Top Gun Trivia

100+ Best Top Gun Trivia Questions & Answers

Mike Oberman

Updated: July 10th, 2023

Queue the soundtrack! Anyone who loves a good action flick should know about Top Gun at some level. Answer trivia questions about Top Gun in this ultimate Top Gun trivia quiz!

General Top Gun Trivia

Question: When was the movie Top Gun released?

Answer: 1986

Question: Who directed Top Gun?

Answer: Tony Scott

Question: Which academy did the characters attend in the film?

Answer: Top Gun Naval Fighter Weapons School

Question: What is the nickname of the lead character, Pete Mitchell?

Answer: Maverick

Question: Which country was the film primarily set in?

Answer: United States

Question: What aircraft did the pilots fly in the movie?

Answer: F-14 Tomcat

Question: Who played the role of Maverick in Top Gun?

Answer: Tom Cruise

Question: What is the name of the main antagonist pilot in the film?

Answer: Iceman

Question: What song from the movie became a major hit and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song?

Answer: "Take My Breath Away"

Question: Which real aircraft carrier was used for the filming of Top Gun?

Answer: USS Enterprise (CVN-65)

Question: What is the name of Maverick's best friend and Radar Intercept Officer (RIO)?

Answer: Goose

Question: What is the call sign for the aircraft carrier in the movie?

Answer: USS Enterprise (CVN-65) - Call Sign: "Gulf Tower"

Question: Which actor played the role of the instructor, Viper?

Answer: Tom Skerritt

Question: Which fictional squadron do the characters belong to?

Answer: VF-51 "Screaming Indians"

Question: What does the term "Top Gun" refer to in the movie?

Answer: The elite fighter pilot training program

Top Gun Characters Trivia

Question: Who is Maverick's love interest in the film?

Answer: Charlotte "Charlie" Blackwood

Question: Which actor portrayed the character of Iceman?

Answer: Val Kilmer

Question: What is the call sign of the character portrayed by Anthony Edwards?

Answer: Goose

Question: Who played the role of Maverick's flight instructor, Viper?

Answer: Tom Skerritt

Question: What is the call sign of the character portrayed by Tim Robbins?

Answer: Merlin

Question: What is the name of the commanding officer aboard the aircraft carrier?

Answer: Commander Mike "Viper" Metcalf

Question: Who played the role of Carol Bradshaw, Maverick's former lover?

Answer: Meg Ryan

Question: What is the call sign of the character portrayed by Rick Rossovich?

Answer: Slider

Question: Which actor played the role of Stinger, the commander of Top Gun?

Answer: James Tolkan

Question: What is the name of the character who is the commanding officer of the Top Gun school?

Answer: Commander Pete "Maverick" Mitchell

Question: Who played the role of Jester, one of the instructors at Top Gun?

Answer: Michael Ironside

Question: What is the call sign of the character portrayed by Whip Hubley?

Answer: Hollywood

Question: What is the name of the Top Gun instructor who aggressively challenges Maverick?

Answer: Lt. Tom "Stinger" Jordan

Question: Who played the role of Sundown, one of the pilots in the film?

Answer: Charles "Chip" Webster

Question: What is the call sign of the character portrayed by Clarence Gilyard Jr.?

Answer: Sundown

Top Gun Plot Trivia

Question: What was the main goal of the pilots at the Top Gun school?

Answer: To become the best fighter pilots

Question: In the film, what event caused Maverick to become disillusioned with flying?

Answer: The death of his RIO, Goose

Question: What is the call sign of the mission that the pilots go on at the end of the movie?

Answer: Operation Yoyo

Question: What is the call sign of the final dogfight exercise in the movie?

Answer: MiG-28

Question: Why did Maverick's father crash while flying a similar aircraft?

Answer: Engaged in a flat spin and unable to recover

Question: What type of aircraft was responsible for shooting down Maverick's father?

Answer: MiG-17

Question: Which real-life incident inspired the creation of the Top Gun program?

Answer: The Navy Fighter Weapons School established in 1969

Question: What does the phrase "Gutsiest move I ever saw, Mav" refer to in the film?

Answer: Maverick's decision to engage the enemy despite being low on fuel

Question: Which character says the iconic line, "I feel the need... the need for speed"?

Answer: Maverick and Goose

Question: What is the call sign given to Maverick's wingman during the final dogfight?

Answer: Cougar

Question: What maneuver does Maverick execute during the final dogfight to defeat the enemy?

Answer: The "Split S" maneuver

Question: In the film, what is the call sign given to Maverick after the death of Goose?

Answer: Ghost Rider

Question: What is the name of the carrier-based battle group that deploys in the movie?

Answer: Battle Group 7

Question: What event triggers Maverick's desire to rejoin Top Gun and prove himself?

Answer: The loss of a friendly aircraft in a dogfight

Question: What happens to the enemy pilot during the final dogfight?

Answer: He ejects after being outmaneuvered by Maverick

Top Gun Actors & Actresses Trivia

Question: Besides Top Gun, Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer appeared together in another movie. What was it?

Answer: Tombstone

Question: Tom Cruise initially turned down the role of Maverick. Which actor was offered the part first?

Answer: Matthew Modine

Question: Kelly McGillis, who played Charlie, had previously starred in another popular '80s movie. What was it?

Answer: Witness

Question: Anthony Edwards, who played Goose, also starred in a popular medical drama series. What is the name of the series?

Answer: ER

Question: Tom Skerritt, who portrayed Viper, starred in another famous science fiction movie. What was it?

Answer: Alien

Question: Meg Ryan, who played Carol Bradshaw, went on to become a well-known romantic comedy actress. Which movie propelled her to fame?

Answer: When Harry Met Sally...

Question: Val Kilmer, who played Iceman, portrayed which real-life musician in a biographical film?

Answer: Jim Morrison (in The Doors)

Question: What was the name of the actor who portrayed the character Slider?

Answer: Rick Rossovich

Question: Michael Ironside, who played Jester, has appeared in numerous science fiction films. In which franchise did he play a prominent role?

Answer: Starship Troopers

Question: What is the name of the actor who portrayed the character of Hollywood?

Answer: Whip Hubley

Question: Who played the role of Stinger, the commander of Top Gun?

Answer: James Tolkan

Question: In which movie did Anthony Edwards and Tom Cruise reunite after Top Gun?

Answer: Jerry Maguire

Question: What is the name of the actress who portrayed Carole Bradshaw, Goose's wife?

Answer: Meg Ryan

Question: Tim Robbins, who played Merlin, won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in which film?

Answer: Mystic River

Question: What is the name of the actor who portrayed the character Sundown?

Answer: Clarence Gilyard Jr.