California veteran's work shines bright in new 'Top Gun' film

CLOVIS, Calif. (FOX26) — Some artists hope their work lands in a gallery.

But Ivan Romo’s work has gone to unthinkable heights—figuratively, and literally.

Romo was behind the customized helmets used in the blockbuster “Top Gun: Maverick.”

"I was just in awe that something I did ended up on the screen like that," said Romo, who is a Navy veteran himself.

Romo has been creating custom artwork for helmets since 1998.

"You spend six months on a boat. I just got bored and decided to design a helmet," he says.

Soon, word spread.

"One thing led to another and pilots were coming up to me, 'Can you do my helmet?' 'Can you do my helmet?' Next thing you know, I'm doing everybody in the squadron's helmet," Romo says.

So when an art director from Hollywood was looking for an artist, word of mouth led him to Romo.

"He came over and found me in Lemoore, " Romo says. "He was like, 'Hey, You’re the guy. You want to do something for me?'"

Initially, Romo was only given call signs-- but it didn't take long to figure out this was for the Top Gun sequel.

For months, Romo hand-cut designs using vinyl, tape and reflective tape from his kitchen table in Clovis.

His family, had to adapt.

"We ate at the couch with TV trays," says Romo's wife, Missy, who says it was tough to keep the project a secret. "I want to brag about my husband because it was so cool and he's so good at what he does."

Romo says he completed the project in 2018, customizing close to 40 helmets-- close to ten, for the Maverick character alone-- while still working his day job , at Collins Aerospace, where he works making helmets for pilots at the Pilot Fit Facility at NAS Lemoore.

"I was doing my day job, coming home and staying up late doing helmets, nights and weekends," Romo says.

He says the work paid off once the actors showed up at the naval air base.

"That was pretty cool," Romo said.

The pandemic delayed the movie’s release.

He finally got to see the movie, with his family, last week in Fresno.

"There was a lot of pointing," he says, referring to times he'd see his helmets on the screen.

"It was almost like an out of body experience," says Missy Romo."It was very surreal to see them on the big screen and know those were in my kitchen. I touched all of those."