"Top Gun" Call Signs Trivia Quiz

Answer: Cougar

Cougar is slang for an older woman who dates younger men. The male equivalent is Manther, a combination of man and panther.

Cougar the pilot gets spooked thinking about his family and tells the CAG he lost the edge because he almost orphaned his child and widowed his wife. By turning in his wings he gives Maverick the chance to go to Top Gun.

Cougar is played by John Stockwell, who as well as being an actor has gone on to direct.

Answer: Merlin

Merlin is the wizard of Arthurian legend and a worker of magic.

In the movie, the RIO Merlin loses his chance to go to Top Gun when Cougar resigns from active flight status. But this is not the last we see of him. After Goose is killed, Merlin becomes Maverick's RIO for the final engagement of the movie.

Merlin is played by Tim Robbins in a small role for the soon to be famous actor. He would break out in the movie "Bull Durham" two years later.

Answer: Hollywood and Wolfman

Movie stars = Hollywood, monsters = Wolfman.

Hollywood and Wolfman figure prominently in the movie, both at Top Gun and in the final dog fight where they are shot down.

Hollywood is played by Whip Hubley. This role is the one he is most noted for, although he has quite an extensive list of movie credits.

Wolfman is played by Barry Tubb who has gone on to act in TV and films. He gave away Julia Roberts when she married Lyle Lovett.

Answer: Stinger

The Stinger is a surface-to-air missile used by the United States Armed Forces and famously supplied to the Mujahideen in Afghanistan in the 1980s. Although the Tomahawk is a type of cruise missile, no one had that call sign in the movie.

Stinger is the CAG on the USS Enterprise and he does not like Maverick because he thinks he is too cocky. He is reluctant to send Maverick and Goose to the Top Gun school but has no choice since they are his best remaining pilots after Cougar resigns.

CAG stands for Commander, Air Group and refers to the Commander of the Air Wing aboard a carrier. Although Carrier Air Groups were redesignated as Carrier Air Wings in the 1970s, the commander still retained the title of CAG.

Stinger is played by James Tolkan, who is most famous for playing the principal in the Back to the Future Trilogy.

Answer: Iceman

Iceman is given his name because he is cool as ice when flying in combat. He does not like Maverick because he thinks he takes too many chances and is therefore a danger to himself and those around him. In the dog fight at the end of the movie, it is Maverick who saves Iceman when he is outnumbered.

Val Kilmer plays Iceman and although he was an established actor at the time of filming, the film helped confirm his status as a bankable actor.

Answer: Slider

The Slider is a pitch in American Baseball. The Fastball is also a pitch but no one in the movie uses that call sign.

The RIO Slider has no love loss for Maverick or Goose and shares the opinion of Iceman that Maverick is dangerous.

One of the better dialogue exchanges takes place between Slider and Goose -
Slider: "Goose, whose butt did you kiss to get in here anyway?"
Goose: "The list is long, but distinguished."

Slider is played by Rick Rossovich, a character actor who has appeared in over 30 films and numerous TV series.

Answer: Viper

The word viper can refer to any number of venomous snakes.

Viper the pilot tells Maverick he flew with his father and that his father is a hero. His father could have received the Congressional Medal of Honor if the battle had not been classified by the State Department.

Viper is played by Tom Skerritt. Skerritt has an extensive resume in both film and TV and won an Emmy for "Picket Fences" in the 90s.

Answer: Sundown

Sunset (sundown) occurs in the west, hence the clue.

Sundown replaces Goose as Maverick's RIO at Top Gun but does not follow him back to the USS Enterprise. Merlin becomes Maverick's RIO when he rejoins the Fleet.

Sundown is played by Clarence Gilyard and "Top Gun" is his movie debut. He is most famous for co-starring in "Walker, Texas Ranger" as Jimmy Trivette.

Answer: Merlin

Merlin is a wizard from Arthurian legend. There is no character named Wizard and Harry Potter did not come into existence until well after the movie was made. Sundown is Maverick's RIO at Top Gun but not in the final dogfight.

The RIO Merlin is the RIO for Cougar at the beginning of the movie. Merlin stays on board the USS Enterprise when Maverick and Goose went to Top Gun. When Maverick returns without Goose, the two are teamed together.

Tim Robbins plays Merlin. During the filming of his breakout role in "Bull Durham", Robbins met Susan Sarandon. They have two sons together. The couple split in December 2009.

Answer: False

We never learn the call sign of Maverick's father, only that Viper served with him in Vietnam and was present when he was shot down. The memory of his father and the questions surrounding what actually happened to him haunt Maverick throughout the film.