There was a lot of flight time for the cast of Top Gun: Maverick, which opened on select IMAX screens Tuesday and will hit all theaters on Friday. Monica Barbaro plays one of the new fighter pilots, call sign Phoenix, and she tells ABC Audio she was a little nervous at first to go up in the military jets. But now?
“I love flying,” she shares. “Getting to be in the sky was, it became like actually, as intense as it all was, it became actually quite peaceful in the moments between takes and the moments between training.”
Thanks to training, Barbaro says that “depending on the plane” she might be able to step in if there was ever a pilot emergency.
“Obviously, a commercial airliner, a lot of bells and whistles that are quite complicated,” she notes, adding, “A Cessna, I can fly. I can fly a Cessna…But obviously in an emergency situation…If there were no licensed pilots on that plane, I would be the closest thing to it.”
In the future Barbaro might be able to go bigger than a Cessna thanks to co-star Tom Cruise, who she reveals “gifted us a lifetime membership to basic ground school.”
Learning to fly wasn’t the only training for Barbaro, who says the biggest challenge was the underwater training they had to go through in case they had to eject over the ocean. She recalls “almost panicking” before following through with everything and coming out just fine on the other side. Â
“I never felt happier in my whole life,” she says.
Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
Related Posts
‘Glee’ star Jenna Ushkowitz pregnant with her second child
June 28, 2024
Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images for Gold Meets GoldenJenna Ushkowitz is about to become a mom to baby…
Pink’s daughter Willow leaves her tour to start her theater career
June 28, 2024
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for dcpPink's daughter Willow is saying goodbye to her mom's Summer…
O Canada! Avril Lavigne receives prestigious honor from home country
June 28, 2024
Marc Piasecki/WireImageAvril Lavigne has received a major honor from her home country of…
New Music Friday: The Kid LAROI, GAYLE, BTS’ Jimin and more
June 28, 2024
The Kid LAROI is back with a new single, "Girls," and a video co-starring Alix Earle. And keep an…
Glastonbury’s here, and Dua Lipa is gonna make sure she doesn’t “f*** it up”
June 28, 2024
Sean Zanni/Patrick McMullan via Getty ImagesWhat Dua Lipa has called "the pinnacle" of her career…
Report: ‘Inside Out 2’ surpasses original film’s worldwide box office
June 28, 2024
Disney/PixarAre you emotionally prepared for this: Inside Out 2 has reportedly surpassed the…
U2 welcomes Taylor Swift back to their hometown: “Leave some of it standing!!!”
June 28, 2024
Charley Gallay/Getty Images for The Weinstein CompanyTaylor Swift has officially arrived in Dublin,…
Camila Cabello denies romance with Drake — or anyone else: “I barely have time to shave my legs”
June 28, 2024
Geffen/InterscopeWhen Camila Cabello was making her new album C, XOXO, she and one of her…