Top Gun: Maverick was one of the biggest movies of 2022, and an important aspect of the sequel’s success was Tom Cruise’s obsession with ensuring as much of the movie was as realistic as possible. The thirty-six-year gap between the 1986 Top Gun and its 2022 sequel may have been a surprise to many, but with major advances in filming technology through the decades, the wait was well worth it. Moreover, Cruise’s star power rose exponentially over the three-decade break, thus ensuring he would have far more creative control over this film than its predecessor.
By now, Tom Cruise’s movie career has solidified his position as one of the hardest-working actors in the business – and with each new project, audiences wait with bated breaths to see what new and inventive stunts Cruise will perform. In the case of Top Gun: Maverick, Cruise was more focused on realism and accuracy than he was on stunts (although he certainly performed plenty), thus ensuring the work the US Navy does was depicted with authenticity. From bits of dialogue and apparel to proper maneuvers, Cruise’s obsession with realism paid off in the 2022 summer blockbuster.
8 Top Gun Is A Real School
While this might seem like a no-brainer, Top Gun is an actual school in the United States. Top Gun is merely a nickname for what’s actually called the United States Navy Fighter Weapons School, and the school has been in existence since 1969. While it’s more of a means of testing pilots’ aptitude for war than it is about learning how to handle oneself in dogfights, the nickname “Top Gun” came from the fact that most jets during its inception had guns on top of them.
Top Gun: Maverick treats the school with the respect and authenticity required to properly reflect the school. While most audiences might assume that every day at Top Gun is filled with high-intensity dogfights non-stop, the reality of the situation is it’s a lot like any other school a person could enroll in. There are egos and things of that nature sure enough, but the movie’s depictions of highly passionate individuals wishing to serve their country, starting from mundane things, rings truer than anything else in the film.
7 Fighter Pilots Are Issued Aviator Glasses
While it may seem like an obvious thing to some and an innocuous detail to others, Cruise’s Maverick along with his fellow onscreen Navy airmen and airwomen are seen wearing a pair of aviator glasses throughout the movie. Aside from indoor scenes, audiences could almost always count on seeing any of the characters wearing the glasses that have become synonymous with the Navy. Sure aviators look cool, but they have a more practical purpose that most folks might overlook.
According to real fighter pilots, aviators are worn on the base and in their jets because they provide the best coverage of the sky. Additionally, aviators allow fighter pilots to endure the harsh and ever-changing weather conditions that they have to endure while completing drills or actual missions. Even though this trend is settling down a bit, it still is very common to see fighter pilots either wearing aviators or sheathing them in between their shirts while indoors.
6 Penny Ringing The Bell At The Bar Is Real
A somewhat hilarious detail Cruise was obsessed with showcasing to audiences was the barkeep’s emphatic ringing of a bell whenever someone did something they weren’t supposed to in a bar. Whether it be at a pilots’ club or bar, the bell is rung to enforce various rules that some pilots might consciously or unconsciously break. As funny as it was when it happened in the movie, its real-life implications are much more serious.
To be a member of the US Navy, the person must display the utmost respect at all times when on the base. If they wear a cap indoors, act rowdy (whether under the influence or not), put their phone on the bar, go behind the bar, etc. the bells are rung loudly and clearly. This is done to maintain order and discipline on the base. In Maverick, Maverick is the one who Penny rings the bell for, and it happens in front of all his students. This moment was a great subtle way to remind him that nobody is special or exempt from following the rules.
5 Afterburner Is Real And Not Just Cool Looking
On many occasions, the various jets in Top Gun: Maverick can be seen emitting a fiery orange flame from their exhausts during takeoff from the carriers and other scenes. One would be forgiven for assuming this was CGI or some other sort of filmmaking wizardry at play, but as it turns out, this is fairly common in real life. This unique visual is known as an afterburner, and it’s a strategy that is used to give jets an extra thrust or boost when taking off.
Afterburner is used in instances that require a speedy completion of a mission or even a training drill. While the standard amount of thrust at an F-18 Hornet (the jets most commonly seen in the movie) can attain just under 11,000 pounds of thrust, afterburner allows them to achieve 18,000 almost in an instant. Because most casual audiences would be none the wise and would assume this is something that is always supposed to happen, its inclusion speaks to Cruise’s attention to the minor details.
4 Maverick Really Would Be Leagues Ahead Of His Students
One of the key aspects of Maverick’s character is how despite his shortcomings in his personal life, he is an exceptionally skilled fighter pilot. While his unorthodox methods often cause him to clash heads with his superiors and even fellow pilots, they have to concede to the results that his passion brings. Observing his role in Top Gun: Maverick he’s shown to completely and utterly outmatch his students with an almost unrealistic zeal and flair, but the reality of this depiction is that it isn’t too far off from the truth.
In real life, the most proficient student isn’t even nearly half as skilled or qualified as the most proficient instructors. This is necessary because the work that fighter pilots do is very complex and nuanced – and for fledgling pilots to truly grasp the nature of their responsibilities, they have to be humbled by a highly skilled pilot early on. While some may have felt Maverick was being harsh on his new students, Cruise’s Oscar-worthy performance was much more realistic than some may have realized.
3 The Physics Seen In Top Gun: Maverick Are Accurate
One of Top Gun: Maverick‘s most notable aspects was the raw kinetic force the IMAX cameras were able to handle and depict. While real-life fighter pilots have confirmed that not every day is as exciting as one may assume, they’ve also stated that when things get serious in the sky, it can often be very physically demanding. Considering that Cruise is a certified pilot in real life, it isn’t a surprise to see that the actor wanted to get behind the cockpit again to showcase the force of the Navy’s jets.
One consistent criticism about the original Top Gun is that it didn’t depict the effects of flying around in these fighter jets. Top Gun: Maverick, on the other hand, showed the effects in subtle ways with the characters’ interactions with each other. While many of the men on the team had huge chips on their shoulders for personal reasons, a part of the bad attitudes was also due to the stressors of spending countless hours in the sky.
2 Maverick Saying “I Have Information Alpha”
Arguably one of the biggest details that casual audiences would no doubt miss is the dialogue and codes used throughout the movie. As far as most people were concerned, the dialogue used during the dogfights could have been made up for the movie to heighten the action. However, as many active and retired Navy personnel have acknowledged, so much can be communicated with seemingly minor call signs and codes.
Retired astronaut and engineer Chris Hadfield expressed his joy over hearing Maverick say, “I have Information Alpha” despite it being said early in the movie and seemingly not meaning much. This phrase essentially means Maverick is aware of the weather and knows which runway is active, so his commanders don’t have to repeat themselves. What’s more impressive about this moment is that according to Hadfield, it didn’t even need to be in the movie because almost nobody would get it, and its inclusion verified Cruise as a real pilot.
1 Top Gun: Maverick’s Final Mission Is Realistic
The depiction of the climactic mission in Top Gun: Maverick was completely spot-on. Everything from the low-level dips to the high acceleration climbs, the barrel rolls, and the high G-turns that were shown during the movie’s final moments were things that real pilots not only do but do routinely. Many of these techniques are utilized so that pilots’ bodies can sustain the shifts in pressure while maneuvering through the sky.
In Top Gun: Maverick, Cruise’s insistence on the cameras being placed inside the cockpits during these intense scenes far exceeded the expectations that the trailers established. Moreover, it further showcased Cruise’s knowledge and respect for what fighter pilots endure on a near-daily basis, thus reinforcing the necessity for more realism in movies. Cruise could have cut corners and called it a day – but if he had done that, there’s a good chance Steven Spielberg might not have claimed Top Gun: Maverick saved Hollywood.
