The ejection sequence is precisely engineered and timed to prevent impacting the canopy, but in a flat spin, the plane is basically falling straight down with little to no forward airspeed. The aerodynamics while in a flat spin can unfortunately make the canopy not fall away as quickly as it needs to.
That "flat spin" sequence is incredibly well-filmed and scary, even after all these years. I'm not sure how Tony Scott pulled it off, but what a scene.
Thank you, I've wondered about this since the first time I saw it as a second grader in 1991. Never understood how he could hit the canopy with such precision timing on the ejection. Your explanation here of how the flat spin can affect it finally made it make sense to me 30 years later.
Trivia: if the stationary plane sits on the deck and the canopy is ejected, it lands somewhere between the F-14's rudders. This scenario is totally realistic.
Adding to that, the reason Ice didn't pull out when he did was that he wanted to win personally. Even after his speech about teamwork and everything, he still put himself above the team and it at least partially caused Goose's death because he didn't drop out when someone else said they had a better shot. Maverick was in second place, and Maverick and Goose making the "kill" instead of Iceman would have put them in the lead.
The reason in the beginning for the "do not fire until fired upon" is because they weren't actually at a state of war. These were just some potentially hostile fighters getting too close to the carrier strike group to rattle them. This was extremely common during the cold war.
Fighter pilots will also start throwing popcorn at the screen at that point because he’s completely defensive, and (at the time) we didn’t have missiles that could take off and do a 180 to the guy chasing you. Purely comical 🤣
@@b-rye1233 question..I've seen several people say that, specifically "at that time". Do we now have missiles that can actually do that?? I really don't know but if so that's incredible! Technology is fascinating.
@@bravo1495 Yes, the missiles used today are more advanced that what was available back in 1986. The Tomcat's primary air-to-air missiles used in these scenes would have been the Sparrow radar guided missile. They were largely phased out by the more advanced AMRAAM missiles in 1991. The Sparrows required the use of the aircraft's radar system to remain locked-on to it's target, which means the bogey had to be in the pilots radar sights. But the AMRAAM is a "fire and forget" weapon that has its own radar system. It can track a target independently. While it still requires the initial tracking of the aircraft radar, you can fly in a different direction from that point on and it will continue to track the target regardless.
I miss blockbusters like Top Gun, no superheroes, real people with flaws, it had heart and seeing Pete/Maverick grow up during the movie was so well done. Goose was the man and he's still one of my all time favorite movie characters.
My brother was obsessed with this movie when he was a kid. And now he’s a fighter pilot (Air Force instead of Navy) and made it all the way to the Thunderbirds. This is one of those movies that will always be special for my family as it inspired him to chase what he wanted.
Goose died from slamming into the canopy after ejection. In a flat spin situation in an F-14, there's a low-pressure condition above the aircraft (caused by its great size) that was known to cause the freed canopy to linger in air for some time. Goose was unfortunately ejected into the path of the canopy. This happened because Maverick was unable to reach the ejection handle so, Goose had to eject Maverick before he ejected himself.
Close, but not entirely accurate. The ejection seats on the F-14A are timed to fire in sequence regardless of whether the pilot or the RIO pull the ejection handle. Goose died due to the flat spin causing the canopy to not clear before Goose seat fired.
@@jeffburnham6611 in a flat spin the RIO was taught to jettison the canopy b4 ejecting . I’m a state of panic goose did not do that and was all sorts of fucked up
The character "Charlie" portrayed by Kelly McGillis is based on Christine Fox, a civilian flight instructor the producers met on a visit to Miramar while doing research to prepare for the film. Fox eventually rose through the ranks at the Pentagon, retiring in May 2014 as Acting Deputy Secretary of Defence, the highest post ever held by a woman at the Department of Defense.
12:59-13:04 What happened was that when they ejected, Goose accidentally ended up slamming head-first into the canopy. And the impact was so strong that it cracked Goose's skull open and killed him.
@@deving9793 also, that was am actual defect in the planes design, particularly the early versions of the plane, the system was changed to minimize that in later revisions.
I served in the Navy, on an Aircraft Carrier (USS Abrham Lincoln) from 1989-1993, this movie embodies the true American spirit, and makes me so amazingly honored to have served in our Navy and for our country. I wasn't a pilot (I was a "DC" - Damage Controlman or firefighter), but I knew a few pilots, what they had wasn't ego, it was talent and balls. I may have been discharged for 29 years, but in 4 years, I made friends I still have to this day. It is so much more than a job, it redefines your life.
