… that the movie Top Gun begins with this information … "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." Top gun proved to be a boon for Navy recruiting, for Ray Ban aviator sunglasses, bomber jackets and this Diet Pepsi ad was a big hit.
... at the time Top Gun was filmed the real Top Gun or Navy Fighters Weapon School was located on the Miramar Navy base in San Diego, California. In 1996 the Naval station was transferred to the Marines and Top Gun was moved to Fallon, Nevada.
... although actors frequently claim to do their own stunts in movies we know that Tom Cruise was not flying those jets. Who was? You know him as the man who just led the space shuttle Atlantis team on the mission to repair the Hubble telescope. Astronaut Scott Altman was the real life fighter pilot who performed the aerial stunts in the movie Top Gun.
… that the Soviet Mig-28 fighter plane does not actually exist.
... that actor/director Tim Robbins had a small part in Top Gun. He played top gun aviator "Merlin".
... "I feel the need- the need for speed" was listed as # 94 on the AFI top movie quote list. Considering the number of times we hear people say this in real life we think it should have been a little higher. How many times do you ever hear someone say "love means never having to say you're sorry" (number 13).
... the movie Top Gun is dedicated to Art Scholl. He was a stunt pilot who died in a crash while filming a stunt for the movie.
... you can still visit the bar in San Diego where Maverick sings in Top Gun. It's called Kansas City BBQ. In 2008 the restaurant had a fire that destroyed a lot of its memorabilia collection. But the "Great Balls of Fire" piano survived and you can still go there and eat barbeque and buy a Top Gun tee shirt.
Top Gun On Location
Grauman's/Mann's Chinese Theater Footprints
Tom Cruise is just one of the many legendary celebrities to leave hand and footprints outside the famous Grauman's (now Mann's) Chinese Theater.
Tom Cruise Prints
Mann's Chinese Theater
6925 Hollywood Blvd.
Hollywood, CA SEE MAP
Hollywood Walk of Fame Star
In the early 1960's, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce developed the idea of the "Hollywood Walk of Fame." The sidewalks of the most famous streets in the heart of Hollywood were lined with "stars" recognizing celebrities' life-long contributions to the entertainment industry. Receiving a star is still to this day considered a huge honor. Here's where you can find Tom Cruise's star:
Tom Cruise
Walk of Fame Star (Motion Pictures)
6912 Hollywood Blvd.
Hollywood, CA