Beautiful Virgin Islands

Wednesday, Aug 27, 2025

The Royal Air Force apologise for wanting 'preferably not white male' pilot at event

The Royal Air Force apologise for wanting 'preferably not white male' pilot at event

An email, sent by the RAF's communication team, said it was looking for somebody who could be the 'face' of an event to launch the latest movie in the Top Gun sequel, starring Tom Cruise.
RAF bosses have apologised for wanting a 'preferably not white male' pilot to represent them at a Top Gun: Maverick press event.

An email, sent by the RAF's communication team, said it was looking for somebody who could be the 'face' of an event to launch the latest movie in the Top Gun sequel, starring movie star Tom Cruise.

The Ministry of Defence apologised for any offence caused and said the language 'should not have been used'.

The email, reported by the Express, read: 'Gents, do any of you have a pilot, who is preferably not white male who would like to be the RAF face at a press event for the release of Top Gun 2?

'Shy guys get no cakes so shout quick as offer also gone out to other units.'

The recipients of the message were advised to reply with their 'expressions of interest'.

The leaked email was criticised by Robert Oulds, the director of The Bruges Group thinktank who called the attitude 'divisive and dangerous'.

He added: 'The Armed Forces should be a band united to serve Queen and country. This seeks to segregate people and mark people out, not on the basis of their ability, but on the colour of their skin

'This is wrong and embarrassing. We need to stand firm and together.'

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: 'This language should not have been used and we apologise for any offence caused. We are determined to encourage more people, no matter their sex or race, into the RAF.'

Tom Cruise, the 59-year-old movie star, is reprising his role as LT Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell in the latest Top Gun sequel Top Gun: Maverick.

The original Top Gun film in 1986 was a blockbuster hit that put Cruise, then 24, on the map; his co-stars were Anthony Edwards, Meg Ryan, Kelly McGillis and Val Kilmer.

The latest sequel was supposed to come out years ago but the original director Tony Scott, who was set to direct the new installment, died by suicide in 2012 at the age of 68.

Top Gun: Maverick will hit the theatres on May 27, 2022 after being delayed from June 26, 2020, due to Covid. It was originally slated for release on July 12, 2019 but it was delayed so filmmakers could work out logistics with the complex flight scenes.

The original Top Gun was released to theaters on May 16, 1986. It became a huge hit, grossing over $356 million, with a budget of only $15 million, and was the highest grossing film of 1986.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Manhunt in Australia: Armed Anti-Government Suspect Kills Police Officers Sent to Arrest Him
China Launches World’s Most Powerful Neutrino Detector
How Beijing-Linked Networks Shape Elections in New York City
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
2 Australian Police Shot Dead In Encounter In Rural Victoria State
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
A new faith called Robotheism claims artificial intelligence isn’t just smart but actually God itself
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
Labour set to freeze income tax thresholds in long-term 'stealth' tax raid
Coca‑Cola explores sale of Costa coffee chain
Trial hears dog walker was chased and fatally stabbed by trio
Restaurateur resigns from government hospitality council over tax criticism
Spanish City funfair shut after serious ride injury
Suspected arson at Ilford restaurant leaves three in critical condition
Tottenham beat Manchester City to go top of Premier League
Bank holiday heatwave to hit 30°C before remnants of Hurricane Erin arrive
UK to deploy immigration advisers to West Africa to block fake visas
Nurse who raped woman continued working for a year despite police alert
Drought forces closures of England’s canal routes, canceling boat holidays
Sweet tooth scents: food-inspired perfumes surge as weight-loss drugs suppress appetites
Experts warn Britain dangerously reliant on imported food
Family of Notting Hill Carnival murder victim call event unmanageable
Bunkers, Billions and Apocalypse: The Secret Compounds of Zuckerberg and the Tech Giants
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
×