Life at top gun was flight club every day. As the instructors flew against the students, it was natural for the students to want to take a scalp now and then if one of them beat Rattler, Smash, Swatsky, Cobra or me. They seldom did it, but by the end of the syllabus and its 26 flights, it did happen. There was plenty of pride to be taken in that. I tried to keep them grounded. If you managed to beat Mel and were smart, you understood it was dangerous to pump your ego. The real lesson is, you can get beat too. That's turning your ego right on its head.