The reason Cougar quit is because they're still fresh in the Air Force and that was his first engagement into actual combat scenarios, and it spooked him bad enough to get out...
@@james7275able The F-18 Super Hornet. Personally, I think they should have kept the Tomcat, because the Hornet and Super Hornet eventually morphed into what the Tomcat was: big, expensive, but worth it.
Everything on this movie was so incredible cool: jets, fights, sun glasses, kawasaki bike, porsche, music, camera work, action, humor, romance, friendship, tragedy, beach volleyball, insults, and tanks filled with testosterone!
I can't even begin to describe how insanely popular this movie was when it released and it had an odd amount of homoerotic insinuation, for a movie in the 80s. Tom Cruise became a main ingredient in a movies recipe for success. Once he had a confirmed role, everyone expected that movie to be perfect and he didn't disappoint. He may be a batshit crazy scientologist but the dude can act..
They added in extra romantic scenes between Maverick and Charlie because they felt they hadn't sufficiently offset the homoerotic undertones of some of the other scenes.
Fun fact: Nicknames and callsigns are given to you by your fellow pilots. They are rarely cool, and if they are, it's because there's some other meaning to it. In a world of teamwork and reliance on a well-oiled military machine, you do not want to be the guy called Maverick. In the real-world, Iceman is probably someone who got drunk at the Christmas party and slipped on some ice. They might call you Comet (as in the vomit comet) because you banked so hard your passengers puked. The best one though? Ewan McGregor's brother was a pilot. They called him Obi Two.
The reason Maverick’s plane malfunctioned was because when Iceman pulled away to allow Maverick the shot, he accidentally flew through his Jet Wash. The jet wash from the engine of Iceman’s jet flew into the one of the engines of the plane and disrupted the airflow causing the engine to burn out and malfunction. Therefore the other side of the plane went faster and began to spin uncontrollably to the point where Maverick couldn’t recover the plane and forced them to punch out.
Yes and no. The F-14 (in early models) used a Pratt & Whitney TF-30 turbofan engine - originally designed for the Missilier, then went on to power the F-111 and F-14. The engine had a significant problem with compressor stalls whenever the flow of air (heading into the engine) was disrupted. It was so significant that in severe yaw motions (that's twisting left or right) an engine could stall - most notoriously when yawing to compensate for an engine loss, which required significant yaw (even with dual tail/rudder) due to the engine nacelles being located so far apart. This exact phenomenon is attributed to the death of the first female fighter pilot in the US NAVY, who's plane experienced sudden loss of engine due to excessive yaw on landing approach to line-up for touchdown. The early F-14 had a common issue with flat spins resulting from sudden engine loss on one side - then twisting the aircraft enough to cause compressor stall on the other. In later models the problem was addressed with a more powerful turbojet engine and pilot training that cautioned pilots.
@@folkblues4u Whoa. I was into every word of this. I’m just flabbergasted at how they can pull these planes out of a flat spin at all after hearing that. Amazing.
This was one of the first movies priced affordable "to own" when it came out on VHS. Before this, if you wanted to own a movie on VHS or Beta they usually ran $80 - $100. Most people just rented movies which helped video stores get big fast. Top Gun was priced at ~$27. They sold a massive amount, it was one of the biggest Christmas items that year.
Trivia. The F-14 flat spin risk was real. The extra weight of the swing wing system pushed the center of gravity of the aircraft toward, the center of the aircraft. After they lost a few, it was teachable to the air crew on how to avoid it. Great work as always Mel. Huge fan.
When they were filming the flat spin scene, they wanted cockpit views, so they hired an aerobatic pilot to do some flat spins. Unfortunately, he actually got in a bind and was killed. Art Scholl was one of the best of his day, and if you watch the credits, the movie was dedicated to him.
Ha too bad the vast majority of recruits would never get close to the cockpit of a naval fighter. Maybe they could be one of those guys that moves the ladder so the pilot could get in. 😂
Favorite Tom Cruise moment in this movie is after the final battle, when Mav and Iceman land back on the carrier and Mav sees Hollywood and Wolfman are still alive and he's like 'AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" and he picks them up and hugs them.
Tom cruise movie: he's a hot shot at doing a thing, pilot, bartender, nascar driver, groundhog day man... Then he had a crisis of faith in his life/abilities, then he meets a woman and becomes better than ever at the thing.
CVN-65, USS Enterprise, that's the carrier I was stationed on. The Navy was all in on this movie, as it was used for recruitment. The last F-14 squadron was detached from Big-E when I first got there. Glad you enjoyed the movie, glad we could enjoy it with you.
@@haileydrey8482 The Big E was pretty easy to pick out from a crowd. There wasn't another carrier in the Navy that had that square-shaped island. I got to see her in dry dock once on a high school trip. That tower rising above the surrounding buildings was impossible to mistake for anything else.
2:45 If they fly close enough to each other, the radar is fooled into thinking it's one plane. Sort of how if you look at a landscape in nature you might see just one bush from far away, until you get closer and see it's two growing on top of each other.
11:00 "Damn, why you gotta be like that man, c'mon" Well... because Iceman is trying to save lives and what Maverick did (abandoning Cougar) cost Cougar his edge. Cougar was so shaken up over the incident he struggled to bring his F14 back and if it weren't for Maverick nursing him back reassuring him along the way, there's a pretty good chance Cougar would have lost his life trying to get back on his own. Regardless, Maverick's choice to abandon Cougar, instead of staying to protect him, and go out on his own cost Cougar his confidence, his career, and very nearly his life. That's why Iceman "gotta be like that", so it won't happen again to another pilot who's relying on Maverick to watch their back.
The last decade of the cold war with USSR had a huge influence on movie maker choices in the early & mid 80s. Top Gun, Red Dawn, Spies Like Us, Rambo 2 & 3, Iron Eagle 2 etc
@@LunaticLK47 I was going to mention that to lol but Pet Semetary 2 has recieved so much hate I didnt think many people would know what I was talking about anyway . 😆
I saw Top Gun in 70mm when it came out in the summer of 86 .Every summer in the 80s had great movies.1986 had Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Back To School, The Karate Kid, Part II, Labyrinth, Ruthless People, Big Trouble In Little China, Aliens, Stand By Me, The Fly, Manhunter. All great movies that hold up today. An underrated forgotten gem from the summer of 86, Running Scared with Billy Crystal and the late great Gregory Hines.
