Directed by Tony Scott, the 1986 film Top Gun is an aviation-themed drama. It is a cult classic that stays relevant decades after its release. Fans love the Top Gun's unique vibe the most. The movie isn't an easy sell for younger moviegoers, though. It's about the US Navy pilot Pete Mitchell known as "Maverick" and his buddy "Goose". There are no predictably evil guys; there are combat sequences that feature friendship among the main characters.
When Paramount decided to make a new Top Gun, they had to film complex battle scenes. Real-life air-to-air combat is very chaotic and takes place at ranges that wouldn't let two planes to be in one frame at the same time. Of course, writers and the directors had to take liberties to make dynamic scenes more interesting for the audience. This is what the Top Gun movies got wrong about planes and flying them.
15 Maverick Regularly Violates The FAR
Even though the main character regularly does things to upset his superiors and puts other pilots in danger, he never gets his wings clipped. This is a violation of the Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR). His report reads "unpredictable". In real life, no pilot would be able to keep his wings after that.
14 It's Not So Hot Under The Collar
At the beginning of the movie, the CATCC controller is sweating. That's impossible because it should be freezing cold inside to protect the electronics. Maverick and Goose are also sweating in the cockpit, which would only be possible if they had the ECS (environment control system) jacked up very high.
13 MiG-28 Is A Fictional Designation
In the opening scenes of the movie, Maverick and his wingman are squared off against MiG-28 with unspecified nationality. However, all MiGs are odd-numbered, so the MiG-28 is a fictional designation. The aircraft used in the movie is the US F-5 that was painted black to show its "hostile" status.
12 Maverick Should Have Been Forced Into Retirement
The main character shouldn't be flying for the US Navy. And why is he only a captain? He can't be there by law. Maverick is in the Navy for 35 years, which is over the 30-year time limit for captains in the US. He should have been forced into retirement many years ago.
11 Maverick Doesn't Know How To Handle His Tomcat
In the movie, Maverick flips different switches and hits toggles and nobs to pretend like he knows what he's doing. Then he reaches a missile lock, which has nothing to do with the Tomcat's weapons array. He also hits the brakes by moving a throttle forward, which would actually increase power.
10 The Radiation Radar
We can see a 360-degree plan position indicator display on the RIO's radar. However, the Tomcat's radar can only sweep 65 degrees. Besides, pointing it back on the pilot is a huge radiation hazard. The GCI controller also refers to the main characters by their callsigns. In real life, the controller uses aircraft side numbers.
9 No Cowboy Hats In A Hangar
In the movie, flight briefs are discussed in a hangar. However, it isn't a place for them. Besides, if somebody shows up to a flight brief wearing a cowboy hat, they would have their wings pulled immediately. There has always been a tension between correctness and what is fun in terms of the movie flow.
8 Something Is Wrong With The Helmet
In one scene, Maverick is giving the takeoff salute from the aircraft carrier. However, he should be wearing a Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System, a special helmet display attached to a HGU-55P flight helmet. With this system pilots can use a display monocle, night vision and plane cameras directly in their field of vision.
7 A Barrel Roll After The Tower Fly-By
Maverick does a barrel roll after the tower fly by, which is a maneuver prohibited by Federal Aviation Regulations. He also breaks the hard deck. Maverick then says "We weren't below the hard deck for more than a few seconds. I had the shot. There was no danger. So I took it."
6 Maverick's Jet Is Too Bunched Up
Toward the end of the movie, Maverick is "leading a four-ship formation of Super Hornets, presumably into combat. Each Super Hornet is carrying two AIM-9X Sidewinders and two GBU-24 2,000 pound laser-guided bunker buster bombs. The problem? The fighter jets are way too bunched up to look good on the big screen."
5 Forgetting Safety Requirements
Iceman salutes the catapult officers for launch from the carrier deck with an oxygen mask off. Besides, as far as Maverick's 4-G inverted dive goes, his airplane and the MiG-28 are too close. The Tomcat's stabs would be jammed into the MiG-28. The main character also often taps on random gauges.
4 Top Gun's Airplanes Defy Gravity
Maverick "leads a two-plane fly-by next to the carrier with a wingman who has been riddled with bullets and most likely has sustained major damage to the hydraulic system that powers the flight controls. The RIO would not be carrying a Polaroid camera. He would have a regular 'intel' camera."
3 Wrong Barometric Pressure
We can see that Cougar tapped a photo of his family over the gauge next to the altimeter. The speed indicator shows he's flying 6,000 feet/minute, which is pretty aggressive. At the same time the altimeter shows he's at 31,500 feet with the barometric pressure dialed to 28.32, while it should be 29.92.
2 Cougar Shuts His Jet Down
Cougar leaves light on and shuts his jet down. In real life, he should be taxiing it out of the landing area. Maverick is low on gas, and he needs to land, but he can't because Cougar has fouled the landing area and needs to be towed out of the tires.
1 You Can't Be Someone's Wingman "Any Time"
Iceman says, "You can be my wingman any time." That would only be possible if he were an ops officer or a schedule officer who has the right to sign the flight schedule. Otherwise, he has to fly with whomever he's assigned to fly with. They can't choose their wingmen.