'Top Gun: Behind Closed Doors': Pilot Art Scholl's death was eerily similar to on-screen death of 'Goose'
'Top Gun', the story of the hotshot Navy pilot, Maverick (Tom Cruise), lives on, owing to its epic action scenes, dialogues and unmistakable soundtrack. Yet, the film is remembered by the cast, crew as well as the audience, due to the long history of hurdles it overcame to finally be made, as well as the devastating tragedy that shook up the team. Aviation hero Art Scholl who had taken on daring aerobatic stunts for air shows, movies and TV shows, plunged into the Pacific after failing to recover from an inverted flat spin while filming dramatic backdrop scenes for the film.
His death came as a huge shock to the aviation industries at the time and 'Top Gun' was a tribute to his memory. Strangely, Art's death bore a striking resemblance to the on-screen death of Goose (Anthony Edwards), Maverick's best friend, in the movie, who also died after failing to recover from a flat spin. Neither Art's Pitts S-2 plane nor his body was ever recovered, leaving his wife Judy, his two sons, friends and co-workers with many questions about his death.
In the documentary 'Top Gun: Behind Closed Doors', which provides interviews and unseen footage from the 1986 film, Jerry Bruckenheim recalled his death, "During the filming, he was going for a last run. The guy on the ground asked him if he was sure about doing this and he answered, 'Yes, I am sure'. He was going for a dive and he never pulled out of the dive."
Editor Billy Weber remembers the shock of it all, "At six in the morning, I get to Paramount to look at the footage, and I'm told 'We had an accident'. We lost Art. And I say what? It was horrible."
After Hollywood producers announced the sequel of the film, Art Scholl's wife, Judy opened up about the shock of her husband's death to Daily Mail. "'Art was a great pilot and a great showman," she said, "But he was very calculating and prepared constantly. He was a triple type A personality. He had an energy that wouldn't end and he was very fun to be with - but he was very focused. He took his work very seriously. He planned carefully - he wouldn't go out and break rules or anything. So on Top Gun I just don't know what happened. It was a massive shock to me. A lot of people in the industry and in aviation in general were surprised. He was relatively young to die."
'Top Gun: Maverick' will release this December.
