In the begening Maverick and Goose intercept the "MIG". First of all it is designated Mig-28. Mig's are only assigned odd numbers. Second the "MIG" is really a U.S. fighter called an F-5.
At the very beginning of the movie during the altercation with the MIGs, the pilot whose call sign is Cougar is shown extremely rattled. This is understandable considering the circumstances. However, it cuts to a picture of his wife and son resting or clipped to instrument panel. I was told by someone who worked on combat airplanes that nothing is to be in the cockpit that is unauthorized and/or can brake loose. There is at least one incident where a drill bit was accidentally left in a cockpit and during a high speed turn it flew out and shattered the pilots visor. He was considered lucky that it did not kill him.
Quite correct, when I first got to my squadron in 1992, you were forced to do atleast 6 months as a "Plane Captain" one of the duties of this was checking the cockpit for F.O.D. (Foreign Object Damage) Including loose items.
In the early to mid eighties, how many Soviet fighters were there for Hollywood to use in making a movie with? Not that many. The Navy's Top Gun program used American fighters to represent Soviet fighters. And the F-5 Tiger was used in the aggressor role. Most of the public watching this movie would probably care less if it was an American fighter playing a MIG for Top Gun.
Also, the models for the movie pointed out the fact that MIG was actually an F-5 Tiger.
My brother flies F-14's, and they ARE allowed to have pictures in the cockpit if they are secured somehow. Being clipped in the dispay there is acceptable, because that is where my brother has his picture of my family. Also, did Maverick, Ice, and Hollywood fly their Tomcats to the carrier? Because they are they same planes they had at Miramar.
Dude, those weren't the same planes.....each command has their own planes. Sometimes you'll transfer planes when you go overseas or on deployment and another unit comes back, but you don't take planes with you. You're probably saying that because their names were on the planes. The airframes shop simply uses stencils and paints it on the bird.
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