I understand that military flight simulations were no where close to as complex as they are today, but I would put money on the fact that Ice would have more hours in the flight sim than anyone else. Call him a perfectionist and he’d agree but it takes work to get to that level, to know what to do in every scenario.
Ice would have spent countless hours in flight simulations trying to defeat all five bogeys on his own following the USS Leighton rescue mission to find a way to make it happen. He didn’t need to prove anything to anyone, no one was expected to take down so many adversaries in a situation such as his, but still he pushed. He scared people, not intentionally (most of the time), but in flight sims you could cut loose a little, inch over that line into the grey area that isn’t quite reckless abandon.
Ice was cool, calm, and collected, but there were times when the anger would bubble inside of him. Anger and irritation towards his dad, Maverick, the US Navy, or maybe himself that had him itching to release his emotions. Instead of accidentally exploding on someone, he’d go to the flight sim and fly with such calculated recklessness and precision that he’d have everyone shitting their pants at the revelation of the Iceman’s true potential, a beast within himself that wasn’t quite what the Navy wanted in pilot but something that effortlessly demanded respect regardless.