Maverick's motivation stems from him being rejected from the Naval Academy, supposedly because he's the son of a KIA pilot. That would have given him a sense that the Navy didn't think he was good enough for them, so he always had a chip on his shoulder to prove something. If you haven't seen the sequel movie yet, that similar motivation is implied onto Goose's son that Maverick managed to get rejected from the Naval Academy as well, to prevent him from being in a plane and possibly dying like his father.
Top Gun being considered an old film is hilarious. I guess in some way it is old. It's certainly a heap better than a lot of movies being made right now. Many modern movies won't stand the test of time.
6:25 Not in the reaction but... Charlie's "date" was actually Pete Pettigrew. He's the real Viper and served as a technical consultant for this movie. He's a retired Navy pilot, Top Gun instructor and did shoot down a mig in the Vietnam war.
I think Pettigrew also mentioned that he cheated with his callsign. When he got to his first squadron he introduced himself as "Viper", fortunately for him, his flying as good enough and personality was pleasant enough that the name was not questioned and it stuck. Unlike another pilot who had insisted on calling himself "Lightning" but found himself being renamed "Bug".
Gotta confess...this is a favorite of mine! Tom Cruise is a crazy guy but his movies are great. Can't wait for the sequel. 👍 Goose hit the canopy and broke his neck I believe.
When i heard about the sequel i said to myself "Maverick would be old enough to be a full bird Colonel by now but there's no way he could get there considering his personality"
Top Gun was the #1 domestic movie in 1986 with $176 million followed by #2 Crocodile Dundee with $116 million and #3 The Karate Kid Part II with $115 million.
As always I appreciate the reactions. I am always looking for good movies that I don't necessarily want to watch all the way through, but that I do want to watch again. Thanks for making it fun to "re-watch" it!
One of my favorite movies. I was ten when it came out and saw it at the movies twice in a row. The new one has been pushed back for two years now thanks to covid. It's finally coming out in a few months and I can't wait. Thanks for sharing.
Iceman kept staying there waiting for the shot for two reasons: 1. fighter pilots always think "I got this" and 2. he wanted the points for that kill instead of Maverick getting the points (remember they were competing for the trophy).
Goose's death is covered in a 12-minute video on RU-vid by former F-14 back-seater Ward Carroll titled "The Truth About the F-14 and Goose's Death." If I remember correctly, Goose doesn't follow procedure for ejecting during a flat spin. As others have said, during a flat spin the canopy stays in a place for a few moments during the ejection sequence. To give it enough time to clear during a flat spin, the canopy is supposed to be manually jettisoned and then pull the ejection handle.
I can’t wait to see the sequel. They used real planes for all of it and all the actors were in the planes being filmed while flying. It’s going to be AWESOME!!!
at the beginning: 250 miles out means 250 miles away from either the ship or airspace owned by a country they do not have permission to fly in. "do no fire unless fired upon" is because they are not a WAR and to fire at the plane would be a act of war, the commander did not want the start of a conflict to be USA fault, if they fire you have permission to fire back but do not start a war.
I served aboard the USS Forrestal CV-59 when this movie came out. The F-14 and its variants were arguably the best aircraft the Navy ever flew for Fleet Defense.
Oh I've been waiting for this one. Top Gun finally! Let's GO! Can't wait to see the sequel, please no more postponing 🙏 For me it's been 14 years since I first saw Top Gun, imagine those who's saw the Top Gun premier 34 years ago when Top Gun 2 was announced 🤯
The f14’s they used in this movie are from my old squadron. VFA-25. A couple decades before my time (I was there starting in 02). By the time I got there the 14’s had been phased out and they were mostly F/A 18’s
I was a military brat growing up. Pops was in the Navy. We lived on Kaneohe Marine Corps Air Base in Hawaii in the 80s. It was fun to have friends from school over who were not military kids. Whenever jets flew over the neighborhood they would totally freak out. Ahh good times good times
I greatly second this recommendation, great film! Feel it would be a perfect fit for Devin, has everything he seems to like story, character, and action wise, plus excellent performances.
Yup: Maverick was flying with a chip on his shoulder, because his father was said to have screwed up, getting himself & a few other pilots killed. (to avoid the United States being charged with an international incident) Fun facts: The F-14A had both engine failure issues (that did cause the planes to go into flat spins), as well as problems in the ejection timing sequence. That scene in which Goose was killed, is based on a real crash involving a F-14A. One engine flamed-out, causing a flat spin that was unrecoverable. The crew then ejected, and the REO was killed when he hit the canopy, which happened because the ejection sequence didn't have enough time between it, and canopy jettison. (Note: from what I recall, the Navy's first female F-14 pilot Kara Hultgreen - call sign "Revlon", was killed under similar circumstances) Later models had both of the issues taken care of, and the F-14 became one of the best jet fighters the Navy ever had. The dogfight at the end, is based on the famous Gulf of Sidra incident. Can hardly wait for them to release the sequel, which was supposed to have been released a year or two ago!
