Top Gun Quotes

Iceman: You two really are cowboys.

Maverick: What's your problem, Kazansky?

Iceman: You're everyone's problem. That's because every time you go up in the air, you're unsafe. I don't like you because you're dangerous.

Maverick: That's right! Ice... man. I am dangerous.

Charlie: Excuse me, Lieutenant. Is there something wrong?

Maverick: Yes ma'am, the data on the MiG is inaccurate.

Charlie: How's that, Lieutenant?

Maverick: Well, I just happened to see a MiG 28 do a...

Goose: We!

Maverick: Uh, sorry, Goose. *We* happened to see a MiG 28 do a 4g negative dive.

Charlie: Where did you see this?

Maverick: Uh, that's classified.

Charlie: It's what?

Maverick: It's classified. I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.

Maverick: Tower, this is Ghost Rider requesting a flyby.

Air Boss Johnson: Negative, Ghost Rider, the pattern is full.

Viper: Good morning, gentlemen, the temperature is 110 degrees.

Wolfman: Holy shit, it's Viper!

Goose: Viper's up here, great... oh shit...

Maverick: Great, he's probably saying, "Holy shit, it's Maverick and Goose."

Goose: Yeah, I'm sure he's saying that.

Viper: In case some of you are wondering who the best is, they are up here on this plaque.

[turns to Maverick]

Viper: Do you think your name will be on that plaque?

Maverick: Yes, sir.

Viper: That's pretty arrogant, considering the company you're in.

Maverick: Yes, sir.

Viper: I like that in a pilot.

Viper: I flew with your old man. VF-51, the Oriskany. You're a lot like he was. Only better... and worse. He was a natural heroic son of a bitch that one.

Maverick: So he did do it right.

Viper: Yeah, he did it right... Is that why you fly the way you do? Trying to prove something? Yeah, your old man did it right. What I'm about to tell you is classified. It could end my career. We were in the worst dogfight I ever dreamed of. There were bogeys like fireflies all over the sky. His F-4 was hit, and he was wounded, but he could've made it back. He stayed in it, saved three planes before he bought it.

Maverick: How come I never heard that before?

Viper: Well, that's not something the State Department tells dependents when the battle occurred over the wrong line on some map.

Maverick: So you were there?

Viper: I was there. What's on your mind?

Maverick: My options, sir.

Viper: Simple. First you've acquired enough points to show up tomorrow and graduate with your Top Gun class, or you can quit. There'd be no disgrace. That spin was hell, it would've shook me up.

Maverick: So you think I should quit?

Viper: I didn't say that. The simple fact is you feel responsible for Goose and you have a confidence problem. Now I'm not gonna sit here and blow sunshine up your ass, Lieutenant. A good pilot is compelled to evaluate what's happened, so he can apply what he's learned. Up there, we gotta push it. That's our job. It's your option, Lieutenant. All yours.

Maverick: Sorry to bother you on a Sunday, sir, but thank you very much for your time.

Viper: No problem. Good luck.

Stinger: Maverick, you just did an incredibly brave thing. What you should have done was land your plane! You don't own that plane, the tax payers do! Son, your ego is writing checks your body can't cash. You've been busted, you lost your qualifications as section leader three times, put in hack twice by me, with a history of high speed passes over five air control towers, and one admiral's daughter!

Goose: Penny Benjamin?

[Maverick shrugs]

Stinger: And you asshole, you're lucky to be here!

Goose: Thank you, sir.

Stinger: And let's not bullshit Maverick. Your family name ain't the best in the Navy. You need to be doing it better, and cleaner than the other guy. Now what is it with you?

Maverick: Just want to serve my country, be the best pilot in the Navy, sir.

Stinger: Don't screw around with me Maverick. You're a hell of an instinctive pilot. Maybe too good. I'd like to bust your butt but I can't. I got another problem here. I gotta send somebody from this squadron to Miramar. I gotta do something here, I still can't believe it. I gotta give you your dream shot! I'm gonna send you up against the best. You two characters are going to Top Gun.

