Loading...
Follow a class of Navy and Marine Corps student pilots as they enter the final and most unforgiving phase of elite strike fighter training. It's six months of high-stakes aerial training, brutal physical demands, and emotional reckoning - where only the top performers earn the chance to fly the most coveted aircrafts.
Karen Edwards
National Geographic
6
One student's dreams of becoming a fighter pilot are put in jeopardy as the class starts advanced phase training with a set of breathtaking bombing tests. Diving at speeds they've never faced before, students struggle with the dynamic moves and start to make high-risk mistakes. Instructors deliver tough assessments in the debriefs to keep the students safe.
Sep 16, 2025
Landing on an aircraft carrier demands precision flying and is a skill vital for all U.S. Navy fighter pilots. As the students tackle the longest and most technical section of the Advanced Phase, they know it's a test they must pass to keep their dreams alive. The pressure mounts on some struggling students, and the commanding officer issues a timely warning to one.
Sep 23, 2025
As the students reach the midpoint of their training, they start the iconic dogfighting phase. Against them are seasoned instructors with hundreds of hours of real-world experience. To pass, they must outmaneuver the enemy to take a "kill shot." One student has the added pressure of flying with his Top Gun-trained commodore, while another struggles to control his aggressive instincts.
Sep 30, 2025
As they enter the second and most challenging phase of dog fighting, everything is on the line for our students. Defensive dogfighting involves dynamic maneuvers to evade battle-hardened instructors. The physical strain proves too much for one student, while another has a crisis of confidence when past failures come back to haunt him.
Oct 7, 2025
The students face their final test in an iconic head-to-head dogfight against an instructor. To pass, they must bring all the skills they've learned during their Advanced Phase training. With graduation just days away, students start to worry about their final grades and whether they will get the posting they - and in many cases, their families - want.
Oct 14, 2025
It's graduation week. For the remaining students, it means they have one last chance to prove they deserve their prestigious fighter pilot wings. Standing in their way is a tense head-to-head dogfight against an instructor. Past failures come back to haunt one student, and another's whole fighter pilot future comes down to a single flight with their commanding officer.
Oct 21, 2025
