The original Top Gun movie kinda pissed me off. As a young kid, all I ever wanted to do was fly. I put together model airplanes - first one I ever did was the F4U-1 Corsair, then a B-26, a F-111, a F-15, and a 1/18th F-14 (it was Hueeeege), and a B-1B bomber. I remember dreaming about being a WWII pilot. My dad took me to all the air shows that came in. And anytime any special visit from military aircraft were in the area, he took me down upon my request to visit them. I purchased and played every flight and combat simulator game I could get my hands on as a young kid.
I joined the air cadets to get my pilots license with the hope of being a military pilot when I got old enough...Then along came effing Top effing Gun and hordes of young lads all of a sudden wanted to be a pilot too cause it was COOL and you got to ride cool motorcycles and get hot blond babes. I saw the film...(did a lot of eye rolling on the engagement tactics) and although I found the movie totally over the top, it did confirm that I wanted to be a pilot but all of a sudden, so were a lot of other younger males who never ever before thought about it and they all joined the air cadets to being pilots.
All now, the competition to be a pilot in air cadets was six-fold prior Top Gun for the same year I was eligible to become a pilot. . I knew I would be an AWESOME pilot as during our run up to the competition they take you out to see how you handle aircraft. I came in first. But come to the exams and interviews... I came in third behind my two other class mates who were also Top Gun wanna-be's but no interest in a career like I was. Both were very smart and personable lads who ended up becoming engineers... One almost didn't pass cause he sucked at flying, and the other was an 'ok' pilot - he should stick to going to university and become something else.
And as a young lad, it crushed me. I quit cadets the next year as the following list of Top Gun wanna-be's was even longer for the next year.
So, for me, I say EFFF YOU Top Gun with your BS effects and bullsheit bravado. Hope #2 burns in hell.