And It's Captured On Film Forever.

Top Gun has not aged well for me.

I learned too much about film and fighters since I saw it in the theaters.

The opening sequence is still pretty good, but they show several shots of the hook catching the wire.

The first is a one wire, the second is a four wire.

There are four wires.

You are aiming for the spot between #2 and #3, then you catch the third.

If you catch 1 or 2, you were too low.

If you catch 4 you were too high.

Poor F-14 pilots, two embarrassing traps and it's on film.  Good thing they don't show the plane, the shame is somewhat hidden.

It's kinda amusing just a bit later when a lowly A-7 makes a nice 3 wire trap.

But wait, there's more!

Cougar loses his shit 190 miles from the boat?  Can't come back until Maverick fetches him?  Fuel is critically low.  Yet he's got enough gas to cruise aimlessly while Maverick flies all the way back to the ship, bolters, flies back out to him and then back to the ship?  Never mind that the fuel display shows nearly full drop tanks...

Oh, and Cougar turning in his wings?  Yeah, prolly saved some time after landing after an unsafe approach and wave-off.

By the way, did you know Tom Cruise is too short to be F-14 crew?  Tim Robbins is too tall.