The actor met with RAF pilots in Gloucestershire, England to talk about his experiences in the air.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(1019x387:1021x389):format(webp)/Top-Gun-Maverick-1432971cd10a4a198a437beb448209bc.jpeg)
PHOTO: PARAMOUNT PICTURES
Tom Cruise was in his element while meeting military and stunt pilots this weekend in the UK.
The A-lister attended the Royal International Air Tattoo Saturday, enjoying the world’s largest military airshow.
Hosted at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, England, the celebration also marked the United States Air Force’s 75th Anniversary and featured pilots from around the world in a captivating show in the sky.
A photo with the RAF Police captured the connection between Cruise and the world of aviation.
Cruise beamed in the center of the photo, wearing a sharp blue suit and aviator sunglasses as uniformed officers around him pose in front of a helicopter.
“Feel the need, the need for a pic with the one and only @TomCruise Another fabulous day at @airtattoo for the #rafpolice,” a caption read.
Cruise paused to pose with the Red Arrows, the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, famous for stunt and trick flying. Their flashy orange jumpsuits do nothing to distract from the happy smiles and many pairs of aviator sunglasses this bunch of pilots is sporting.
“We’ve got a new wingman … Today, Maverick joined the Red Arrows! Epic to meet @TomCruise at the Royal International Air Tattoo and to speak about aviation, teamwork and Top Gun.”
In an exclusive interview for PEOPLE’s Top Gun special edition, Cruise was asked if a traffic cop had ever quoted “Need for speed” at him.
“No,” saidCruise, adding quickly: “I wish they would!”
“Sometimes I get speed,” he admitted. “Sometimes, I get stopped. But also, I spend a lot of time on racetracks, on motorcycles, in helicopters, so I get a lot of that stuff out.”
The actor, 60, doesn’t just pretend to be a pilot in the movies. After playing US Navy pilot Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in the original Top Gun in 1986, Cruise went on to get his own pilot’s license in 1994.
Chief executive of the RAF Charitable Trust Enterprises Paul Atherton told the Press Association that the organization had been keeping the visit a secret, but it was difficult to keep it under wraps. “Keeping secrets like that is hard when they’re so exciting,” he said.
“The Top Gun films and Tom’s famous passion for aircraft and flying have really helped to catapult aviation into the spotlight, which will help promote and inspire future generations of young people,” Atherton continued.
