The film 'Top Gun: Maverick', starring Tom Cruise, makes adrenaline race. The highlighted pilot's expertise and reckless actions made the audience amazed by the storyline.
Although it is interesting to watch, the image of a jet pilot in Top Gun is unrealistic according to experts. This he revealed based on a brain research.
Top Gun and its sequels are considered to have given a 'false reputation' to the fighter jet community. This is because pilots are portrayed as reckless, not following rules and spending little time studying their missions. In fact, brain studies confirm how careful and thorough F-16 pilots are when in the air.
Launching CNN Indonesia, a press release from the University of Antwero said that experienced pilots show a certain type of brain connectivity. This is because they fly under varying levels of gravity while processing conflicting sensory information.
Based on information from the US Air Force, the F-16 aircraft is known to have a deeper seat angle than other jets. This causes the pilot to withstand up to nine times the force of gravity (nine G). The F-16 also has high maneuverability and long range which makes it popular within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
The study authors added that experienced pilots have more connectivity in the frontal lobe of the brain. The part that refers to the cerebral zones associated with body movements.
Pilots also process vestibular and visual information more quickly thanks to the experience they have. These brain changes may be caused by various pressures, one of which is reading the cockpit instruments.
The study authors point to the need for further research, given that other studies of space flight and astronaut training have also shown the brain can change in structure and function to adapt to extraterrestrial demands.
"Understanding these changes can help us better prepare astronauts for long journeys, which are essential if we are to reach other planets," said the press release.