"Top Gun" sequel is enjoyed by crowd aboard flight deck at Intrepid for Fleet Week

MANHATTAN (PIX11) – Is there a better way to celebrate Fleet Week and the start of the Memorial Day weekend than attending a free movie screening of "Top Gun Maverick" on the flight deck of the Intrepid? More than 1200 people thought this was perfection. "It's an absolutely incredible experience you can only do in [...]

MANHATTAN (PIX11) – Is there a better way to celebrate Fleet Week and the start of the Memorial Day weekend than attending a free movie screening of "Top Gun Maverick" on the flight deck of the Intrepid?

More than 1200 people thought this was perfection.

"It's an absolutely incredible experience you can only do in New York," Lauren McKee, a moviegoer, told PIX11 News. "A free public screening, and you can see the huge line that arrived," she added.

Before "Top Gun Maverick" started, some moviegoers got a chance to look closely at an F-14 Tomcat, which plays an important role in both "Top Gun" and the sequel.

"We love to invite everyone to the ship for this kickoff event for Fleet Week," Elysia Segal, the Intrepid Producer of Public Programs, told PIX11 News. "We usually have Top Gun, but this year, 'Top Gun Maverick,' which is also very popular," she added.

Some little moviegoers dressed up like Maverick, while others just wanted to pay tribute to all the men and women who served in the military.

John Fackre,79, was in Vietnam in 1966 and 1967 and recently discovered the Intrepid was 100 miles off the coast of Vietnam, protecting U.S. service members.

"I just learned that Intrepid was there protecting me," Fackre told PIX11 News.

Some waited for more than three hours to get in.

"I have a three-day weekend as a teacher," Jamie Mcduffie, moviegoer, told PIX11 News. "It was worth waiting three hours," she added.

Jess Holden added, "It just seems like the perfect New York City thing to do on a Friday night."