Wolfman: [watching a video of planes being shot down] This gives me a hard on.

Hollywood: Don't tease me.

Viper: [discussing Maverick] Let me ask you something. If you had to go into battle, would you want him with you?

Jester: I don't know, I just don't know

Carole: Hey, Goose, you big stud!

Goose: That's me, honey.

Carole: Take me to bed or lose me forever.

Goose: Show me the way home, honey.

Slider: Goose, whose butt did you kiss to get in here anyway?

Goose: The list is long, but distinguished.

Slider: Yeah, well so is my Johnson.

Maverick: This is what I call a target-rich environment.

Goose: You live your life between your legs, Mav.

Maverick: Goose, even you could get laid in a place like this.

Goose: Hell, I'd be happy to just find a girl that would talk dirty to me.

Maverick: I feel the need...

Maverick, Goose: ...the need for speed!

Stinger: And if you screw up just this much, you'll be flying a cargo plane full of rubber dog shit out of Hong Kong!

Maverick: Yes, sir!

Iceman: You can be my wingman any time.

Maverick: Bullshit! You can be mine.

Stinger: They gave you your choice of duty, son. Anything, anywhere. Do you believe that shit? Where do you think you wanna go?

Maverick: I thought of being an instructor, sir.

Stinger: Top Gun?

Maverick: Yes, sir.

Stinger: God help us.

Charlie: What do you wanna do? Just drop down on the tile and go for it?

Maverick: No, actually I had this counter in mind.

Charlie: Great, that would be very, very comfortable, yeah.

Maverick: It could be.

Goose: No. No, Mav, this is not a good idea.

Maverick: Sorry, Goose, but it's time to buzz the tower.

Merlin: What are you doing? You're slowing down, you're slowing down!

Maverick: I'm bringing him in closer, Merlin.

Merlin: You're gonna do what?

Charlie: I'll have what he's having. Hemlock, is it?

Maverick: Ice water.

[Charlie has just given Maverick her address while pretending to turn down his date offer]

Slider: Crashed and burned! Huh, Mav?

Maverick: Slider...

[sniffs]

Maverick: You stink!

Charlie: Listen, can I ask you a personal question?

Maverick: That depends.

Charlie: Are you a good pilot?

Maverick: I can hold my own.

Charlie: Great, then I won't have to worry about you making your living as a singer.

Maverick: I'm going to need a beer to put these flames out. Yo! Great Mav, real slick.

Maverick: Jesus Christ, and you think I'm reckless? When I fly, I'll have you know that my crew and my plane come first.

Charlie: Well, I am going to finish my sentence, Lieutenant. My review of your flight performance was right on.

Maverick: Is that right?

Charlie: That is right, but I held something back. I see some real genius in your flying, Maverick, but I can't say that in there. I was afraid that everyone in the TACTS trailer would see right through me, and I just don't want anyone to know that I've fallen for you.

Charlie: So, lieutenant, where exactly were you?

Maverick: Well, we...

Goose: Thank you.

Maverick: Started up on a 6, when he pulled from the clouds, and then I moved in above him.

Charlie: Well, if you were directly above him, how could you see him?

Maverick: Because I was inverted.

Iceman: [coughs whilst saying] Bullshit.

Goose: No, he was man. It was a really great move. He was inverted.

Charlie: You were in a 4g inverted dive with a MiG28?

Maverick: Yes, ma'am.

Charlie: At what range?

Maverick: Um, about two meters.

Goose: It was actually about one and a half I think. It was one and a half. I've got a great Polaroid of it, and he's right there, must be one and a half.

Maverick: Was a nice picture.

Goose: Thanks.

Charlie: Eh, lieutenant, what were you doing there?

Goose: Communicating.

Maverick: Communicating. Keeping up foreign relations. You know, giving him the bird!

Goose: [Charlie looks puzzled, so Goose clarifies] You know, the finger

Charlie: Yes, I know the finger, Goose.

Goose: I-I'm sorry, I hate it when it does that, I'm sorry. Excuse me.

Viper: How ya doin'?

