MERIDIAN – Naval Air Station Meridian is featured in National Geographic’s new docuseries Top Guns: The Next Generation, which follows Navy and Marine Corps student pilots through the final and most demanding phase of their elite strike fighter training.
The six-part series, which premieres Tuesday, offers viewers an inside look at dogfights, carrier landings and the personal sacrifices required to earn the coveted “Wings of Gold.”
Commander Tom Kellner, executive officer of Training Squadron 7, said the series follows students at both VT-7 and VT-9 as they advance through training.
“It’ll showcase that NAS Meridian is, in fact, there… that we provide the highest caliber of training to the next generation of Naval aviators,” Kellner said. “And it’ll show some of the fun aspects of Dalewood life, too.”
Commander Brandon Hempler, an instructor with Training Wing 1, participated in the aerial filming.
“Some of the shots you’ll see are actually me flying with students,” Hempler said. “What we’re trying to recreate is what a student would see on most of their flights.”
The production crew behind the series also worked on the second Top Gun film, using specialized aircraft with mounted cameras to capture dramatic visuals.
“Working with them and seeing behind-the-scenes… it was pretty eye-opening for me,” Hempler said. “There’s a lot of planning that goes into this.”
Lt. Commander Scott Hook, who coordinated the project for the base, said the production also highlighted the city of Meridian.
“There’s a lot of footage from out in town, from students hanging out at Dalewood Lake, so overall it’s a great look for Meridian as a whole,” Hook said.
Officers said they hope the series inspires future aviators while showing the vital role NAS Meridian plays in national defense.
“It’s really just an inspiring story of the hard work and dedication it takes to achieve something you really want… in this case, their Wings of Gold,” Hempler said.
Top Guns: The Next Generation airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT and 8 p.m. Central on National Geographic.
New episodes stream the following day on Disney+ and Hulu.