I'm 66 Women, I was in the Navy, and in 1974 was lucky enough to fly in the back set of a A4, similar to what they fly in movie. Actually in movie they mentioned Beeville Tx, that's where pilots get their wings. Out of 50 new students maybe 20 become Jet Pilots, training is intense It was the most exciting thing I have ever done. I flew whenever their was a backseat open. Feeling those Gs,, Wow
Jester went below the hard deck so he's "dead", Maverick followed Jester below the hard deck so he's dead too. Yes the hard deck is an artificial limit, if there was no limit, then both Jester and Maverick would be smoking holes in the ground. And yes, a lot of Navy pilots have died in that area where they were flying. Every Navy fighter pilot can name someone in their squadron or air wing who died in training accidents
Afghanistan Vet here. Most military people don't get upset by civilian "ignorance". Not everyone is cut out to be military. That doesn't mean that we're better than you. My friend is a middle school teacher. No Fn way I could do that job. Doesn't make her better than me. Different people are fit for different things. That's what makes this world a beautiful place.
Tom cruise said he wasn't going to make top gun 2 maverick without Val Kilmer. They have been friends all these years thays so nice. I hope Tom and the actor who played " goose" are friends too.
2:49 the second plane was flying almost directly behind the first, hiding from the carrier’s radar. As the angles changed the jets’ own radars were able to detect it.
So, I did six years in the Army. Combat Engineer. They expect you to follow the rules so that they can predict what you're doing and plan accordingly. The guys who break the rules (like Maverick) make the battlefield less predictable, and therefore more dangerous. This cuts both ways: the enemy can't predict you, but neither can your friends. And that can get people killed if they go left expecting you to go right, and you decide to do something different and leave them without a wingman (or "battle buddy," as we jokingly called it in the Army). It doesn't matter how skilled you are in your given MOS or rate or whatever the fuckin' Chair Force calls it: if you can't be relied on to act in a disciplined, predictable manner, your chain of command is going to have issues with that. They aren't climbing up his ass because they don't like him; they clearly recognize that he's a skilled pilot. They're climbing up his ass because his behavior is dangerous to the unit.
So fun story. When I was younger, I competed in horse shows and we had to come up with shownames for the horses. I loved Top Gun and Val Kilmer so much, I named my horse Ice Man because he never flinched on a jumping course.
Another fantastic, criminally underrated movie of Val Kilmer is The Saint from 1997. It’s my second favorite performance of his, second only to Tombstone as Doc Holiday. It has a similar feel to a Bond film but it’s filmed filmed differently with a different tone.
Great reaction bro! I saw Top Gun: Maverick yesterday in IMAX. 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 Tom Cruise is a legend! You're going to love it bro. I'm looking forward to your reaction to it.
I watched you review Terminator, and was waiting for that moment you realized that "Slider", Icemans co-pilot (REO), was the same person that played Sarah Conner's roomies boyfriend. :D
My favorite movie of all time, made in the year I was born. I cannot ever get enough of this, nor can I wait for the sequel, which they need to stop delaying.....It's been over 30 years, c'mon hollywood! The cast in 1986 was star studded and made a lot of peoples careers. I'll be seeing the sequel 2-3 times in theaters at least.
Cougar broke. It's basically PTSD. Merlin is played by Tim Robbins. I didn't know until my teens. Multi-million dollar aircraft aren't just ejected out of. It's kind of last-resort.
I loved this movie when I was a kid. Saw it back when I was like 10. Wanted to change my name to Maverick! I’ve also served in the Navy on an aircraft carrier. Didn’t do anything with the aircraft but maintained and operated a self defense missile system. But crazy to see those planes take off on such a short runway. LOUD too.
I spent a large chunk of my childhood on Miramar and my dad worked with these planes. I'm glad you reacted to this movie, it brings up good memories :DDDD
I saw Top Gun when it first came out. I was in high school at the time. Though it's not one of my all time favorites, Top Gun has one of my all time favorite opening scenes in a movie.
GOOD movie,haven't watched it in years but it did bring back memories.Did 4yrs US Navy,6yrs US Army and 4 tours of duty in Iraq with National Guard.I volunteered for all 4 tours.HOO-RAH!!! In the navy I was stationed aboard aircraft carriers(USS KittyHawk-ships company and USS Roosevelt-VF-84 attack squadron)GREAT times!! Got to go to TOP GUN school in support roll with members of my squadron-they asked for volunteers.I regret leaving the navy til this day,my chief po warned me not to leave but I did.FUN TIMES.
I was stationed at NAS Miramar when they filmed this movie. The motorcycle was owned by an enlisted sailor on base. They borrowed it on a whim on a Saturday and filmed Tom riding on the service road that was by the runway. The road is actually for security and emergency transport, and regular traffic is not allowed on it. It made a great shot though and so they paid to rent it for other shots in the movie. The Black Porch that Kelly drives belonged to my commanding officer. He owned a black one, a white one, and a red one. They liked the black one and so rented it from him. They put a plaque in the car, and I think on the motorcycle stating that they were the ones filmed in the movie. My commander sold the car for IDK how much but a good little chunk I imagine, about 2 months after the movie came out which was about a year after they finished filming it. It was cool and a slight pain in the ass at times while they were there on base. I did get to meet Anthony Edwards and Meg Ryan to, and at the time had no idea who they were and they were so like their down to earth characters. Tom Cruise was always walking around with 20 people who had their heads up his butt. I thought he was cool, and not impressed with him all at the same time. (LOL) I guess I would have liked to have met him, but at the same time, I wasn't really star struck and felt a little sorry for him that he couldn't get 2 minutes to himself either. I also got to meet and talk to the REAL, Pappy Boyington a year before that at an airshow there. That was one time I was more Star Struck. I also climbed into his Corsair. Ah those were good times. If you do get to meet some Movie Stars, I hope its before they are to famous, and if not remember the crews, and supporting actors are a blast also.
From what I remember....Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, who were the major up-and-coming producers at that time, found an article about Fighter Weapons School in Miramar. They thought it might make a good movie, and they developed it from there. Simpson (who died in the early 90s) and Bruckheimer had a formula for their films, one that served them well. Find a splashy concept, hire a director with a real visual sense (in this case Tony Scott, brother of Ridley Scott, fresh off of the vampire film 'The Hunger' with Catherine Deneuve and David Bowie), and package the film with a sizzling soundtrack of top of the charts music artists. I remember this came out my freshman year of high school...and I must have gone to see it about four or five times. I also had the VHS video for years. I still like the movie...but, when you can quote the damn thing verbatim when you see a scene on TV, you know you never need to see it again. However...watching you react to it was a blast!!! Thanks, Mellow!!!! BTW...The Captain America shirt was rockin'!!!!
