“Top Gun” really got it wrong when “Maverick,” in a supposed sign of disrespect, buzzed the tower. As a controller, heck yeah, of course I enjoyed a low-altitude, high-speed flyby.
Even the Goodyear Blimp could give a thrill. You ever had something the size of a blimp fill the tower windows as it streaked by at 40 MPH? Tailwind pushing and Continental IO-360s screaming, I’ll bet the pilot thought he was absolutely FLYING! I know I did.
(I think the blimps back in the 1970s used Continental IO-360s. My apologies to Lycoming, Franklin, or even Continental, if the engines were actually something else.)