The piano scene and the final bar/jukebox scene were shot in a San Diego restaurant called Kansas City BBQ, at the corner of Kettner Boulevard and West Harbor Drive. The restaurant housed many props and memorabilia from the film. However, on June 26, 2008, Kansas City BBQ suffered a grease fire that destroyed much of the interior of the establishment. The restaurant has since been repaired to its original state, but much of the Top Gun memorabilia on display was damaged, and some destroyed. The two most prominent pieces that remain are the piano (relocated to another corner of the bar) and one of the original Maverick flight helmets used during filming, which sits in a locked display case behind the bar. The helmet shows some slight damage, as the heat from the fire caused the plastic visor to bubble and warp. It's a super great place. I love visiting it everytime I'm in San Diego.
Was in middle school when this came out and in mira mesa, ca close to miramar air station. This movie was such an integral part of my youth and living during the cold war. This and red dawn (Patrick swayze, c. thomas howell, chsrlie sheen) were a reflection of the national psyche during the cold war.
Hi! Great reaction, feller! Can you react to the movie of "Days of Thunder" (1990), Tom Cruise did an amazing performance too :) And the music score of Hans Zimmer is so wonderful.
You should watch it again. With all the action, it's easy to miss the details that answer your questions. In short, when Maverick and Goose ejected, Goose hit the canopy and broke his neck. I saw this in high school, at least 20 times with 20 different people. This was when you had to wait about a year for a movie to hit the video rental store; No streaming services, no RU-vid, no Netflix. So you kept going back to the theater until you got it out of your system. And oh, man! Seeing it on a huge screen with surround sound was an experience unrivaled. By the way, no CGI in Top Gun. The flying was real. And the cast went through the same training as the real life Naval pilots did. There's a 3 hour documentary on the making of Top Gun floating around out there, and it's fascinating. Part of it shows Tom Cruise and Anthony Edwards playing patty cake as they experience less and less oxygen. You can't watch it and not smile. One last thing. How did you not notice Meg Ryan as Mrs. Goose!? Really enjoyed this. Thanks! 😊
I was stationed at Top Gun my last year in the Corps. We had 3 pilots participate and 2 became instructors. I flew a simulator in Japan. Night landing on a carrier is crazy.
Goose hit his head on the canopy most of the time when you eject you have some forward momentum for the air to catch the canopy and pull it away back over the aircraft but they were dropping so the canopy had cleared before the ejection seats fire so basically goose was in a rocket propelled seat that launched him right into the canopy
Loved this movie and it made me want to be a fighter pilot. One of my first Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, and so many more films. I recommend watching Tombstone if you like Westerns
YES!! "I feel the need, the Need For Speed!" This was the first Time Cruise movie I saw on VHS! I even have the special edition DVD in my collection! It won the Oscar for Best Original Song. When Terri Nunn accepted the Oscar, she was asked to sing the song, but she refused as they were about to go to commercial.
Goose died most likely from blunt force trauma, from getting slammed into the canopy. A plane in a dive or straight freefall would have an incredible amount of wind blowing by to carry the canopy way out of the way on an ejection. The flat spin meant the air was swirling around the aircraft, rather than blowing past it. The canopy never had the chance to catch the passing wind to get carried out of the way quickly. It hung in the air for a moment, which was just enough for Goose to eject right into it, rather than eject into open air. That's also why Maverick was cleared of any wrong doing. The flat spin eliminates the possibility of the pilot to use the wing flaps and the vertical and horizontal stabilizers at the rear of the plane to re-catch the wind and regain control. So the flat spin alleviated Maverick of responsibility for the crash and, as such, responsibility for Goose's death.
Big Dawg killin that Game!!! This movie came out on my 10th bday my cousin lived down the street from the theater we watched this and back to the future for like 3 weekends in a row lol Good shit bro keep doin yo thang!
When goose pulled the ejection handle from the rear seat... his seat fired first instead of Maverick's. So because the canopy didn't have enough time to clear... goose hit it with so much force that it broke his neck. Instant death!
Goose hit his head into the canopy when he ejected. Maverick yelled watch the canopy right before goose pulled the eject lever, but wasn't able to clear. Broke his neck.
