i'll i.d. him, you hook 'em.
what's mig one doing?
i'll lock on them, cougar. gotcha covered, don't nobody move.
roger, cougar. okay boys, pull out with your hands up and nobody'll get hurt.
cougar, break left. try a high g
he's still on you, cougar.
ah, the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.
cougar, this is maverick. i'm getting hungry, let's head for the barn. . cougar, where are you?
call the ball? i don't see the ship!
helping him in.
just get me to him.
hey, any of you guys seen an aircraft carrier around here?
cougar, this is maverick. half roll it. now!
you're straight and level, cougar.
yeah, cougar?
no joke, cougar. on the level.
cougar, you're on the ball.
cougar? stinger maverick, goose. come in here.
sir?
he's a good pilot.
what?
me?
sir?
yes sir!
yes sir.
yes sir. i do sir
sir. you are going to give me a warning, sir!
yes sir. i do, sir.
sir. i was going mach point one five.
yes sir.
f-14's sir.
yes sir!
no sir! but you have to be ready.
yes, sergeant?
sir?
yes sir!
nothing. that's mcgown. that's singer, isn't it?
just wondering.  . who is the best.
yes sir.
yes sir.
yes sir.
is there anybody in the navy you don't know?
still is.
you ever done this before?
who is that guy?
yeah, he's married--but then again, he,s not dead.
figured out what?
nope.
i think i can work it out on my own.
i've heard of you, too. you were in 124 with bargamian.
he's a good man.
what do these guys think, i made cougar quit?
what, what is it?
never mind mine. check hers.
lots of things.
uhhh. anything i can do for you? she laughs again, doesn't know what it is. could be chemical, but she's instinctively attracted.
it's not that.
well, it is. it is that, too.
i could be, too.
save you from a big mistake with that other guy.
yeah, most likely.
i heard of one once.
then what are you doing here?
hi. i'm here to talk about a new concept in cosmetics.
my fault. should have watched where i was going.
uh, nobody, i guess.
can i walk you out?she turns back to him, a smile.
i thought he'd never leave.
everybody's got to be somewhere.
it would have been really embarrassing!
simple deduction. it's fast. it's pretty. sleek and stylish. it's your color. matches your lipstick.
and i asked someone.
i think i'm in love.
i don't think you're altogether right. about the mig, that is.
no, i beg yours. but i don't think you're right on that.
i saw one.
i saw a mig do a 4 g negative dive.
it's classified.
it's classified. like hollywood says, i could tell you, but then i'd have to kill you.
not in this case.
yes, ma'am.
on his six.
yes, ma'am, at first. then i was directly above him.
i was inverted.
two.
two meters.
ma'am?
giving him the bird.
you know. the finger.
why didn't you tell me you were a tagref?
you let me make a fool of myself.
would it have made a difference?
what would?
ahhh.  runs in the family, sir.
yes sir.
yes sir. thank you sir.
i've lost him -- where is he?
he should've had me.
no way. i'll nail him this time. going vertical.
no way. i got you, sucker. you're going down.
in the envelope. fox two missile shot. you're gone, jester, dead!
we did it!
right.
it's a victory roll.
come on, relax.
come on, we beat an instructor. how many times in your life do you get to do a victory roll?
didn't everybody?
i had him in view. i was peeling over the egg, into a dive. he saw me when i moved in for the kill. there wasn't any danger.
we weren't below for more than ten seconds. there was no danger. i had the shot. i took it.
yes sir, perfectly clear. i guess we were . i was.  just a little over enthusiastic.
what would you say, too fast. too quick.
it is combat. every second counts.
well, what you need. what you have to keep looking for. what you want to get is a wingman who can stay up with you. who can match you move for move. then you've got something. i'm sorry.
that stuff about the mig. i was out of line.
is that all?
um. you.
too aggressive?
i'm special.
give me a break, i'm asking you out.
i thought there was something.  that night in the club.
evan.  or maverick.
the what?
what are you talking about?
i'm not your foe.
harmless!
what if he's not?
harmless. nobody ever called me harmless before.
don't worry, i'm a new strain. and i don't give up. everything i've ever wanted i've had to work like hell for. well, how about it?
how about anything, anything you want to do.
a date.  coffee.  a drink. a walk in the park.
what plane.
well, get used to it.
i'm different.
you're slow to engage. but you'll come around.
let's make it at eight.
anything.
it dies. we live.
that's true. what are you?
it's not suffering anymore.
you're not, cause you eat frozen meatballs? things die. every time you breathe, you kill millions of tiny organisms. every time you eat, something had to die.
somebody does. it's more honest this way. you do your own dirty work.
about as much as they think about killing me.
they know the rules.  that's the deal. that's why you're up there. it's him or me. that's the price of admission. it bothers you, why? you're part of it. everybody dies. most people don't get to die for something.
you use your mind to keep things at a distance. you ever just let go?
you know what really scares me? living too long. losing my hair and my teeth. and my guts and my wind. and my brains. sitting in a room with my hands in my lap, watching daytime tv.
that's it, of course. when i'm up there and doing it, i'm cheating it every second. i'm subverting all laws. gravity. whatever. i'm skating the edge of it.
what?