Sad to hear about Val Kilmer. I didn't know that he's had a tough time with his health the last few years until the bro mentioned it during the reaction.
After watching Top Gun... the "adult" air combat movie... If you haven't seen it, then you should check out the more "kid/teenager" air combat movie that came out the same year... before Top Gun... called Iron Eagle. I love both movies.
I too have misgivings about the missions our military is asked to carry out...I agree with your respectful tone to the men and women who serve, while also calling in to question the motives of those who put the lives of these heroes at risk. Good people serve this nation, even when they are asked to do things that are not as good as they are.
Years before this movie there was a dogfight between F14 and Migs, only the F 14 return to base that day, I believe that this were the writers got the idea for this movie.
I was stationed at ASW right across the bay from Coronado. We could see the pilots when they would take off and land. The funny thing is at every base in and around San Diego "Top Gun" is ALWAYS on TV. On ships there are 3 channels; movie requests, movie library in alphabetical order and Top Gun 24/7.
You wanna appreciate Kilmer Mel...you gotta check out his role as legendary front man Jim Morrison in the movie "The Doors"....his portrayal of Morrison is scary good and extremely accurate. Plus the Doors are 1 of the greatest bands EVER.
Tom Cruise is a great actor, but not a excellent human being, especially since he is one of the top Scientologists in the world, which makes him exceptionally nuts. But if you just enjoy him as an actor, his movies are amazing.
I was 4 years old when this came out. It was the first VHS tape we ever owned as a family. You bet your ass I saw this a ton as a kid. Lol. Also, agree with the comments that the F-14 Tomcat is the star of the movie. That was a beauty of a plane and the finest fleet defender in Navy history. That plane was nasty. Nasty. She could blow anything the Soviets had out of the sky.
This soundtrack was everything!!! Randomly watched Top Gun for the 100th time, last night. I know every word by heart. My dad was Air Force and worked on gunships...I was obsessed with this movie when I was a kid, and in love with Val Kilmer❤️🙏🏻. Glad I came across your reaction today, thank you!
It's a common tactic to fly close formation to disguise your true numbers to enemy radar. In Vietnam it was common for our fighter aircraft to ambush Vietnamese MIGs by flying tight formation on B-52's or F-105's, then springing the trap and engaging the MIGs once they came in to shoot at the bomber formations. They took this a step further and began (later in the war) carrying the same electronic jamming/countermeasure pods (that confuse enemy missiles) to fool the MIG pilots into thinking they were headed off to engage the more vulnerable bombers - only to find our F-4 Phantoms waiting.
Fun facts: This movie created a boom in military recruitment. In fact, it was reported that military recruiters set up shop in the lobby of the theaters during the run of this movie. 2:44 It seems like you picked up on it later, but the enemy pilots were flying in a tight disciplined formation so that they'd appear like a single bogey on radar. That's how it seemingly "came out of nowhere." 3:51 You're right about Cougar. His life flashed before his eyes because the enemy pilot had missile lock on his plane. A guided missile had radar lock on his plane meaning that had the enemy pilot decided to actually fire his missile, his plane would've been destroyed and he likely would've died. To him, it was tantamount to having a gun put to his head in the line of duty. That's why he wigged out. 8:27 While it's not clear whether the origin of the term "wingman" (as it pertains to the dating scene) originated from this movie, it definitely popularized it and turned it into a household term. 15:56 "This branch" of the military is the navy and in this branch, the "naval aviators" featured in this movie are a very, very, very rare breed. Most of the rank and file are sailors on ships or subs which I'm sure you're vaguely familiar with. 20:30 While it wasn't technically (or legally) anyone's fault, the implication was that Iceman waited too long before letting Maverick take the shot. And when he finally peeled off, his plane created the jet wash that messed us Mav's engine. Thank you. I enjoyed your reaction.
Again, I was an usher at a multiplex when this was released. Grumman, the aeronautics contractor for the Navy, Air Force, and NASA was located in Bethpage, NY. Bethpage was the town adjacent to the town where the theater was. This proximity made our theater THE PLACE for a preview of "Top Gun" for the top brass of the Navy and Air Force. The individual theater was roped off and NO ONE was permitted inside. There were guards posted just inside the theater doors. Any attempt to enter was a guaranteed termination of employment. So... Why was the top brass so interested in "Top Gun"? Because they hoped the movie would draw in more volunteers for military service.
the first time I saw this movie was in 1986, I was serving in the Navy and overseas at the time. and yes, my ship was part of the Enterprise battlegroup!
About Goose's death: the F-14, specifically the A version, had a flaw which caused various incidents. The compressor tended to stall when put under some conditions, and if it happened to one engine, the thrust wouldn't have been uniform anymore, meaning that the plane would stall, and start flat spinning, in an unrecoverable manner. Later versions had that issue fixed and nowadays, thanks to improved avionics, flat spins are basically not a thing to worry about anymore in a dogfight. Still, to be fair, the era when the F-14 was introduced was the beginning ov BVR (beyond visual range) combat, meaning that dogfights were becoming less frequent already
I Was Privileged Enough To Join The Navy And Serve On The Aircraft Carrier Shown(USS ENTERPRISE(CVN-65)). My First Commanding Officer Was Captain James A. Winnefeld, Who As A Lieutenant, Was One Of The Instructor Pilots At Top Gun When This Was Filmed. He Later Was Promoted To Admiral, Before Finally Retiring At That Rank
Every time I see this film, it reminds me of my previous life when I used to run about with my mates on a GPZ900r like the one Tom Cruise rides.
3 роки тому+1
23:50 “Shit, that was close” that's pure choreographic drama because you can't dodge missiles. Fighter's missiles kill by high range expanding explosions, it means even if a missile is far from you it still destroys your plane, the missile doesn't need to reach you, there are videos on youtube showing you this, the fighter's missile expanding explosions are very long range, when it explodes the expansive wave still reaches you from very far.
When I was a kid my dad was in the Navy. We bounced around the west coast, including Hawaii, for the first 18 years of my life. It was interesting being a "military brat". We always lived on a Navy or Marine base. There was always alot of kids our own age. But you know you'll be moving again in a few years (or your new friends will be moving soon), so you learn to make friends easy, and to let them go just as easy. Many times we were seen as temporary by local kids and they would be somewhat unfriendly. I guess its hard to understand if you've never lived that kind of life. In the military even the kids have to have a high level of mental strength.
