Iceman: The plaque for the alternates is down in the ladies room.
Maverick: Tower, this is Ghost Rider requesting a flyby.
Air Boss Johnson: Negative, Ghost Rider, the pattern is full.
Maverick: That son of a bitch cut me off!
Goose: The Defense Department regrets to inform you that your sons are dead because they were stupid.
Maverick: I think I'll go embarrass myself with Goose.
Carole: God, he loved flying with you Maverick. But he would've done it anyway... Without you. He'd have hated it, but he would've done it.
Goose: Come on, Mav, do some of that pilot shit!
Slider: Goose, whose butt did you kiss to get in here anyway?
Goose: The list is long, but distinguished.
Slider: Yeah, well so is my Johnson.
Answer: These aircraft are extremely complex; the presence of the backseater, variously known officially as the Weapon Systems Operator or Radar Intercept Officer, allows the pilot to focus on the immediate needs of flying the plane, as his backseater can take on many of the other tasks required. They serve as navigators, tacticians, bombardiers, weapons systems operators and, of course, as we see in the film, an extra set of eyes; they use their discretion in passing information to the pilot, ensuring that the pilot has only data that's important to the situation and isn't swamped by trivia. Without the distraction of having to fly the plane, they can often be better placed to coordinate between multiple planes, leading to situations where the backseater can be placed in command of the mission.
Tailkinker ★