17 Top Gun Moments from the franchise that set it apart from other air force movies 

Everybody loves a good Air Force movie, but hardly any film tops Top Gun. Top Gun, set in the 1980s, was packed with action sequences, dialogues, and characters. The movie was followed by the release of Top Gun: Maverick in 2022, a sequel to the previous franchise film. It takes place 30 years later, focusing on Pete Maverick Mitchell, played by Tom Cruise. As per reports, following the success of the 2022 film, a third film might be added to the franchise. Here are the top 17 Top Gun moments that set it apart from other Air Force movies.

1. Maverick enters into supersonic speed with Darkstar

In the movie Top Gun: Maverick, Tom Cruise's character Pete Maverick enters supersonic speed in the Darkstar aircraft. When Rear Admiral Cain is on his way to shut down the program, Maverick pushes Darkstar jet to Mach 10 speed and beyond. This leads to the aircraft finally spiraling out of control. This thrilling scene gives goosebumps to most Top Gun fans.

2. Maverick's 2:15 canyon run

Maverick's unauthorized 2:15 canyon run remains iconic to this day. His solo fly to prove himself that the mission can be achieved. The scene gets intense as Maverick gets through the difficult terrains. The trainee lieutenants hold their breaths heavily as Captain Maverick finally reaches the bullseye mark.

3. Top Gun Opening Scene backed up with Kenny Loggins' Danger Zone

Who can forget the iconic introductory scene of Top Gun compiled with the beats of tubular bells? One can hear the winds blowing and the sound of jet engines with dark silhouettes of men at work. The close shots of an F-14A and Kenny Loggins' Danger Zone-themed song look visually appealing.

4. Maverick and Rooster sort their differences

Top Gun: Maverick, not only explores the thrilling fighting sequence but also taps into the emotions of the fans. One such scene is when Maverick and Rooster sort out their differences. Rooster's animosity with Maverick began when he learned that his father Goose died on Maverick's watch. Maverick also pulled out Rooster's application to the Naval Academy which cost him four years. After Maverick and Rooster survived the ordeal, they finally reconciled.

5. Maverick holding Goose's lifeless body in the water

The plot of Top Gun was majorly based on the bromance between Maverick and Goose played by Anthony Edwards. However, things turned sour during a training hop between Maverick and Iceman going after A-4. Maverick soon realizes his aircraft would be entering a flat spin. Out of options, when finally they plan to eject, Goose broke his neck and died. The shot of Maverick holding Goose's body is heartbreaking but also an important scene for his character growth.

6. 'Talk to Me Goose'

Goose, Maverick's best friend, and the Radar Intercept officer flew with Maverick in the same plane. However in Top Gun due to a failed ejection Goose gets killed. The guilt and trauma haunts Maverick. In the Top Gun: Maverick film's final sequence, Maverick repeats what he used to tell his friend, "Talk To Me Goose" to find strength in a difficult situation.

7. Maverick backing up Iceman

The climactic scene of the Top Gun movie shows how Maverick backs up Iceman. They encounter several dangerous bogeys. After one of their jets is shot down, Maverick moves to support. Even though things look scary, Maverick does not leave his wingman. Iceman and Maverick escape and land safely after the intense showdown.

8. The Lockerroom fight between Maverick and Iceman

In Top Gun, Maverick and Goose start goofing around while they are in the locker room. However, this does not sit well with Iceman and Slider who begin to bark back. In a heated faceoff, Iceman comes close to Maverick's face as a stance of imposing a challenge.

9. The realistic Dogfight in Top Gun

The Dogfight from Top Gun can easily be tagged as one of the well-shot parts of the franchise. This sequence happens when Maverick's team faces off their enemy forces. The dogfight shows the showdown between the iconic F-14 Tomcat flown by Maverick.

10. Maverick flying the F-18 Super Hornet

For all the aircraft enthusiasts out there, Top Gun: Maverick explored several different aircraft including the single engine multi combat F18 Super Hornet. In this film, Maverick is seen flying the F18 in the dogfighting scenes. Another instance is when he pulls up from a low-level flight which creates massive vortices.

11. Rooster in awe of Maverick's pilot skills

In one scene from Top Gun: Maverick, Maverick's F-14 engages in a dogfight with fifth-generation fighters. Rooster (Milles Teller) finally understands why his father, Goose admired Maverick. With a reference to the scene, Rooster emphasizes the importance of pilots in aerial combat.

12. Maverick vs the Drone Ranger

Admiral Chester Hammer Cain's (Ed Harris) also known as Drone Ranger announces that manned flights were no longer of use. Maverick, who tends to go against the stride opposes these orders. Although there are very few scenes of them together, their equation is one of the highlights of Top Gun: Maverick.

13. Maverick and his love life

In Top Gun Maverick is seen hooking up with the flight instructor Charlie (Kelly McGills). In the first movie, the audience is also informed that Maverick is in a relationship with Penny Benjamin, the admiral's daughter. Fast forward to the newer installment, we see Penny as a single mother to a teen daughter, who works at a bar. Maverick meets Penny in San Diego, followed by some harmless flirting and a challenging boat ride. The two installments of Top Gun also explore the themes of the love life of the pilots.

14. Phoneix and Bob's bird strike incident

During the training period, Phoneix and Bob have to eject after a serious bird strike incident which led to the engine catching fire. Even though Phoneix extinguished the fire, she had trouble during the ejection. However, the pair survived the incident and completed the mission.

15. The training sequence with Pushups

Top Gun: Maverick is an action film but has several fun sequences. One of them was the training sequence coupled with pushups as punishments. When Maverick was training with the young pilots, they were given a challenge that whoever got shot down first would have to do 200 push-ups. What followed was a bunch of trainees and even Maverick doing the punishment.

16. Emotional reunion of Maverick and Iceman

Even though Maverick and Iceman were at loggerheads in Top Gun, they turned cordial by the end of the film gaining respect for each other. In Top Gun: Maverick the characters played by Val Kilmer and Tom Cruise also have an emotional reunion.

17. Maverick reunites with his old F14

In the second installment of the franchise, Maverick is hunted down by the enemy missiles after saving Rooster's life. Even though he manages to escape from the aircraft and land with the help of a parachute, he is confronted by a helicopter. Rooster in an attempt to save his mentor gets shot down. Maverick finds a getaway vehicle for them to escape and luckily it happens to be his favourite aircraft F-14 Tomcat, thus marking a reunion