DVD Review: Speed & Angels

Speed & Angels directed by Peyton Wilson managed to capture both the thrills and pains of being a fighter pilot. The documentary tells the personal stories of naval aviators Jay and Meagan who are realizing their childhood dream of becoming F-14 pilots. At the time of shooting the film, the F-14 Tomcat was in the final years of its operational career, making Jay and Meagan two of the last few Tomcat pilots in the US Navy.

Joining them in their last year of training on the F-14 Tomcat, the film starts with introducing you to Jay and Meagan and their amazing passion for the job. It quickly takes you into the cockpit when Jay and Meagan have to push themselves to the limit when they dogfight the F-5s of the VFC-13 "Saints" adversary squadron and take the F-14 on carrier qualification, day and night. The impressive cockpit and HUD views are mixed with quality footage of the aircraft from many different angles. The high-speed action combined with the actual voice recordings and nice soundtrack where appropriate gives you that exciting rush of a good action movie.

The stories of Jay and Meagan provide a very personal side to the flying, which is further underlined by interviews of family, squadron mates and instructors. Following Meagan on her operational work up tour as she goes through ups and downs and catching up with Jay on his combat cruise in the Persian Gulf, the film provides a very real and complete picture of the life of a navy fighter pilot.

Speed & Angels is not yet another aviation documentary, it is a successful and unique combination of exciting movie-like cinematography, touching personal stories and dramatic cockpit footage and voice recordings. Although the film does not offer a lot of information on the F-14 or navy pilot training, it does provide the real inside story from the pilots perspective. If you liked Top Gun for the sake of F-14 footage, but wished it had provided the real story, Speed & Angels is the one to watch.

Conclusion: Highly recommended, not just for the aviation nut!

Official Website: www.SpeedAndAngels.com

"Highly inspirational for anyone dreaming to become a fighter pilot,
Speed & Angels also gives you a reality check!"
Niels - MILAVIA Editor

Additional Clips and Info available on SpeedandAngels.com

"Speed & Angels takes you on a rollercoaster ride,
combining interviews and personal stories
with stunning footage of the beloved F-14 Tomcat!"
Ramon - Tomcat Fan