Spine and neck injuries are common when you have an ejection event! you have to figure that you have danger from striking the canopy and because you are ejecting into the wind rushing by your aircraft at potentially super sonic speeds
In the early 80's there was a movie called Iron Eagle. It's cheesy and over-acted and we loved it! Then Top Gun came out and it changed everything. Blew our minds. It was the first Tom Cruise movie I ever saw, didn't see Risky Business till later. This changed our expectations of movies moving forward. I was 16 years old when I saw this and movies were different after this. Wait for the volleyball scene.
The first time seeing this was probably 1991 or 1992 but then again I grew up outside Carswell Air Force Base, Tx, I still have VHS copy from 1996. In the opening landing, Cougar would’ve been waved off by the Landing Signal officer because of his approach.
Fun trivia fact: Every shot of a missile you see in the movie is the same missile launch, just from different angles. The Navy only let the film crew shoot one missile, so they had to make the most of it.
Tom Cruise started selling "doing his own stunts" after he became a producer in 1996 Mission Impossible. As a producer he was able to bypass a lot of insurance issues for doing movie stunts. So this is why there has been a lot of Cruise MI movies.
I was in the Navy. Its a fun movie, but i never really connected with it as a military movie. Especially since its about mainly officers and i was just enlisted. I don't think we needed a sequel, but its happening lol. I did work on the flight deck. I was with the group that launched the planes off the ship. I've seen other reactors get confused about ranks they hear so In case you didn't know, here is a quick rundown. Enlisted are just regular personnel that joined and just did boot camp and their job specific training. The ranks in this groups are Private, Specialists, Sergeant, Petty Officer, Chiefs of all types. Officers are personnel in primarily leadership positions. Ranks include Ensign, all types of Lieutenants, Majors, Commanders, Captains, Colonel, all types of Admirals, and all types of Generals. Officers generally lead groups of enlisted, with enlisted leadership (known as Non-commissioned Officers like sergeants and petty officers and higher.) lead smaller groups. I'm sure others will correct any discrepancies or fill in holes that i have may have missed that they think would be important to understand so that it may limit confusions when hearing them in movies or shows. lolol
The first time I've seen it was on video. Used to watch it a lot. Then at some point, got the DVD at some point, then watched it again for the first time in years. It was kinda like watching it in theatres.
First time I saw it I was still in high school. I was in the NJROTC program and we always had drill meets in Pensacola. I saw it on the base at NAS Pensacola, home of the Navys Blue Angels.
Apparently the producer just read about the fighter school in a magazine and took the idea from there. The spyship and the Mig battles are from real life, the USS Magueyz and the Gulf of Sirte clashes
Tom Cruise is not flying any jets in the new Top Gun. He asked the Navy and was promptly laughed off the phone. Also ejections are extremely dangerous, they're only ever initiated at the absolute last second when all other options have been expended. And yes, with Goose impacting the canopy there was no chance of survival, those seats are rocket powered. Many pilots who experienced successful ejections still never fly again due to internal injuries like spinal compression. One of the measurements they take on navy pilots is their hip to knee length, too long and your legs would get sheared off in the process of punching out from hitting the dashboard
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What's Your Favorite Line From The Movie???
The reason Cougar quit is because they're still fresh in the Air Force and that was his first engagement into actual combat scenarios, and it spooked him bad enough to get out...
After this?..
Definitely = "Hot Shots".
😆
Come on, Mav...do some of that pilot shit!
I saw this movie as a kid when it was released. It was part of a double feature at a drive-in. The other movie was Samar Trek IV
"Communicating. Keeping up foreign relations. You know, giving him the bird!"
The star of the movie is the F-14 Tomcat. One of the most recognizable airplanes in the World. Retired in 2006.
Except for one, it seems!
What plane has now taken its place?
@@james7275able The F-18 Super Hornet.
Personally, I think they should have kept the Tomcat, because the Hornet and Super Hornet eventually morphed into what the Tomcat was: big, expensive, but worth it.
How dare you disrespect THE GOOSE
Retired from the US, but other countries still fly them.
Everything on this movie was so incredible cool: jets, fights, sun glasses, kawasaki bike, porsche, music, camera work, action, humor, romance, friendship, tragedy, beach volleyball, insults, and tanks filled with testosterone!
Tragedies are cool?
@@jp3813 yes it’s very in vogue
@@jp3813 they're so rad. Anybody that's anybody knows that.
@@jp3813 all the cool kids are doin it.
I can't even begin to describe how insanely popular this movie was when it released and it had an odd amount of homoerotic insinuation, for a movie in the 80s. Tom Cruise became a main ingredient in a movies recipe for success. Once he had a confirmed role, everyone expected that movie to be perfect and he didn't disappoint. He may be a batshit crazy scientologist but the dude can act..
They added in extra romantic scenes between Maverick and Charlie because they felt they hadn't sufficiently offset the homoerotic undertones of some of the other scenes.
It's the most bisexual film ever :D
Fun fact: Nicknames and callsigns are given to you by your fellow pilots. They are rarely cool, and if they are, it's because there's some other meaning to it. In a world of teamwork and reliance on a well-oiled military machine, you do not want to be the guy called Maverick.
In the real-world, Iceman is probably someone who got drunk at the Christmas party and slipped on some ice. They might call you Comet (as in the vomit comet) because you banked so hard your passengers puked. The best one though? Ewan McGregor's brother was a pilot. They called him Obi Two.
The guy next to Goose in the bar scene when serenading "Charlie" was the real pilot who was flying Tomcats for the movie....
The "older guy" that Charlie was with at the club was really call sign "Viper"
@@Naldo2001 LOL. I forgot. He was from Top Gun and he was the film advisor.
@@razor75250 yes! Exactly!
@@razor75250 Thank god he grew up before Harry Potter
The reason Maverick’s plane malfunctioned was because when Iceman pulled away to allow Maverick the shot, he accidentally flew through his Jet Wash. The jet wash from the engine of Iceman’s jet flew into the one of the engines of the plane and disrupted the airflow causing the engine to burn out and malfunction. Therefore the other side of the plane went faster and began to spin uncontrollably to the point where Maverick couldn’t recover the plane and forced them to punch out.
