Art Scholl

Who was Art Scholl?

Arthur Everett Scholl was an American aerobatic pilot, aerial cameraman, flight instructor and educator based in Southern California. He died during filming of Top Gun when his Pitts S-2 camera plane never recovered from a flat spin and plunged into the Pacific Ocean. Scholl had entered the spin intentionally in order to capture it on film using onboard cameras. Observers watched the plane continue to spin as it descended past the planned recovery altitude. Scholl's last words over the radio were "I have a problem — I have a real problem", after which the plane impacted the ocean. The exact cause of the crash was never determined. Neither the aircraft, nor Scholl's body, were ever recovered.