An Ilminster man believes he has become the first British civilian to fly at supersonic speeds in a US Air Force F‑16 fighter jet – after a journey that began with watching Top Gun in a Somerset cinema.
Gym owner and former tennis pro Louis Skupien, 24, from Ilminster, took to the "supersonic corridor" at Edwards Air Force Base in California with the 416th Flight Test Squadron in January this year.
Officials at Edwards told him he is believed to be the first Brit civilian to go supersonic in an F‑16 at the base, as part of filming for a YouTube documentary Louis released last month.
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Louis managed to get a seat on the plane after interviewing a real former Top Gun pilot, Matthew 'Whiz' Buckley in 2022 on his podcast.
The Somerset local said it took a year of preparation to secure the flight, including learning how to fly the jet solo in case the pilot became unwell.
"The F‑16 can push out more than 30,000lbs of thrust meaning you can be 10,000ft up in a matter of seconds," he said.
"We pulled a load of Gs and it takes 20 minutes to get up there in a normal plane – it took 20 seconds."
His co‑pilot, Major Anthony "Hash" Pipe, handed over the controls and throttle as they accelerated to Mach 1.58 – roughly 1,300mph.
"I was then able to fly the jet for 15 minutes – it was absolutely ridiculous," Louis said.
"The F‑16’s joystick only moves a quarter of an inch max and the jet responds to that – it has a ridiculous amount of roll rate and agility."
The pair flew through Sidewinder Canyon, climbed to 50,000ft – "and saw the curvature of the earth" – then entered the supersonic corridor and broke the sound barrier twice.
"We got back down to the lake bed and pulled 9G," Louis said.
"I was thinking by any means necessary, do not be the first British citizen to be sick in an F‑16 fighter jet!
"I said to Hash I really wanted to push it so we went to Mach 1.58 which is enough to make your stomach feel a bit weird!"
Louis’s childhood love of aircraft was reignited when he saw Top Gun in May 2022.
"I left the cinema so interested in fighter jets and aviation that I wanted to interview a real fighter pilot," he said.
That led to a YouTube interview with former Top Gun pilot Matthew "Whiz" Buckley, a flight in an L‑39 Albatross in 2023, and filming opportunities with Red Bull, the Patriots Jet Team, and the Red Devils parachute display team.
He later approached Douglas Wickert, commanding general of the 412th Test Wing at Edwards, about filming a documentary at the base – and was eventually offered the chance to fly.
"When we got out the briefing room it’s like being in Top Gun," Louis said.
"I felt I’d waited my whole life for this moment.
"We walked up to our jet, got in there, and just knowing that it might not happen again, it needs to be right.
"The canopy comes down around you, engines fire up and we start taxiing to the run way."
Louis spent six months editing the footage into a YouTube documentary, Full Throttle, which was released on 11 July.
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