Maverick: I'm all right.

Viper: Goose is dead.

Maverick: I know.

Viper: You fly jets long enough, something like this happens.

Maverick: He was my R.I.O., my responsibility.

Viper: My squadron, we lost 8 of 18 aircraft. 10 men. First one dies, you die too. But there will be others. You can count it. You gotta let him go. You gotta let him go.

Cougar: God dammit, Mustang! This is Ghost Rider 117. This bogey is all over me. He's got missile lock on me. Do I have permission to fire?

Stinger: Do not fire until fired upon...

Goose: It's the bottom of the 9th, the score is tied. It's time for the big one.

Iceman: You up for this one, Maverick?

Maverick: Just a walk in the park, Kazansky.

Maverick: I can see it's dangerous for you, but if the government trusts me, maybe you could.

Charlie: It takes a lot more than just fancy flying.

Goose: Yeeha, Jester's dead!

Wolfman: Won this bullshit?

Goose: Didn't everybody?

Hollywood: Hell no, man. We got our butts kicked.

Wolfman: Thirty seconds. We went like this, he went like that. I said to Hollywood, "Where'd he go?" Hollywood says, "Where'd who go?"

Hollywood: Yeah, and he's laughing at us, right on the radio, he's laughing at us.

Slider: That was me laughing, dickhead.

[Merlin sees the last two MiGs flying away at the end of the dogfight]

Merlin: Mustang, this is Voodoo 3. Remaining MiGs are bugging out.

Stinger: [to Maverick after the last dogfight] How's it feel to be on the front page of every newspaper in the English-speaking world, even though the other side denies the incident? Congratulations.

Stinger: They gave you your choice of duty, son. Where do you think you want to go?

Maverick: I thought of being an instructor, sir.

Stinger: Top Gun?

Maverick: Yes, sir.

Stinger: God help us.

Officer: [in the midst of the MIG battle] Both Catapults are broken, sir.

Stinger: How long will it take?

Officer: It'll take ten minutes.

Stinger: Bullshit ten minutes! This thing will be over in two minutes! Get on it!

[first title card]

Title Card: On March 3, 1969 the United States Navy established an elite school for the top one percent of its pilots. Its purpose was to teach the lost art of aerial combat and to insure that the handful of men who graduated were the best fighter pilots in the world. They succeeded. Today, the Navy calls it Fighter Weapons School. The flyers call it: TOP GUN.

[first lines]

Flight Captain: Good morning, Scott.

[last lines]

Charlie: Hello, Pete Mitchell. I heard the best of the best were going to be back here, so uh...

Maverick: This could be complicated. You know on the first one I crashed and burned.

Charlie: And the second?

Maverick: I don't know, but uh, it's looking good so far.

Maverick: [spots Charlie for the first time] She's lost that loving feeling.

Goose: She's lo... No she hasn't.

Maverick: Yes, she has.

Goose: She's not lost that lo...

Maverick: Goose, she's lost it, man.

Goose: Come on!

Goose: [to himself] Aw sh... I hate it when she does that.

Viper: Maverick, I flew with his old man. Tell me one thing, if you had to go into battle would you want him with you?

Jester: I don't know, I just don't know.

Air Boss Johnson: Two of your snot-nose jockeys did a fly-by on my tower at over 400 KNOTS! I want somebody's butt, I want it now, I've HAD IT!

[storm out, then bumps into a Yeoman and spills coffee all over his pants]

Air Boss Johnson: DAMN! That's TWICE! I WANT SOME BUTTS!

Charlie: [Maverick and Goose have just successfully serenaded Charlie with their rendition of "You've Lost That Loving Feeling."] Sit down! I love that song! How long have you two been doing this act?

Maverick: Oh, since uh...

Charlie: Puberty?

Maverick: Right, puberty.

Radio Operator: Maverick, you're at 3/4 of a mile. Call the ball.

Maverick: Roger. Maverick has the ball.

[after Maverick decides not to shoot down Jester during a training exercise]

Sundown: Hey, man, we could have had him. Hey, we could have had him, man!

