Famous Black Top Gun Graduates
While black Top Gun pilots remain a minority, several outstanding African American Top Gun graduates have achieved great fame in the naval aviation community:
| Pilot | Achievements |
| Philip Smith | – First ever African American Top Gun graduate (1971) – Pioneering black Navy fighter pilot of the Vietnam era |
| Thomas B. Bostic | – One of first black Marine Corps jet pilots – Flew over 100 combat missions in Korea |
| Vincent Wiggins | – First African American to command a Navy fighter squadron – Highly decorated aviator with six Air Medals |
| Andre Webb | – Graduated Top Gun in 2003 – Flew combat missions over Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom |
These pioneering aviators overcame racial barriers to reach the very top of naval aviation. They paved the way for more black pilots to follow in their footsteps and earn Top Gun’s coveted Navy Wings of Gold.
Conclusion
Racial discrimination meant there were few black naval aviators in Top Gun’s early years. But over time, equal opportunity policies allowed skilled African American pilots to break barriers and graduate from the elite program. These pioneering aviators proved that skill is the key factor in Top Gun, regardless of race or background.
While black pilots still have a long way to go when it comes to equal representation, Top Gun is clearly more diverse and inclusive than it was in the 1960s and 1970s. Outstanding African American pilots continue to earn their Wings of Gold, following in the footsteps of champions like Philip Smith and Andre Webb. With more opportunity today, we can expect diverse American talent to continue reaching the top levels of air combat achievement.