former TOPGUN Commanding Officer shares insights on the movie and real-life training

Episode • Nov 15, 2022 • 32m

This is a replay of one of our more popular episodes. Jamy Bechler interviewed former TOPGUN Commanding Officer Andy "Grand" Mariner. Jamy would later spend a good deal of time visiting with Grand doing research for "The Captain", which was Jamy's fourth book. We hope that you enjoy listening to this interview, whether it's your first or second time. Show notes are below ...

Captain Andy "Grand" Mariner is the Deputy Commander of the historic Carrier Air Wing 11. Previously, he was the Commanding Officer at TOPGUN. The United States Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor program is the preeminent training school for naval aviators.

Click here for Captain Mariner's complete bio.

In today’s episode, we discuss:

Leadership principles
Mentality of fighter pilots
A day in the life of a TOPGUN student and instructor
What the movie (Top Gun) got right or wrong
... and so much more!!!

Resources, Books, and Links

Bio: https://www.public.navy.mil/airfor/CVW11/Pages/DCAG.aspx

Air Wing 11 Website: https://www.public.navy.mil/airfor/CVW11/Pages/default.aspx

Navy Website: https://www.navy.mil/

The Fighter Pilot Podcast w/guest Andy "Grand" Mariner, TOPGUN Commanding Officer: https://www.fighterpilotpodcast.com/episodes/007-topgun-vs-top-gun/

Linkedin: Linkedin.com/in/christopher-wirth-0071a3198/

Army Navy Game Website: https://armynavygame.com/

History of TOPGUN: https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2019/september/topgun-navys-first-center-excellence

Past "Success is a Choice" podcast episodes of interest . . .

Top Gun in Action

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00aHvkKj7Bs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4U4BQW9OEk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlpEt5ptCDs

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Thanks again for listening and remember that “Success is a choice. What choice will you make today?”

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Jamy Bechler is the author of five books including The Captain and The Bus Trip, host of the Success is a Choice Podcast, professional speaker, and trains organizations on creating championship cultures. He previously spent 20 years as a college basketball coach and administrator. The Leadership Playbook is Bechler’s online program that helps athletes become better teammates and more positive leaders while strengthening a team’s culture. As a certified John Maxwell leadership coach, Bechler has worked with businesses and teams, including the NBA. Follow him on Twitter at @CoachBechler. To connect with him via email or find out about his services, please contact speaking@CoachBechler.com. You can also subscribe to his insights on success and leadership by clicking here.

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