Yes and no. The F-14 (in early models) used a Pratt & Whitney TF-30 turbofan engine - originally designed for the Missilier, then went on to power the F-111 and F-14. The engine had a significant problem with compressor stalls whenever the flow of air (heading into the engine) was disrupted. It was so significant that in severe yaw motions (that's twisting left or right) an engine could stall - most notoriously when yawing to compensate for an engine loss, which required significant yaw (even with dual tail/rudder) due to the engine nacelles being located so far apart.
This exact phenomenon is attributed to the death of the first female fighter pilot in the US NAVY, who's plane experienced sudden loss of engine due to excessive yaw on landing approach to line-up for touchdown. The early F-14 had a common issue with flat spins resulting from sudden engine loss on one side - then twisting the aircraft enough to cause compressor stall on the other. In later models the problem was addressed with a more powerful turbojet engine and pilot training that cautioned pilots.
@@folkblues4u Whoa. I was into every word of this. I’m just flabbergasted at how they can pull these planes out of a flat spin at all after hearing that. Amazing.
"You gotta hate on Marty McFly..."
Thanks for helping me place that guy.
Maverick has a real attitude problem. He's a slacker.
James Tolkan. He'll be 90 on June 20th.
@@philippkemmesies8168
Geez.... does the principal ever age????
I think you would enjoy A Few Good Men. The cast is amazing. Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, Demi Moore, Kevin Bacon, and Kiefer Sutherland.
Good recommendation
YES!
He surely could handle the truth.
@@cometogether999 RIGHT?! 😆
This was one of the first movies priced affordable "to own" when it came out on VHS.
Before this, if you wanted to own a movie on VHS or Beta they usually ran $80 - $100.
Most people just rented movies which helped video stores get big fast.
Top Gun was priced at ~$27. They sold a massive amount, it was one of the biggest Christmas items that year.
Guy at the beginning is James Tolkan. As an actor for the past 40 years it's been his job to hate on people. Because he's very at it.
Is he the captain of the boat? Or the XO? Could never tell what his job was exactly.
@@nflr92 He is the commander of the carrier air wing, not the captain
I feel the need. The need for speed! 🙏
You are writing checks your bodies can't cash!
This used to be catch phrase before blowing lines.
You can be my wingman anytime!
I just reacted to this and I was wondering, if this was the movie that made this phrase?
Trivia. The F-14 flat spin risk was real. The extra weight of the swing wing system pushed the center of gravity of the aircraft toward, the center of the aircraft.
After they lost a few, it was teachable to the air crew on how to avoid it.
Great work as always Mel. Huge fan.
and they had issues with their engines used from the F111, could stall under certain conditions. They changed the engine by the late 80s.
When they were filming the flat spin scene, they wanted cockpit views, so they hired an aerobatic pilot to do some flat spins. Unfortunately, he actually got in a bind and was killed. Art Scholl was one of the best of his day, and if you watch the credits, the movie was dedicated to him.
Mel sporting that Captain America shirt. You are a man of class and style. I saw this on VHS. Back in the 80s as young boy. Great reaction my man
There's nothing cult about the success of Top Gun. It was a legit blockbuster. The Navy set up recruiting stations outside theaters and shit.
Ha too bad the vast majority of recruits would never get close to the cockpit of a naval fighter. Maybe they could be one of those guys that moves the ladder so the pilot could get in. 😂
Favorite Tom Cruise moment in this movie is after the final battle, when Mav and Iceman land back on the carrier and Mav sees Hollywood and Wolfman are still alive and he's like 'AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" and he picks them up and hugs them.
Tom cruise movie: he's a hot shot at doing a thing, pilot, bartender, nascar driver, groundhog day man... Then he had a crisis of faith in his life/abilities, then he meets a woman and becomes better than ever at the thing.
He's an ultimate Gary Stu.
Too bad her treated her like shit.
CVN-65, USS Enterprise, that's the carrier I was stationed on. The Navy was all in on this movie, as it was used for recruitment. The last F-14 squadron was detached from Big-E when I first got there. Glad you enjoyed the movie, glad we could enjoy it with you.
@@theshavingcyclist8006 Appreciate that you could recognize her. Appreciate your dad for his service. ^_^
@@haileydrey8482 The Big E was pretty easy to pick out from a crowd. There wasn't another carrier in the Navy that had that square-shaped island.
I got to see her in dry dock once on a high school trip. That tower rising above the surrounding buildings was impossible to mistake for anything else.
After 30 years nothing truly needs a sequel, it’s mainly for nostalgia at that point. But more cool jet footage is always appreciated!
Agreed and it seems they took the realistic flight footage to max with the sequel. Should be an experience.
Just keep talking now😏
2:45 If they fly close enough to each other, the radar is fooled into thinking it's one plane.
Sort of how if you look at a landscape in nature you might see just one bush from far away, until you get closer and see it's two growing on top of each other.
This movie is literally a 90-minute commercial to join the Navy. I know, I was in the Navy.
11:00 "Damn, why you gotta be like that man, c'mon"
Well... because Iceman is trying to save lives and what Maverick did (abandoning Cougar) cost Cougar his edge. Cougar was so shaken up over the incident he struggled to bring his F14 back and if it weren't for Maverick nursing him back reassuring him along the way, there's a pretty good chance Cougar would have lost his life trying to get back on his own. Regardless, Maverick's choice to abandon Cougar, instead of staying to protect him, and go out on his own cost Cougar his confidence, his career, and very nearly his life. That's why Iceman "gotta be like that", so it won't happen again to another pilot who's relying on Maverick to watch their back.
"You've Lost That Loving Feeling" is a song from the 60's.
I hate when she does that!!
Before you ask, this was one of the first vhs movies my family owned. My brothers and I watched it about 500 times.
Sweet. Now I don’t have to ask if you had the VHS. 😉
Damn, I was just about to ask you that too. Thanks for clearing it up.
Come on gents.. We know our brother asks in each of his vids.
I was just gonna ask what time it is.
I don't know when you're taking suggestions again but just in case you are I recommend The Crow. The one with Brandon Lee.
Great suggestion!
Excellent choice
Thirdid'did'a 😜
I agree!
"I'm not keen to the military" *wearing a Captain America shirt*
The last decade of the cold war with USSR had a huge influence on movie maker choices in the early & mid 80s. Top Gun, Red Dawn, Spies Like Us, Rambo 2 & 3, Iron Eagle 2 etc
Goose survived and moved to a town in Maine known for its sinister and notorious Pet Semetary. ;)
But not before he spent time as a Doctor on ER. 🤣
@@CrimsonRoseDancer Right!! Lmao! Goose just kept faking his death to move on to different professions!
