Continuity mistake: In the final dogfight, Hollywood and Iceman are up against 5, count them, 5 Migs. Hollywood is shot down and Maverick is launched. Maverick takes out one Mig, Iceman takes out the next. That is two. Maverick takes out a third. For the finale, Maverick hits the brakes and lets him fly right by for a total of FOUR kills. Then the remaining Migs bug out. Two Migs are shown leaving. That adds up to 6 Migs, not 5. [Initially 5 Migs do show up on radar. But just after Maverick launches, Slider tells Iceman "We've got four on our tail. That makes 6 of them". So there isn't actually a continuity error when the remaining two Migs "bug out".]
Continuity mistake: When Maverick and Goose land in the sea by parachute, they are virtually on top of each other. But on the way down they are quite far apart, and would definitely not have landed in exactly the same spot.
Continuity mistake: When Cougar is looking at the picture of his wife and child, it's a girl. When he is interviewed by the Captain, he says "I almost orphaned him..." (00:10:14 - 00:13:03)
Suggested correction: He actually says "I almost orphaned 'em out there today" ie. Orphaned THEM not him.
Except he follows it up with "I've never even seen him." So he's talking about a boy. And before the orphan line he said "wife and kid", not "wife and kids", implying only one child.
And he couldn't have orphaned them anyway if their mother is still living. Dude was all shook up and couldn't think straight.
Continuity mistake: In the bar scene near the beginning, when Iceman is talking to Maverick about Cougar, the camera is facing Mav and he has the beer bottle up to his mouth. It switches views in the next shot with the camera behind Mav, and he is not drinking. Then the view switches back to facing Mav, and the beer bottle is back up to his mouth and he's drinking from it.
Continuity mistake: In the scene in the airport after Maverick quits, Charlie tells him, "you've got that maneuver down real well," and it cuts to a close-up of Maverick. Movement is seen in the shiny wall behind him, which is a reflection of Charlie standing up. It cuts to a wide shot of both of them seated. Then she stands up to say, "So long, Pete Mitchell."
Continuity mistake: Maverick is talking to Charlie in the scene where she gives him her address. In the angle from behind him, his right hand is up holding a pencil next to his head. In the reverse shot, his hand is down. No pencil.
Continuity mistake: Maverick and Charlie are having lunch. The wine hasn't been served, but the wine bottle spins between close-up shots with the label half shown to fully showing. (01:00:45)
Continuity mistake: Iceman's jet gets hits twice on two different occasions in the final dogfight segment. The hits were in the same portion of the jet. The goof is that the particular portion of the jet was magically clean again (no holes) just prior to the 'second-time' hit. That's because they used the same 'prop' for both the first and second hits - simply filmed from different angles. (01:36:53 - 01:37:24)
Continuity mistake: While having dinner with Charlie Mav puts his left hand next to his chin, but it disappears a shot later.
Continuity mistake: Charlie shows up while Mac is studying his flying moves. His hand is raised holding a pencil. From the opposite angle it's lowered. (00:36:10)
Continuity mistake: When the guys stop singing you've lost, check the waiter behind Charlotte. He turns around, gives his back to her and smokes. A shot later he's turned 180° and is now facing her.
Continuity mistake: Right before the pilots know who Charlie really is, the mechanics inspecting the plane behind change positions between the first and second shot. (00:22:51)
Continuity mistake: At the bar during the 'You've lost that loving feeling' part someone has his hand on Goose's shoulder or not depending on the shot. No continuity.
Continuity mistake: When Maverick does the go around to assist Cougar in landing, Cougar has on his left side a TOPGUN patch which is not present when he presents to the CO/CAG post flight. Cougar is also seen with a mask on in this scene when all other shots show Cougar with mask off during the landing. (00:11:23)
Continuity mistake: At the bar, when Goose and Ron are talking Goose's beer is held down, but a shot later he's drinking from it.
