Dan Pedersen

Dan Pedersen is a retired United States Navy Captain, credited as being the leading force behind the creation of the United States Navy Fighter Weapons School program known as “TOPGUN”.

Daniel Arthur Pedersen
Nickname(s)Yank/Duke
AllegianceUnited States
BranchUnited States Navy
RankCaptain
Commands heldUSS Ranger
USS Wichita
Carrier Air Wing Fifteen
VF-143
Navy Fighter Weapons School
Battles/warsVietnam War
Other workTop Gun: An American Story

Military career

Pedersen joined the Navy in 1953 as an enlisted mechanic.[1] In 1955, he was accepted into the Naval Aviation Cadet Program.[2]: 10  After completing flight training on 1 March 1957, he was assigned to VF(AW)-3 flying the Douglas F4D Skyray.[2]: 22 

In 1962, he reported to VF-121, the west coast Fleet Replacement Squadron, for transition training to fly the McDonnell F3H Demon following which he was assigned to VF-213. In February 1963, VF-213 embarked on an 8-month cruise onboard USS Hancock.[2]: 51 

After transition training to fly the McDonnell-Douglas F-4 Phantom II he joined VF-92.[2]: 64  The squadron deployed on the USS Enterprise (CVN-65) from 3 January to 18 July 1968.[3]: 420 

In late 1968, Pedersen joined VF-121 at Miramar as a tactics instructor.[2]: 98 

In January 1969, the Navy published the Ault Report, which concluded that U.S. aircraft losses over North Vietnam stemmed in part from inadequate air-crew training in air combat maneuvering (ACM).[4] The report recommended that an "Advanced Fighter Weapons School" be established at Naval Air Station Miramar under the control of VF-121 to revive and disseminate community fighter expertise throughout the fleet.[5] The report stated that the Advanced Fighter Weapons School was to have: one Officer-in-charge (F-4 or F-8 Crusader pilot), three F-4 pilot instructors, three F-4 Radar Intercept Officer instructors, three F-8 pilot instructors and an Aviation Ordnance Officer. The school would train 20 F-4 aircrews and 10 F-8 pilots per year. The aircrew syllabus would consist of 25 hours per pilot/aircrew in the F-8 or F-4, 75 hours of classes and a course duration of four weeks.[5] Pedersen was appointed as the first officer in charge of the school.[2]: 102–3 

The Fighter Weapons School was established on 3 March 1969.[6][7] Following the implementation of the program, the Navy kill ratio in Vietnam went from 2.5:1 to 24:1.[8][9][10][2]: 173 

He relinquished command of the school in mid-1969.[2]: 151 

In February 1973 he joined VF-143 on the USS Enterprise and flew combat operations over Laos and Cambodia until the Enterprise returned to Pearl Harbor in June 1973. He was later appointed commander of VF-143 and the squadron embarked onboard USS America for a Mediterranean cruise from 3 January to 3 August 1974.[2]: 182–193 

In April 1975, he joined Carrier Air Wing Fifteen aboard the USS Coral Sea in preparation for taking command of the wing. During this time, he flew fighter cover in support of the Mayaguez Incident.[2]: 212–9 

In 1976, he was promoted to Captain and subsequently attended the Prospective Commanding Officers Course. From 28 March 1978 to 21 December 1979 he commanded the tanker USS Wichita.[2]: 232–5 

On 20 October 1980, he became the captain of the aircraft carrier USS Ranger. In April 1981 Airman Recruit Paul A. Trerice died in the Ranger's correctional custody unit.[11][12][13] Trerice's father brought a lawsuit against Pedersen, Ranger's executive officer and others but the case was dismissed.[14] On 11 June 1982 he relinquished command of Ranger and became deputy chief of staff for the Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor.[2]: 257 

Due to political opposition as a result of Trerice's death, his name was removed from the 1983 promotion list to Rear admiral and he retired from the Navy on 1 March 1983.[2]: 258 

Later life

The success of TOPGUN earned him the title the ‘Godfather of TOPGUN’.[15]

In 2018, one year prior to the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of TOPGUN, Pedersen was honored at Palm Springs Air Museum Gala.[16]

In 2019, his book TOPGUN: An American Story was published to critical acclaim.[17][18] In the book he warned that U.S. Naval Aviators weren't getting enough flight time, weren't practicing dogfighting and that an over-reliance on technology risked repeating the situation that occurred in the early years of the Vietnam War.[19]

See also

References
  1. "Captain Dan Pedersen". Fox News. 2020-12-31. Retrieved 2020-12-31.
  2. Pedersen, Dan (2019). Top Gun: An American Story. Hachette Books. ISBN 978-0316416269.
  3. Grossnick, Roy A.; Evans, Mark (2016). United States Naval Aviation, 1910-2010 (PDF). Naval History and Heritage Command. ISBN 9780945274759.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  4. Michel III, Marshall (1997). Clashes; Air Combat Over North Vietnam 1965–1972. Naval Institute Press. p. 181. ISBN 1-59114-519-8.
  5. "Report of the air-to-air missile system capability review July-November 1968 Appendix IV" (PDF). Naval Air Systems Command. 1 January 1969. p. 41. Retrieved 13 July 2021.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  6. "Top Gun: An American Story | Naval Historical Foundation". Retrieved 2020-12-31.
  7. "Dan Pedersen". Hachette Book Group. 2018-07-03. Retrieved 2020-12-31.
  8. "The man behind Top Gun". Military Press. 2019-03-07. Retrieved 2020-12-31.
  9. "The Man Behind the Topgun Fighter Pilot School". HistoryNet. 18 June 2019. Retrieved 2020-12-31.
  10. "Topgun - U.S. Navy Fighter Weapons School | C-SPAN.org". www.c-span.org. Retrieved 2020-12-31.
  11. Wilson, George C. (1981-04-28). "Death of Sailor, Disciplinary Incidents On U.S. Aircraft Carrier Being Probed". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2021-06-21.
  12. "The skipper of the carrier USS Ranger vigorously denied". UPI. Retrieved 2020-12-31.
  13. Ap (1981-07-29). "SKIPPER IS ACCUSED IN SAILOR'S DEATH (Published 1981)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-12-31.
  14. "Trerice v. Pedersen". United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. F2d (769): 1398. 28 August 1985.
  15. "The Real Military Program That Inspired 'Top Gun' Just Turned 50. Here's How Being a Navy Pilot Has Changed Since Then". Time. 5 March 2019. Retrieved 2020-12-31.
  16. Greer, Ann. "Story from Palm Springs Air Museum: Naval Top Gun Founder To Be Honored at Palm Springs Air Museum Gala". The Desert Sun. Retrieved 2020-12-31.
  17. "Top Gun: The New Book by Navy's Program Founder Is a Rare Aviation Literary Gem". The Aviationist. 2019-04-30. Retrieved 2020-12-31.
  18. "Book Reviews Top Gun : An American Story". Naval Historical Foundation. 15 March 2019. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  19. "Tog Gun memoir warns that the Navy isn't training its fighter pilots enough". The National Interest. 28 July 2019. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
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