Maverick: [grabs Sundown] I will fire when I am goddamn good and ready! You got that?

[continues walking away]

Jester: Maverick, you and Goose get your butts outta that flight gear and up to Viper's office now.

Slider: Remember, boys, no points for second place.

Goose: You're a lot brighter than you look.

Slider: Oh, you shut up.

[after the final dogfight]

Maverick: Mustang, this is Maverick, requesting fly-by.

Air Boss Johnson: Negative, Ghost Rider. The Pattern is full.

Merlin: Uh, excuse me, something I should know about?

Air Boss Johnson: [gets his coffee] Thank you.

[Maverick does a fly-by past the Enterprise, causing the Air Boss to spill his coffee]

Air Boss Johnson: Goddamn that guy.

[Maverick is in a dogfight with a MiG and is down to one missile left]

Merlin: This is it, Maverick!

Maverick: I'm gonna hit the brakes, he'll fly right by.

Merlin: Shit! He's gonna get a lock on us!

Maverick: [the MiG eventually gets a lock onto Maverick] NOW!

[Maverick slams the breaks and the MiG passes by, then Maverick locks onto the MiG]

Maverick: Got a good lock, firing.

[the MiG is then destroyed by the missile]

Maverick: Whoo! Scratch four!

[Jester and Viper watch a frustrated Maverick walk off after having a falling out with Sundown]

Jester: He can't get back in the saddle, won't engage.

Viper: It's only been a few days.

Jester: You know, he just might not make it back.

Viper: Keep sending him up.

Sundown: [Maverick suddenly flies off after refusing an easy shot on Jester] Hey, where the hell are you going?

Maverick: Uh... It's not good. It doesn't look good.

Sundown: What do you mean, "it doesn't look good"? It doesn't get to look any better than that.

Viper: [after the first hop with Jester ends with Maverick shooting down Jester at the hard deck and Maverick doing a fly-by near a tower] Gentlemen... You had a hell of a first day. The hard deck for this hop was 10,000 feet. You knew it, you broke it. You followed Commander Heatherly below after he lost sight of you and called no joy. Why?

Maverick: Sir! I had Commander Heatherly in my sights, he saw me move in for the kill. He then proceeded below the hard deck. We weren't below 10,000 for more than a few seconds. I had the shot, there was no danger, so I took it.

Viper: You took it... AND BROKE A MAJOR RULE OF ENGAGEMENT. Then you broke another one with that, uh, circus stunt fly-by.

[Viper sighs]

Viper: Lieutenant Mitchell... Top Gun rules of engagement exists for your safety and for that of your team. They are not flexible, nor am I. Either obey them, or you're history. Is that clear?

Jester: His fitness report says it all. Flies by the seat of his pants. Completely unpredictable.

Viper: He got you, didn't he?

Jester: [pauses] Yeah.

Stinger: [to Maverick, with Goose to his right] Maverick, you just did an incredibly brave thing.

[Long pause]

Stinger: What you should have done was land your plane! You don't own that plane! The taxpayers do! Son, your ego is writing checks your body can't cash!

Maverick: There's Viper.

Goose: Hey Mav, stay with Hollywood.

Hollywood: Yeah Mav, stay with me.

Maverick: Hollywood, you look good. I'm going after Viper.

Hollywood: God dammit, Maverick.

Charlie: [Looking over Maverick's shoulder in the classroom] A rolling reversal would work well in that situation.

Maverick: [Motions with his hands] If I reverse on a hard cross I could immediately go to guns on him.

Charlie: Yeah, but at that speed it's too fast... a little bit too aggressive.

Maverick: Too aggressive.

Charlie: [Smiling, says nothing]

Maverick: Well, I guess when I see something I go right after it!

[they are looking at the Topgun trophy for the first time]

Iceman: The plaque for the alternates is down in the ladies' room.

Goose: [Howling in mock laughter] Oh Jesus, oh YOU KILL ME! You really do.

Goose: [pointing to the empty slot on the trophy] No no no, there's two o's in "Goose", boys.