Top Gun is a 1986 American action drama film directed by Tony Scott, and produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, in association with PARAMOUNT Pictures. The screenplay was written by Jim Cash and Jack Epps, Jr., and was inspired by the article "Top Guns" written by Ehud Yonay for California magazine. The film Stars Tom Cruise, KELLY McGillis, Val Kilmer, Anthony Edwards, and Tom Skerritt. Cruise plays Lieutenant Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, a young Naval aviator aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise. He and hisRadar Intercept Officer (RIO) Nick "Goose" Bradshaw (Edwards) are given the chance to train at the Navy's Fighter Weapons School at Miramar in San Diego.    

CDR Mike "Viper" Metcalf is an instructor at TOPGUN & a old friend of Maverick's father "Duke Mitchell". A Vietnam war vet who flew a McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II along side Duke. When he first meets Maverick he is not impressed about him being below the hard deck nor him buzzing the tower which got Air Boss Johnson upset. He is impressed with his skills even after he broke away from Hollywood in training. He even visits Maverick in the hospital after Goose's death & tells him the story about how many pilots were lost during the war. One day as Maverick pays a visit to Viper's house he tells him about knowing his father & the truth about what really happened to him despite the information about the incident being classified. He also tells him that he has earned enough points to graduate or that he could quit. At the graduation he tells Maverick, Iceman, Slider, Hollywood, & Wolfman that they are needed aboard the Enterprise. He also tells Maverick that he would get his R.I.O. when he got there and in case he didn't he tells him to that he would fly with him if needed.

CAST: 

• Tom Cruise as LT Pete "Maverick" Mitchell 
• KELLY McGillis as Charlotte "Charlie" Blackwood 
• Val Kilmer as LT Tom "Iceman" Kazanski 
• Anthony Edwards as LTJG Nick "Goose" Bradshaw 
• Tom Skerritt as CDR Mike "Viper" 
• Metcalf Michael Ironside as LCDR Rick "Jester" Heatherly 
• John Stockwell as LT Bill "Cougar" Cortell 
• Barry Tubb as LTJG Leonard "Wolfman" Wolfe 
• Rick Rossovich as LTJG Ron "Slider" Kerner 
• Tim Robbins as LTJG Samuel "Merlin" Wells 
• Clarence Gilyard, Jr. as LTJG Marcus "Sundown" Williams 
• Whip Hubley as LT Rick "Hollywood" Neven 
• James Tolkan as CDR Tom "Stinger" Jardian 
• Meg Ryan as Carole Bradshaw 
• Adrian Pasdar as LT Charles "Chipper" Piper 
• Duke Stroud as Air Boss CDR Johnson 
• Linda Rae Jurgens as Mary Metcalf