When “Top Gun” blew up theaters in 1986, Scott Kartvedt was there.
Not just once, but at least 10 times with his fellow high school buddies, who dressed up in jeans, leather jackets and aviator glasses to imitate the famous on-screen characters — rivals Maverick and Iceman, played by Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer — the bad boys of Top Gun, more officially known as the U.S. Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor program.
That movie changed Kartvedt’s life. About five years after seeing it, the 23-year-old abandoned his accounting job, called a Navy recruiter and got a pilot slot. The Colorado Springs resident, whose call sign is “Intake,” went on to become a Naval fighter pilot and, in a full- circle moment, played Tom Cruise’s stunt double in last year’s blockbuster hit “Top Gun: Maverick.”
“I’m still an adrenaline junkie,” Kartvedt said. “There was something about the movie (“Top Gun”), the extreme performance. I grew up riding motorcycles in the desert and jet skis and ski boats and it was the ultimate of power and adrenaline.”
Kartvedt spent two weeks in Northern California filming his 8-minute fight scene. It’s the one where Maverick and Goose’s son, Rooster, find themselves in enemy territory and steal an enemy F-14 Tomcat to escape, harking back to the plane Maverick flew in the first film. The duo then fight off an attacker in an Su-57 before making their way back to a U.S. aircraft carrier.
“Me and another stunt pilot flew that final fight scene,” Kartvedt said. “It gives the illusion of four to five planes in flight, in the way it was filmed. They’d show us a storyboard with 2D shots of what they wanted, and we had to figure out how to get them that shot.”
While Kartvedt didn’t meet Cruise or any of the other A- list actors during his time on set, the famous actor did rehire him for a movie set for release next summer. Kartvedt can’t say what the movie is, though he spent last fall working alongside Cruise as a safety supervisor.
It was surreal for the Naval pilot to meet the man who inspired his career.
“Here’s somebody who had a significant impact on your life and my family’s life,” Kartvedt said.
“To have him say you’re responsible for keeping me safe, that’s a daunting task. He was exceptionally professional and very receptive. He’s willing to listen and if he respects you, he will take on board what you have to say.”
Cruise also was supportive of Kartfedt’s two sons, who followed their father into the Navy and are flying F/A-18s and T-45s.
Your weekly local update on arts, entertainment, and life in Colorado Springs! Delivered every Thursday to your inbox.
“When my youngest son selected jets I sent him a quick note,” he said, “and when we wrapped on that other movie, I sent a note to say what an incredible experience it was. The impact he and his movies have on people, it was a heartfelt note of gratitude.”
Filming a hit movie is only one of many impressive items on Kartvedt’s resume, which inspired his new memoir, “Full Throttle: From the Blue Angels to Hollywood Stunt Pilot.” It was released last month and is available online at Amazon.com and scottkartvedt.com.
He wrote it, he says, because he recognizes he’s lived a singular life and had many experiences most of us won’t, including three tours in Iraq and two in Afghanistan that equal more than 90 combat missions and 500 combat hours. He’s commanded combat units, received a Bronze Star, established the Navy’s first stealth fighter squadron, and flew with the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, a flight demonstration squadron.
His book eulogizes the three things that helped propel him through life.
“It started with Maverick in 1986 and being willing to pursue a dream, say yes to opportunities, learn from mistakes and ask for help,” he said. “It continues to this day. If I can do it, then I truly believe anybody can. An individual just limits themselves to what is possible.”
These days, Kartvedt is a professional pilot and flight instructor for United Airlines. He does airshows with the Patriot Jet Team, the only civilian jet demonstration team in the country, and serves as president of the Blue Angels Foundation, a nonprofit made up of former members of the Blue Angels. Part of the proceeds from his book sales will go to the organization.
Even though he no longer spends his days neutralizing enemy forces on the ground during combat, flying will never lose its sparkle. People often ask him if it’s boring flying for an airline after piloting jets. His answer? Nope.
“When you’re flying into a blizzard and there are 180 people relying on you and your capability and professionalism,” he said, “and you’ve got a 30-knot crosswind and 2 inches of snow on the runway, that requires the same level of intensity and professionalism as landing on the back of an aircraft carrier. It’s the intensity of leaving the earth and bringing the plane safely back to earth.”
Contact the writer: 636-0270
