Biography

Pete Pettigrew is known for Top Gun (1986), VH-1 Behind the Movie (1999) and Behind Closed Doors (2016).

As a lieutenant commander (O-4), he flew F-4J Phantoms with Navy Fighter Squadron 114, from the U.S.S. Kitty Hawk, off North Vietnam. On 6 May 1972, he and his wingman engaged four North Vietnamese MiG-21 fighters. In a 90-second dogfight (because both were low on fuel), he shot down one MiG, his leader got another, and both F-4s disengaged without an enemy shot fired.

Graduated from Stanford University.

Pete Pettigrew's callsign was Viper, which was used by Tom Skerritt's character Commander Mike Metcalf.