@@CursedMusicbox333 Goose apparently fathered John Connor in the process.
@@LunaticLK47 I was going to mention that to lol but Pet Semetary 2 has recieved so much hate I didnt think many people would know what I was talking about anyway . 😆
I saw Top Gun in 70mm when it came out in the summer of 86 .Every summer in the 80s had great movies.1986 had Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Back To School, The Karate Kid, Part II, Labyrinth, Ruthless People, Big Trouble In Little China, Aliens, Stand By Me, The Fly, Manhunter. All great movies that hold up today. An underrated forgotten gem from the summer of 86, Running Scared with Billy Crystal and the late great Gregory Hines.
I'm 66 Women, I was in the Navy, and in 1974 was lucky enough to fly in the back set of a A4, similar to what they fly in movie. Actually in movie they mentioned Beeville Tx, that's where pilots get their wings. Out of 50 new students maybe 20 become Jet Pilots, training is intense
It was the most exciting thing I have ever done. I flew whenever their was a backseat open. Feeling those Gs,, Wow
Every single person when he said "can't they just eject? Do they not have the technology "
😳😳😳
At $30 mill each they save that as a last resort, also ejecting in itself does carry risk
And as fast as things happen in combat, you don't always have time to react.
Saw this movie in the theaters when I was 14. I was working on a flight deck six years later. They got me.
Jester went below the hard deck so he's "dead", Maverick followed Jester below the hard deck so he's dead too.
Yes the hard deck is an artificial limit, if there was no limit, then both Jester and Maverick would be smoking holes in the ground.
And yes, a lot of Navy pilots have died in that area where they were flying.
Every Navy fighter pilot can name someone in their squadron or air wing who died in training accidents
Afghanistan Vet here. Most military people don't get upset by civilian "ignorance". Not everyone is cut out to be military. That doesn't mean that we're better than you. My friend is a middle school teacher. No Fn way I could do that job. Doesn't make her better than me. Different people are fit for different things. That's what makes this world a beautiful place.
Tom cruise said he wasn't going to make top gun 2 maverick without Val Kilmer. They have been friends all these years thays so nice. I hope Tom and the actor who played " goose" are friends too.
2:49 the second plane was flying almost directly behind the first, hiding from the carrier’s radar. As the angles changed the jets’ own radars were able to detect it.
So, I did six years in the Army. Combat Engineer. They expect you to follow the rules so that they can predict what you're doing and plan accordingly. The guys who break the rules (like Maverick) make the battlefield less predictable, and therefore more dangerous. This cuts both ways: the enemy can't predict you, but neither can your friends. And that can get people killed if they go left expecting you to go right, and you decide to do something different and leave them without a wingman (or "battle buddy," as we jokingly called it in the Army).
It doesn't matter how skilled you are in your given MOS or rate or whatever the fuckin' Chair Force calls it: if you can't be relied on to act in a disciplined, predictable manner, your chain of command is going to have issues with that. They aren't climbing up his ass because they don't like him; they clearly recognize that he's a skilled pilot. They're climbing up his ass because his behavior is dangerous to the unit.
Love the Soundtrack !
So fun story. When I was younger, I competed in horse shows and we had to come up with shownames for the horses. I loved Top Gun and Val Kilmer so much, I named my horse Ice Man because he never flinched on a jumping course.
As an Army air traffic controller, I used Charlie Lima as my call sign because of this movie.
Was hoping you'd get to Top Gun here sooner or later!!! Also, rocking that Cpt. America shirt!!!!!!
Another fantastic, criminally underrated movie of Val Kilmer is The Saint from 1997. It’s my second favorite performance of his, second only to Tombstone as Doc Holiday. It has a similar feel to a Bond film but it’s filmed filmed differently with a different tone.
Great reaction bro! I saw Top Gun: Maverick yesterday in IMAX. 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 Tom Cruise is a legend! You're going to love it bro. I'm looking forward to your reaction to it.
I watched you review Terminator, and was waiting for that moment you realized that "Slider", Icemans co-pilot (REO), was the same person that played Sarah Conner's roomies boyfriend. :D
Gotta watch that Val Kilmer classic opposite one of the best actors ever, Warwick Davis, in "Willow"
My favorite movie of all time, made in the year I was born. I cannot ever get enough of this, nor can I wait for the sequel, which they need to stop delaying.....It's been over 30 years, c'mon hollywood!
The cast in 1986 was star studded and made a lot of peoples careers. I'll be seeing the sequel 2-3 times in theaters at least.
Cougar broke. It's basically PTSD.
Merlin is played by Tim Robbins. I didn't know until my teens.
Multi-million dollar aircraft aren't just ejected out of. It's kind of last-resort.
I loved this movie when I was a kid. Saw it back when I was like 10. Wanted to change my name to Maverick!
I’ve also served in the Navy on an aircraft carrier. Didn’t do anything with the aircraft but maintained and operated a self defense missile system. But crazy to see those planes take off on such a short runway. LOUD too.
The movies "Top Gun" and "Firebirds" were the primary inspirations for me joining the military in 1990.
I AM THE GREATEST!!!
At the time this was the closest to realistic Fighrer Jet movie out.
Being missle locked is like having a gun to your head.
Final Countdown has still some of the best Tomcat photography to date.
Final countdown is a great movie!
Still trying to get the fiancee to watch Final Countdown...
I spent a large chunk of my childhood on Miramar and my dad worked with these planes. I'm glad you reacted to this movie, it brings up good memories :DDDD
We had the Top Gun soundtrack on cassette tape growing up. Was a popular selection during road trips 😁
I saw Top Gun when it first came out. I was in high school at the time. Though it's not one of my all time favorites, Top Gun has one of my all time favorite opening scenes in a movie.
GOOD movie,haven't watched it in years but it did bring back memories.Did 4yrs US Navy,6yrs US Army and 4 tours of duty in Iraq with National Guard.I volunteered for all 4 tours.HOO-RAH!!! In the navy I was stationed aboard aircraft carriers(USS KittyHawk-ships company and USS Roosevelt-VF-84 attack squadron)GREAT times!! Got to go to TOP GUN school in support roll with members of my squadron-they asked for volunteers.I regret leaving the navy til this day,my chief po warned me not to leave but I did.FUN TIMES.
This was my favourite movie growing up. I would watch it almost every weekend, right up to my teens.
