Top Gun Quiz: Maverick, Goose, Iceman and the Danger Zone

This Top Gun quiz takes you into the cockpit with Tom Cruise as Maverick, from Tony Scott's 1986 classic with Goose, Iceman, the F-14 Tomcat and Kenny Loggins's Danger Zone to the 2022 sequel Top Gun: Maverick, directed by Joseph Kosinski, with Miles Teller as Rooster and Lady Gaga's Hold My Hand. Fifteen questions.

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🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 15 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 15 Time: 150s

Director
Who directed the original Top Gun in 1986?
Names
What is Maverick's real name in Top Gun?
Goose
Which actor played Maverick's best friend and radar officer, Goose?
Iceman
Who played Maverick's rival, Iceman?
Aircraft
Which fighter jet do Maverick and Goose fly in the original film?
Music
Which singer recorded Danger Zone for the Top Gun soundtrack?
Oscar
Which song from Top Gun won the Oscar for Best Original Song?
School
At which real naval air station was the Top Gun school based in the original film?
Sequel
In which year was Top Gun: Maverick released?
Sequel
Who directed Top Gun: Maverick?
Rooster
In Top Gun: Maverick, which actor plays Rooster, the son of Goose?
Music
Which singer recorded Hold My Hand for Top Gun: Maverick?
Sequel jets
Which aircraft do the young pilots fly in Top Gun: Maverick?
Romance
Which actress plays Penny Benjamin, Maverick's love interest in the sequel?
Scenes
Which beach sport is played in a famous scene in the original Top Gun?

Explanations: answer key for all 15 questions

Q1: Who directed the original Top Gun in 1986?
Answer: Tony Scott
Tony Scott was known for stylish action films. His brother Ridley Scott directed Alien and Gladiator.
Q2: What is Maverick's real name in Top Gun?
Answer: Pete Mitchell
Lieutenant Pete Mitchell flies under the call sign Maverick. Nick Bradshaw is Goose, and Tom Kazansky is Iceman.
Q3: Which actor played Maverick's best friend and radar officer, Goose?
Answer: Anthony Edwards
Anthony Edwards later became famous as Dr. Mark Greene on the TV drama ER. Goose's fate is the emotional heart of the film.
Q4: Who played Maverick's rival, Iceman?
Answer: Val Kilmer
Val Kilmer returned as Iceman in Top Gun: Maverick in a moving scene. He had lost much of his voice after throat cancer.
Q5: Which fighter jet do Maverick and Goose fly in the original film?
Answer: F-14 Tomcat
The F-14 Tomcat was the US Navy's main fighter at the time. Real Navy pilots flew many of the film's aerial scenes.
Q6: Which singer recorded Danger Zone for the Top Gun soundtrack?
Answer: Kenny Loggins
Danger Zone was written by Giorgio Moroder and Tom Whitlock. It plays over the famous opening carrier scenes.
Q7: Which song from Top Gun won the Oscar for Best Original Song?
Answer: Take My Breath Away
Take My Breath Away was performed by the band Berlin. It also topped the charts in the United States and the UK.
Q8: At which real naval air station was the Top Gun school based in the original film?
Answer: Miramar
The Navy Fighter Weapons School was at Naval Air Station Miramar near San Diego. It later moved to Nevada.
Q9: In which year was Top Gun: Maverick released?
Answer: 2022
Its release was delayed by the pandemic. The film became a massive hit and earned about 1.5 billion dollars worldwide.
Q10: Who directed Top Gun: Maverick?
Answer: Joseph Kosinski
Joseph Kosinski had worked with Tom Cruise on the science-fiction film Oblivion. He insisted on filming real jets in flight.
Q11: In Top Gun: Maverick, which actor plays Rooster, the son of Goose?
Answer: Miles Teller
Miles Teller grew a mustache to look like Anthony Edwards's Goose. Glen Powell played the cocky pilot Hangman.
Q12: Which singer recorded Hold My Hand for Top Gun: Maverick?
Answer: Lady Gaga
Hold My Hand was nominated for the Oscar for Best Original Song. Gaga also helped compose the film's score.
Q13: Which aircraft do the young pilots fly in Top Gun: Maverick?
Answer: The F/A-18 Super Hornet
The actors flew in real Super Hornets with Navy pilots at the controls. They trained for months to handle the strong forces.
Q14: Which actress plays Penny Benjamin, Maverick's love interest in the sequel?
Answer: Jennifer Connelly
Penny Benjamin was mentioned in the first film but never seen. Kelly McGillis played Charlie, the instructor, in 1986.
Q15: Which beach sport is played in a famous scene in the original Top Gun?
Answer: Volleyball
The beach volleyball scene became one of the film's most famous moments. The sequel paid tribute with a game of beach football.

Top Gun Quiz – Feel the Need for Speed

Top Gun, released in 1986, is one of the most iconic action films of the 1980s. Directed by Tony Scott, it stars Tom Cruise as Lieutenant Pete Mitchell, call sign Maverick, a talented but reckless Navy pilot sent to the elite fighter school at Naval Air Station Miramar.

The film is remembered for its characters, including Maverick's loyal friend Goose, played by Anthony Edwards, and his cool rival Iceman, played by Val Kilmer. Real F-14 Tomcats flown by Navy pilots made the aerial scenes thrilling, and the soundtrack featured Kenny Loggins's Danger Zone and Berlin's Oscar-winning Take My Breath Away.

Thirty-six years later, Top Gun: Maverick brought the story back. Directed by Joseph Kosinski, it shows Maverick training young pilots, including Rooster, Goose's son, played by Miles Teller. The cast flew in real F/A-18 Super Hornets, and Lady Gaga recorded the song Hold My Hand.

Delayed by the pandemic, the sequel finally arrived in 2022 and earned about 1.5 billion dollars, becoming one of Tom Cruise's biggest hits and a celebration of practical filmmaking.

What This Quiz Teaches

The 1986 original and Tony Scott
Maverick, Goose and Iceman
The F-14 Tomcat and Miramar
Danger Zone and Take My Breath Away
Top Gun: Maverick and Rooster
Famous scenes and songs

Quick Facts About Top Gun

The US Navy helped with filming both movies.
Recruitment for Navy aviators rose after the first film.
Tom Cruise is a licensed pilot in real life.
The sequel won the Oscar for Best Sound.
Both films feature an opening sequence on an aircraft carrier.
Maverick's leather jacket became a fashion classic.