all you've got is one life. i guess it's worth about the same to every body. you ever see an old woman after her husband has died? and the meaningless years of decline stretch ahead.  when you're in the air and doing something really dangerous, you can look ahead.  maybe ten seconds. that's your whole future. that's as far as it goes. but imagine what those seconds are worth.
there is lots of stuff i don't know about.  fine wine.  great art.  the opera. i guess if i live long enough, i'll get to it. if i don't, i'll never miss it.
i watched my mother die. cancer. she had a long time to think about it. they say you reach an agreement with death. come to accept the fact that pretty soon you won't be here. i didn't see that. she.  was very brave. braver than i am. you go up there, there isn't time to think. if you make a mistake, you're just a smudge on the ground. simplifies funeral arrangements.
what?
thanks very much. care for some suchi?.
what?
i've had enough. for now.
come on.
you want to go ballistic?
stick with me, you'll get used to it.
i always wanted to fly.  ever since i first saw a jet. i wanted to fly jets, then i wanted f-14's, then i wanted to fly off carriers, then i wanted top gun.
and now i want you.
i don't know yet.
anything.
why?
acknowleged.
i wasn't thinking. i just did it.
no guts, no glory.
don't chew it, you won't have it that long. easier to clean the cockpit if it comes up in big chunks.
it was bad.
the girl with the purple fingernails was coogan's sister.
you didn't help.
nothing. let's just go fight.
morning, coogan.
keep your shirt on, he's saying holy shit it's us.
stay with him, wood.  your six clear!
stay with him! tighten your turn!
i'm gonna take him, goose.
i want him!
wood's okay. i want viper.
what's the range, goose. i've got a good tone.
i lost.
i can take care of myself.
it's my own way. it works for me. i don't care about the rest of that stuff.
for the same reason you are.
the flying. the fighting. i'd go up there ten times a day to fight. i'd win at least nine of them. that's all i want to do. it's what i do best. i am real good. just give me the jet.
i guess that's what i'm doing, then.
food. and you. my f-14!
well no. inverse order.
you ever fly an f-14?
ahhh, you'd love it. night carrier landings! the most dangerous thing you can think of! . next to you. and the most exciting. you're living at one hundred and ten per cent. greatest high in the world.
 yeah!
why, what's gonna happen?
lucky charm.
just good luck.
pawn shop. what's to eat?
shit!!
fire, or clear out, ice.
you can't shoot him, i can. i'm in.
ice, roll off, i can shoot him.
if you can't shoot him, i can.
i'm pinned to the panel.
i can't eject.
go ahead. i can't reach. 2000 feet!
let's go. eject.
all right.
i know. i was there.
he was. my responsibility--my rio.
i'm fine.
what?
he was a friend of mine. a good guy. great guy. it was my fault.
i was flying. my responsibility.
maybe i shouldn't take it.
not to me.
where are we?
you don't have to do this.
i'm not good company. i should be alone.
no.
i want it back.
yesterday.
that's what i want.
if we knew then, what we know now, we might never have come up out of there.
hardly ever.
it does.
what do you do when you come here?
what kind of games?
how do you play reality.
strip reality! how do you play that?
you're crazy. that's a pretty silly game.
how does it go?
what truth?
goose is dead.
now?
off me or off you?
it was my fault.
it was my fault.
what does it mean?
that's three.
one more.
you owe me one.
who's gonna win?
saving them some paperwork.
not anymore.
you came to the right place.
i was, later.
i didn't want to see you. i mean, i did. but i didn't.
how could you?
something like that.
big talk for someone who's never been shot off her computer.
i hope you find him.
skipper, sorry to bother you.
i called your house.
she said you took your kid to the each. every second sunday. zoo or beach or the ballgame. y'have the option.  what about me?
or.
i don't know.
you've already made up your mind.
you think i should quit?!
here, let me get this. we'll be even.
lucky charm.
i know.
i'm nothing like him.
he was by the book, all the way.
i never heard that.
it's not true.
how can i go on? i feel so.  responsible.
you think i shouldn't fly.
would you take me back? would they?
yessir.
voodoo, ghost rider one. i'm on the
okay, okay.
maverick's emgaged. hard left, ice,
breaking left!
okay, going up. ice, go high.
jesus!
ah, shit! goddamn it!
zone 5 burners.
goddamnit, mav, you really are a slow learner. don't worry, fung, i've got it.
roger, i've got it.
yawing right.
rudder's left, stick's forward.
i've got it -- hold on!
i can recover. hold on!
you with me?
okay.
no! not again!
i'm not losing it again!
280, 290, 300 knots.
you go. i'm staying with it.
all right, ice. come hard starboard, then extend to the east.
i got a winder left, but no good
when i shoot, you break left. 3. 2
he fired, break now!
he's out! we got him!
just relax.
the plane is fine.
yeah, i guess it is. we did it! we did it. damn! we sure did it!
hello mustang, this is maverick.
but i have to!
mustang, this is maverick, request
boss, you better clear it out,
you don't owe me anything. we're on the same team.
we did it.
no. you can be mine!
well what?
what do i want?
any more migs?
let me do the talking.
i am.
well what?
oh. i'll think of something.  what are you doing here?
right on the flight line?
maybe your somewhere's with me.
that's okay. i always look forward to a challenge.