Viper was previously the captain of the Nostromo so he's got flying experience
I was stationed at NAS Miramar when they filmed this movie. The motorcycle was owned by an enlisted sailor on base. They borrowed it on a whim on a Saturday and filmed Tom riding on the service road that was by the runway. The road is actually for security and emergency transport, and regular traffic is not allowed on it. It made a great shot though and so they paid to rent it for other shots in the movie.
The Black Porch that Kelly drives belonged to my commanding officer. He owned a black one, a white one, and a red one. They liked the black one and so rented it from him. They put a plaque in the car, and I think on the motorcycle stating that they were the ones filmed in the movie. My commander sold the car for IDK how much but a good little chunk I imagine, about 2 months after the movie came out which was about a year after they finished filming it.
It was cool and a slight pain in the ass at times while they were there on base. I did get to meet Anthony Edwards and Meg Ryan to, and at the time had no idea who they were and they were so like their down to earth characters. Tom Cruise was always walking around with 20 people who had their heads up his butt. I thought he was cool, and not impressed with him all at the same time.
(LOL) I guess I would have liked to have met him, but at the same time, I wasn't really star struck and felt a little sorry for him that he couldn't get 2 minutes to himself either.
I also got to meet and talk to the REAL, Pappy Boyington a year before that at an airshow there. That was one time I was more Star Struck. I also climbed into his Corsair.
Ah those were good times.
If you do get to meet some Movie Stars, I hope its before they are to famous, and if not remember the crews, and supporting actors are a blast also.
From what I remember....Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, who were the major up-and-coming producers at that time, found an article about Fighter Weapons School in Miramar. They thought it might make a good movie, and they developed it from there. Simpson (who died in the early 90s) and Bruckheimer had a formula for their films, one that served them well. Find a splashy concept, hire a director with a real visual sense (in this case Tony Scott, brother of Ridley Scott, fresh off of the vampire film 'The Hunger' with Catherine Deneuve and David Bowie), and package the film with a sizzling soundtrack of top of the charts music artists. I remember this came out my freshman year of high school...and I must have gone to see it about four or five times. I also had the VHS video for years. I still like the movie...but, when you can quote the damn thing verbatim when you see a scene on TV, you know you never need to see it again. However...watching you react to it was a blast!!! Thanks, Mellow!!!! BTW...The Captain America shirt was rockin'!!!!
First time I ever saw this movie was around 1997-98. In our Intro to Tech course. Our teacher showed it one day.
Sad to hear about Val Kilmer. I didn't know that he's had a tough time with his health the last few years until the bro mentioned it during the reaction.
12:29-12:33 Maverick came off as such a horndog there LMAO! and Iceman definitely picked up on his INTENSE Vibe all 'o a sudden
After watching Top Gun... the "adult" air combat movie... If you haven't seen it, then you should check out the more "kid/teenager" air combat movie that came out the same year... before Top Gun... called Iron Eagle. I love both movies.
I too have misgivings about the missions our military is asked to carry out...I agree with your respectful tone to the men and women who serve, while also calling in to question the motives of those who put the lives of these heroes at risk. Good people serve this nation, even when they are asked to do things that are not as good as they are.
Top Gun is a real school and that school inspired the concept on the film
I remember learning that pen flip thing that Iceman did in 6th grade, movie definitely had an influence on us as kids :)
Years before this movie there was a dogfight between F14 and Migs, only the F 14 return to base that day, I believe that this were the writers got the idea for this movie.
The greatest military recruiting ad of all time
I was stationed at ASW right across the bay from Coronado. We could see the pilots when they would take off and land. The funny thing is at every base in and around San Diego "Top Gun" is ALWAYS on TV. On ships there are 3 channels; movie requests, movie library in alphabetical order and Top Gun 24/7.
You wanna appreciate Kilmer Mel...you gotta check out his role as legendary front man Jim Morrison in the movie "The Doors"....his portrayal of Morrison is scary good and extremely accurate. Plus the Doors are 1 of the greatest bands EVER.
Tom Cruise is a great actor, but not a excellent human being, especially since he is one of the top Scientologists in the world, which makes him exceptionally nuts. But if you just enjoy him as an actor, his movies are amazing.
I was 4 years old when this came out. It was the first VHS tape we ever owned as a family. You bet your ass I saw this a ton as a kid. Lol.
Also, agree with the comments that the F-14 Tomcat is the star of the movie. That was a beauty of a plane and the finest fleet defender in Navy history. That plane was nasty. Nasty. She could blow anything the Soviets had out of the sky.
The F-14 Tomcat is my all time favorite Fighter.
This soundtrack was everything!!! Randomly watched Top Gun for the 100th time, last night. I know every word by heart. My dad was Air Force and worked on gunships...I was obsessed with this movie when I was a kid, and in love with Val Kilmer❤️🙏🏻. Glad I came across your reaction today, thank you!
Tony Scott was a great director. His shots are amazing! Have you seen “Man on Fire”? That would be my favorite Tony Scott/Denzel Washington collab.
It's a common tactic to fly close formation to disguise your true numbers to enemy radar.
In Vietnam it was common for our fighter aircraft to ambush Vietnamese MIGs by flying tight formation on B-52's or F-105's, then springing the trap and engaging the MIGs once they came in to shoot at the bomber formations.
They took this a step further and began (later in the war) carrying the same electronic jamming/countermeasure pods (that confuse enemy missiles) to fool the MIG pilots into thinking they were headed off to engage the more vulnerable bombers - only to find our F-4 Phantoms waiting.
The soundtrack for Stand by Me is amazing.
Fun facts:
This movie created a boom in military recruitment. In fact, it was reported that military recruiters set up shop in the lobby of the theaters during the run of this movie.
2:44 It seems like you picked up on it later, but the enemy pilots were flying in a tight disciplined formation so that they'd appear like a single bogey on radar. That's how it seemingly "came out of nowhere."
3:51 You're right about Cougar. His life flashed before his eyes because the enemy pilot had missile lock on his plane. A guided missile had radar lock on his plane meaning that had the enemy pilot decided to actually fire his missile, his plane would've been destroyed and he likely would've died. To him, it was tantamount to having a gun put to his head in the line of duty. That's why he wigged out.
8:27 While it's not clear whether the origin of the term "wingman" (as it pertains to the dating scene) originated from this movie, it definitely popularized it and turned it into a household term.
15:56 "This branch" of the military is the navy and in this branch, the "naval aviators" featured in this movie are a very, very, very rare breed. Most of the rank and file are sailors on ships or subs which I'm sure you're vaguely familiar with.
