RIP Tom Skerritt

Tom played Viper in Top Gun (1986). Tom was the lead instructor and experienced aviator educating a young class of hotshots. I don’t remember the first time I saw this movie, but I was young, possibly only 5 years old. I watched it many times and unknowingly memorized it. Like many viewers of the time, it gave birth to my deep love of aviation which I hold to this day. Whenever anyone from my family asked young me what I wanted to do with my life, I would say, “I want to be a pilot.” It wasn’t until I realized I was good at computers in high school that I had a different calling, but I continue to look to the skies fondly. Viper first appears standoffish as the head of the Top Gun school. He then proceeds to shoot Maverick out of the sky in a friendly training session, and afterward scolds Maverick for not respecting the rules. When Maverick suffers a tragic loss, Viper is there to tell him “It wasn’t your fault.” and “You’ve got to let him go.” When Maverick continues to struggle, he…