“Mission Impossible” films. The film’s realism also garnered admiration from experts like ex-astronaut and retired fighter pilot, Chris Hadfield, who spent 25 years as an Air Command fighter pilot in the Canadian Armed Forces. In a discussion with Vanity Fair, Hadfield remarked: “I don’t know of any pilot film that’s better than this one.”
Hadfield further commended Cruise’s commitment and meticulousness, stating that “he’s truly a pilot” who personally piloted his own aircraft (P51 Mustang) in the film and added subtle yet remarkable elements like “I have information Alpha,” which may seem trivial to the casual viewer but holds significance for real pilots. As Hadfield clarified, “What that suggests is he’s heard the communication that indicates the weather conditions and active runway, so the tower doesn’t need to reiterate it for him. It’s authentic.”
The Canadian shared that he was involved with the engines featured in one of the scenes as a test pilot. “I had that very scramjet attached to the wingtip of my F-18, and we succeeded in igniting burning hydrogen and ambient oxygen.” He also made it clear that Maverick couldn’t have been the fastest person on the planet, as Hadfield had achieved Mach 25 as an astronaut. Nonetheless, it’s evident that he absolutely loved this action film immensely.