20:30 While it wasn't technically (or legally) anyone's fault, the implication was that Iceman waited too long before letting Maverick take the shot. And when he finally peeled off, his plane created the jet wash that messed us Mav's engine.
Thank you. I enjoyed your reaction.
please react to A Few Good Men with Tom Cruise and Demi Moore.
Again, I was an usher at a multiplex when this was released. Grumman, the aeronautics contractor for the Navy, Air Force, and NASA was located in Bethpage, NY. Bethpage was the town adjacent to the town where the theater was. This proximity made our theater THE PLACE for a preview of "Top Gun" for the top brass of the Navy and Air Force. The individual theater was roped off and NO ONE was permitted inside. There were guards posted just inside the theater doors. Any attempt to enter was a guaranteed termination of employment.
So... Why was the top brass so interested in "Top Gun"? Because they hoped the movie would draw in more volunteers for military service.
One of the most underrated Tom Cruise films is Vanilla Sky. And it's a total mind fuck of a film too. Great movie.
the first time I saw this movie was in 1986, I was serving in the Navy and overseas at the time. and yes, my ship was part of the Enterprise battlegroup!
About Goose's death: the F-14, specifically the A version, had a flaw which caused various incidents. The compressor tended to stall when put under some conditions, and if it happened to one engine, the thrust wouldn't have been uniform anymore, meaning that the plane would stall, and start flat spinning, in an unrecoverable manner. Later versions had that issue fixed and nowadays, thanks to improved avionics, flat spins are basically not a thing to worry about anymore in a dogfight.
Still, to be fair, the era when the F-14 was introduced was the beginning ov BVR (beyond visual range) combat, meaning that dogfights were becoming less frequent already
I Was Privileged Enough To Join The Navy And Serve On The Aircraft Carrier Shown(USS ENTERPRISE(CVN-65)). My First Commanding Officer Was Captain James A. Winnefeld, Who As A Lieutenant, Was One Of The Instructor Pilots At Top Gun When This Was Filmed. He Later Was Promoted To Admiral, Before Finally Retiring At That Rank
Kudos for the Starfox reference, classic N64! 🤘
Every time I see this film, it reminds me of my previous life when I used to run about with my mates on a GPZ900r like the one Tom Cruise rides.
23:50 “Shit, that was close” that's pure choreographic drama because you can't dodge missiles. Fighter's missiles kill by high range expanding explosions, it means even if a missile is far from you it still destroys your plane, the missile doesn't need to reach you, there are videos on youtube showing you this, the fighter's missile expanding explosions are very long range, when it explodes the expansive wave still reaches you from very far.
When I was a kid my dad was in the Navy. We bounced around the west coast, including Hawaii, for the first 18 years of my life. It was interesting being a "military brat". We always lived on a Navy or Marine base. There was always alot of kids our own age. But you know you'll be moving again in a few years (or your new friends will be moving soon), so you learn to make friends easy, and to let them go just as easy. Many times we were seen as temporary by local kids and they would be somewhat unfriendly. I guess its hard to understand if you've never lived that kind of life. In the military even the kids have to have a high level of mental strength.
Spine and neck injuries are common when you have an ejection event! you have to figure that you have danger from striking the canopy and because you are ejecting into the wind rushing by your aircraft at potentially super sonic speeds
In the early 80's there was a movie called Iron Eagle. It's cheesy and over-acted and we loved it! Then Top Gun came out and it changed everything. Blew our minds. It was the first Tom Cruise movie I ever saw, didn't see Risky Business till later. This changed our expectations of movies moving forward. I was 16 years old when I saw this and movies were different after this. Wait for the volleyball scene.
The first time seeing this was probably 1991 or 1992 but then again I grew up outside Carswell Air Force Base, Tx, I still have VHS copy from 1996.
In the opening landing, Cougar would’ve been waved off by the Landing Signal officer because of his approach.
Fun trivia fact: Every shot of a missile you see in the movie is the same missile launch, just from different angles. The Navy only let the film crew shoot one missile, so they had to make the most of it.
Tom Cruise started selling "doing his own stunts" after he became a producer in 1996 Mission Impossible. As a producer he was able to bypass a lot of insurance issues for doing movie stunts. So this is why there has been a lot of Cruise MI movies.
I was in the Navy. Its a fun movie, but i never really connected with it as a military movie. Especially since its about mainly officers and i was just enlisted. I don't think we needed a sequel, but its happening lol. I did work on the flight deck. I was with the group that launched the planes off the ship.
I've seen other reactors get confused about ranks they hear so In case you didn't know, here is a quick rundown. Enlisted are just regular personnel that joined and just did boot camp and their job specific training. The ranks in this groups are Private, Specialists, Sergeant, Petty Officer, Chiefs of all types. Officers are personnel in primarily leadership positions. Ranks include Ensign, all types of Lieutenants, Majors, Commanders, Captains, Colonel, all types of Admirals, and all types of Generals. Officers generally lead groups of enlisted, with enlisted leadership (known as Non-commissioned Officers like sergeants and petty officers and higher.) lead smaller groups.
I'm sure others will correct any discrepancies or fill in holes that i have may have missed that they think would be important to understand so that it may limit confusions when hearing them in movies or shows. lolol
Saw it for the first time in the theater (1986). One of my first dates with the one that got away ;-)
"He's on my Tail, COMIN' HARD!!!!" LMFAO!!!! I see....
The first time I've seen it was on video. Used to watch it a lot. Then at some point, got the DVD at some point, then watched it again for the first time in years. It was kinda like watching it in theatres.
Man, saw this in '87. I was a kid. Loved it.
First time I saw it I was still in high school. I was in the NJROTC program and we always had drill meets in Pensacola. I saw it on the base at NAS Pensacola, home of the Navys Blue Angels.
Apparently the producer just read about the fighter school in a magazine and took the idea from there. The spyship and the Mig battles are from real life, the USS Magueyz and the Gulf of Sirte clashes
Tom Cruise is not flying any jets in the new Top Gun. He asked the Navy and was promptly laughed off the phone.
Also ejections are extremely dangerous, they're only ever initiated at the absolute last second when all other options have been expended. And yes, with Goose impacting the canopy there was no chance of survival, those seats are rocket powered. Many pilots who experienced successful ejections still never fly again due to internal injuries like spinal compression. One of the measurements they take on navy pilots is their hip to knee length, too long and your legs would get sheared off in the process of punching out from hitting the dashboard