1. An old shipmate of mine was on the Enterprise when they filmed this. 2. Gooses death was not Maverick's fault. Iceman was bogarting his approach and they got caught in the jet wash. 3. I spent 24 years in the US Navy. 6 on "bird farms" (Carriers). I have seen 100+ launches and landings without a single crash. These men and the men working the flat tops are doing the most dangerous job in the world (for the good guys). Props to all of them. 4. Kelly McGillis/Charlie was in a little known movie with Harrison Ford "Witness" that's seriously worth a first time/share HINT HINT 5. Tom Skerritt/Viper not only played Dallas in "Alien" he also played Strawberry in "Up in Smoke" with Cheech and Chong. 6. Val Kilmer/Iceman has a long list of movies including but not limited to: "Willow", "The Doors" and "Tombstone" 7. John Stockwell/Cougar played in Stephen King's "Christine". 8. Navy officer riding a motorcycle without a helmet. Even off base. WRONG. 9. Meg Ryan is my honey. A great overlooked movie with her is with Tom Hanks called, "Joe vs the Volcano' She plays 3 parts. HINT HINT 10. 98% of Military flying accidents are during training. 11. The TOP GUN school is no longer located at Miramar near San Diego. It's now at NAS Fallon, NV. 12. In the late 1980s I was stationed on the USS INDEPENDENCE (CV-62) and they made a movie onboard called "Flight of the Intruder". It was seriously cool. Brad Johnson, Willem DeFoe and Danny Glover. I'm actually in it for a very brief period of time. HINT HINT.
Hi William, I also spent nearly as many years in the U.S. Navy (23 years) I have been retired for a while, I love Val Kilmer in Tombstone (He made that movie) and Meg Ryan! She used to be so hot! Back in the 1980s the Navy had programs for non high school graduates Airman, Seamen, Constructionman and Fireman apprenticeship programs (Turned out you are simply a Swabie with a mop 😂) I chose Airman Apprenticeship however I spent the majority of my time working with the U.S. Army running communication line, I even trained with them in Augusta Georgia at Fort Cambell. Back in the early 90s we had 3 bases for basic training San Diego, Great Lakes and Orlando (Co Ed training) At M.E.P.S. I was given the choice and was referred to train in Orlando but my dumbass just had to choose Great Mistakes in the winter! Damn I am now older and I would give anything to go back, I never realized how the U.S. Navy Changed my life! I Joined at the age of 17 with parental consent and got my G.E.D. But I stayed as long as I possibly could. Glad to see a fellow vet :) Edit - Devin G should also watch “The Last Castle” with Robert Redford that’s a really nice Military Prison movie.
Glad you finally got around to this movie. Loved this movie when I was a kid. I had the great honor of doing some civilian contract work at Miramar NAB (Top Gun) not too long after this movie was made. Very cool environment. So what happened to Goose was this: Their jet got caught in a jet wash. Its a disturbance in the intake of air caused by the near pass of another jet which causes a jet engine to flame out. The result can be a violent spinning of the jet as it loses thrust and basically becomes a frisbee. The problem with trying to eject during a flat spin is you do not have forward momentum when the canopy is blown away, meaning the canopy is basically hovering over the cockpit when the pilot and RIO (radar intercept officer) are ejected. Goose was basically launched into the canopy which probably caused severe head or neck injury. The movie overall is a little silly as there is not a sports competition atmosphere. Naval aviators do not need any extra incentive to be aggressive and overly confident. But they are also very well trained officers and very well aware of the rare position they hold flying some of the most expensive hardware in the entire military arsenal.
@@energeez Not sure what you mean, I did not mention Cruise at all. I could mention the real aviators were very excited to show me where and when the actors got sick while flying with them. Cruise blacked out and got physically ill while shooting the movie but he did go on to become a proponent of Naval aviation and I believe he became a civilian pilot himself. I would not consider Cruise a hero. The heroes are the real aviators and all the people who support them. What this movie did accomplish was become an incredible promotion for young people interested in serving in the armed forces.
Watch Ward Caroll video on Top Gun. He is a former F-14 pilot from the Navy. The hard deck means that is where the ground will be so going below the hard deck would mean you hit the ground. The ejection is a a 2-step process. Goose never released the 1st part of the canopy.
Goose died because of a canopy malfunction. Basically, when they ejected, the glass over the cockpit didn’t blow away fast enough and Goose was ejected at high speed and slammed into the glass canopy, killing him. The front of the canopy lifted enough for Maverick to clear it, but the back didn’t blow up and out fast enough to prevent Goose from slamming into it.
Loved your reaction--this is one of my fave movies. Request for a future movie--Hacksaw Ridge. With you being a vet, I'd love to see your reaction. Have a great evening! 🙂
Still a good classic 80s movie. Used to watch it alot as a kid. I suggest you to watch Days of Thunder if haven't seen it before. It was one of my favorite 90s movies. Miss 80s and 90s!
Man, as a vet myself and rather new to your channel, you by far rule. You definitely know how to help with my depression and I APPRECIATE YOU! If it were not for this messed up administration that is ruining America and my paycheck, I would join your patreon!
