Stunning aerial footage still best thing about Top Gun at 40
Source: Ars Technica
“I feel the need… for speed!”
Tony Scott’s 1986 blockbuster and the 2022 sequel are the best recruitment tools the US Navy could hope for.
Credit: Paramount Pictures
When the action film Top Gun hit the big screen in 1986, critical reviews were mixed, but audiences were thrilled. The film racked up $358 million globally, making it the highest‑grossing film of that year. Its success spawned a few video games and a critically acclaimed 2022 sequel, Top Gun: Maverick, and the eye‑popping flight sequences definitely boosted enlistment numbers for the US Navy. Those scenes are still the best thing about Top Gun, 40 years later.
(Spoilers below because it’s been 40 years.)
Origins
The film was inspired by a 1983 article in California magazine that detailed the lives of fighter pilots at Naval Air Station Miramar in San Diego (aka “Fightertown USA”). The piece featured plenty of aerial photography alongside the text. Producers Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson tapped Jim Cash and Jack Epps Jr. to write the screenplay; Epps even sat in on declassified classes at the academy and took a flight aboard an F‑14.
Tony Scott, then a relative newcomer with just one feature film (The Hunger, 1983) to his name, was hired to direct. He had previously shot a commercial for Saab that pitted one of the company’s cars against a Saab 37 Viggen fighter jet, convincing the producers he had the chops for Top Gun.
Plot (first act)
The film wastes no time getting us in the air. Our hero, Maverick (Tom Cruise) and his Radar Intercept Officer, Goose (Anthony Andrews), are flying maneuvers in an F‑14A Tomcat over the Indian Ocean, along with Maverick’s wingman Cougar (John Stockwell) and his RIO. They encounter two hostile MiG‑28s (a fictitious craft represented in the film by the Northrop F‑5).
- Maverick scares one away with a well‑timed missile lock.
- The other MiG locks onto Cougar before being chased away by Maverick.
To make sure we understand how Maverick got his nickname, the pilot inverts his plane and flies directly above the hostile MiG, giving his adversary the finger as Goose snaps a commemorative Polaroid.
The Turning Point
Cougar, however, is badly shaken by the encounter—so much so that he freezes up and can’t land his plane. Maverick defies orders to land immediately (they are low on fuel) and flies back to Cougar to lead him safely back to the carrier. That earns Maverick a reprimand and establishes him as a cocky, arrogant rule‑breaker with a fierce loyalty to his fellow pilots.
Because Cougar “lost the edge” and quits his commission, Maverick and Goose get to take his place at the titular Top Gun.
Highway to the Danger Zone
Top Gun (1986) follows Lt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) as he earns his place at the elite Top Gun academy.
Plot Overview
- Maverick has raw talent, swagger, and nerves of steel, but his ego often gets in the way of teamwork.
- His rival, Tom “Iceman” Kazansky (Val Kilmer), doubts Maverick’s reliability after he abandons his wingman for a flashy pass on an instructor’s plane, causing the entire formation to fail the exercise.
- Lt. Commander Rick “Jester” Heatherly (Michael Ironside) shares Iceman’s concerns, warning that Maverick’s impressive flying may not translate to combat trustworthiness.
The film culminates in an actual air‑to‑air engagement where Maverick redeems himself, saves the day, and wins the affection of civilian Top Gun instructor Charlie (Kelly McGillis).
The Tragedy
During a training sortie, Maverick and his radar‑intercept officer Goose encounter another aircraft’s jet wash. Both engines flame out, and the F‑14 enters a flat spin that Maverick cannot recover.
- The pair eject; Goose is killed when he strikes the jettisoned canopy.
- Maverick survives, burdened by guilt, which forces him to temper his reckless behavior.
Production Highlights
- The film’s most celebrated moments are the high‑octane aerial sequences and the iconic orange‑hued shots of aircraft on the carrier deck.
- Director Tony Scott filmed most of the air footage from a Learjet, supplementing it with cameras mounted inside F‑14 cockpits and on the aircraft exteriors.
- Super‑8 film was used for cockpit shots because larger anamorphic lenses would not fit.
- The U.S. Navy provided aircraft, carriers, crews, and authentic flight‑deck operations—none of which were staged.
Stunt Pilots & Notable Accident
| Pilot | Notable Contribution |
|---|---|
| Scott Altman (future NASA astronaut) | Performed the famous “flipping the bird” maneuver and the tower‑buzzing scenes. |
| Art Scholl (aerobatic pilot) | Handled much of the in‑flight camera work. Tragically, he was killed while attempting the flat‑spin maneuver; his biplane crashed into the Pacific near Carlsbad, California, and neither his body nor the aircraft were recovered. |
“I am dangerous.” – Maverick, reflecting his attempt to turn his reputation into an asset.
The film is dedicated to Art Scholl, honoring his contribution to its unforgettable aerial spectacle.
From rebel to hero
The film’s weaknesses are… well, almost everything else.
Cruise’s early career
Confession: I’ve never been a huge Cruise fan, particularly in his early career. He didn’t really come into his own until much later; Tropic Thunder, Minority Report, Edge of Tomorrow, and Magnolia are my favorite of his roles, and he acquitted himself admirably in the excellent Top Gun: Maverick.
I still find his performance in the original Top Gun abrasive and insincere. It takes skill as an actor to make a character like Maverick genuinely likable, and Cruise was not at that level yet in the mid‑’80s, coasting on his boyish good looks instead. The film tries to include some vulnerable moments to show the sensitive soul lurking behind the swagger—mostly in scenes with Charlie—but the sentimentality is shallow and ineffective. The uninspired dialogue doesn’t help.
Charlie’s character
- In the earliest script drafts Charlie was an aerobics instructor.
- She was later changed to a civilian contractor/astrophysicist at the Navy’s request (otherwise her romance with Maverick would count as fraternization).
- The character was inspired by mathematician Christine “Legs” Fox, a civilian specialist in tactical development for aircraft‑carrier defense at Miramar.
Even though the film avoids outright fraternization, sleeping with a student is certainly unprofessional and would probably have gotten her fired in real life. This is a very dated Hollywood depiction of a female career scientist.
The infamous bar scene
The bar scene—where Maverick, Goose, and several drunken officers serenade Charlie (not yet introduced as their instructor) with “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling” because they’ve bet that Maverick can seduce her—was meant to be charming. In 2026 it feels aggressive: Maverick literally follows Charlie to the ladies’ room, leers at her, and suggests they could “do it right there on the sink.”
She shoots him down, and she deserves it. The scene was problematic even 35 years ago; the U.S. Department of Defense Office of Inspector General cited Top Gun’s influence as a contributing factor in the 1991 Tailhook scandal.
Technical accuracy
Top Gun contains a fair share of technical errors and Navy‑protocol violations, despite the best efforts of technical advisor Rear Admiral Pete “Viper” Pettigrew (depicted by Tom Skerritt as CDR Mike “Viper” Metcalf). Hollywood blockbusters aren’t known for perfect realism, so if you want verisimilitude, check out the National Geographic documentary series Top Guns: The Next Generation.
Cultural impact
Much like CSI did for forensics and The X‑Files’ Dana Scully did for the FBI, Top Gun (and Top Gun: Maverick) remain some of the best recruitment tools the U.S. Navy could hope for—thanks to that glorious aerial footage alone. Just be prepared to do the actual hard work if the films inspire you to become a fighter pilot.
About the author
Jennifer Ouellette is a senior writer at Ars Technica focusing on where science meets culture, covering everything from physics to her favorite films and TV series. She lives in Baltimore with her spouse, physicist Sean M. Carroll, and their two cats, Ariel and Caliban.
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