Japan has welcomed its first-ever female fighter pilot into the air force – and you need not guess which high-octane movie the pilot watched as inspiration.
Lieutenant Misa Matsushima had dreamed of becoming a fighter pilot since watching Tom Cruise don a flight suit in the film Top Gun. Unperturbed by the fact that Cruise’s character, Maverick, was somewhat responsible for a crash that resulted in the death of Goose, his best friend and co-pilot, Matsushima felt the need, the need for speed keenly and, this week, completed her training to become Japan’s first female fighter pilot.
“I have admired fighter jet pilots ever since I saw Top Gun when I was in primary school,” she said, according to The Japan Times . “I want to continue to work hard to carry out my duties, not just for myself but also for women who want to follow this path in the future.
