United States Naval Aviator LT Pete "Maverick" Mitchell and his Radar Intercept Officer LTJG Nick

"Goose" Bradshaw are stationed aboard the USS Enterprise, from which they fly the F-14A Tomcat.
During an interception with two hostile MiG-28 aircraft, Maverick gets missile lock on one, while the
other hostile aircraft locks onto Maverick's wingman, Cougar. While Maverick drives off the
remaining MiG-28, Cougar is too shaken to land, and Maverick, defying orders, shepherds him back
to the carrier. Cougar gives up his wings, citing his newborn child that he has never seen. Despite
his dislike for Maverick's recklessness, CAG "Stinger" sends him and Goose to attend TOPGUN, the
Naval Fighter Weapons School at Naval Air Station Miramar.
At a bar the day before Topgun starts, Maverick, assisted by Goose, unsuccessfully approaches a
woman. Maverick learns the next day that she is Charlotte "Charlie" Blackwood,
an astrophysicist and civilian TOPGUN instructor. Charlie later becomes interested in Maverick upon
learning of his inverted maneuver with the MiG-28, which disproves US intelligence on the enemy
aircraft's performance.
During Maverick's first training hop he defeats instructor LCDR Rick "Jester" Heatherly but through
reckless flying breaks a major rule of engagement and is reprimanded by chief instructor CDR Mike
"Viper" Metcalf. Privately, Jester confides that he admires Maverick's skill, but doesn't know if he
would trust him as a teammate in combat. Maverick also becomes a rival to top student LT Tom
"Iceman" Kazansky, who considers Maverick's attitude "foolish" and his flying "dangerous"—as
Maverick's tendency to abandon his team and pursue reckless objectives makes him "unsafe" to fly
with. In class, Charlie also objects to Maverick's aggressive tactics but privately admits to him that
she admires his flying and omitted it from her reports to hide her feelings for him, and the two begin
a romantic relationship.
During another training hop (Hop 19), Maverick abandons his wingman "Hollywood" to chase Viper.
Jester admits he is impressed with his flying abilities but Maverick is defeated when Viper
maneuvers Maverick into a position from which his wingman Jester can shoot down Maverick from
behind, demonstrating the value of teamwork over individual prowess. Jester publicly tells Maverick
that his flying is excellent, but that he should "never leave [his] wingman."
Maverick and Iceman, now direct competitors for the TOPGUN Trophy, chase an A-4 in a later
training engagement (Hop 31). Since part of the scoring in every flight in the course is the time taken
for every dogfight to conclude, and after noticing that Iceman is pulling time during his chase after
the A-4 so that his total score in the course will remain higher than Maverick's, Maverick pressures
Iceman to break off his engagement with the A-4 they are both chasing so that he can shoot it down
himself, but Maverick's F-14 flies through the jet wash of Iceman's aircraft and suffers a flameout of
both engines, going into an unrecoverable flat spin. Maverick and Goose eject, but Goose hits the
jettisoned aircraft canopy head-first and is killed.
Although the board of inquiry clears Maverick of responsibility for Goose's death, he is overcome by
guilt and his flying skill diminishes. Charlie and others attempt to console him, but Maverick
considers retiring. He seeks advice from Viper, who reveals that he served with Maverick's father
Duke Mitchell on the USS Oriskany and was in the air battle in which Mitchell was killed. Contrary to
official reports which faulted Mitchell, Viper reveals classified information that proves Mitchell died
heroically and informs Maverick that he can succeed if he can regain his self-confidence. Maverick
chooses to graduate, though Iceman wins the TOPGUN Trophy.
During the graduation party, Viper and Jester call in the newly graduated aviators with the orders to
deploy. Iceman, Hollywood, and Maverick are ordered to immediately return to the Enterprise to deal
with a "crisis situation", providing air support for the rescue of a stricken ship that has drifted into
hostile waters.