<P> Rear Admiral Pete "Viper" Pettigrew, a former Navy aviator, Vietnam War veteran, and Topgun instructor served as a technical advisor on the film, and also made a cameo appearance in the film as a colleague of Charlie's . </P> <P> Former Top Gun instructor pilot and Congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham claimed to have been the inspiration for Pete Mitchell, although the film's producers have denied that the character was based on any specific Naval Aviator . </P> <P> The Navy made several aircraft from F - 14 fighter squadron VF - 51 "Screaming Eagles" (which Tom Skerritt mentions in the scene at his home) available for the film . Paramount paid as much as US $7,800 per hour for fuel and other operating costs whenever aircraft were flown outside their normal duties . Shots of the aircraft carrier sequences were filmed aboard the USS Enterprise, showing aircraft from F - 14 squadrons VF - 114 "Aardvarks" and VF - 213 "Black Lions". The majority of the carrier flight deck shots were of normal aircraft operations and the film crew had to take what they could get, save for the occasional flyby which the film crew would request . During filming, director Tony Scott wanted to shoot aircraft landing and taking off, back - lit by the sun . During one particular filming sequence, the ship's commanding officer changed the ship's course, thus changing the light . When Scott asked if they could continue on their previous course and speed, he was informed by the commander that it cost US $25,000 to turn the ship, and to continue on course . Scott wrote the carrier's captain a US $25,000 check so that the ship could be turned and he could continue shooting for another five minutes . </P> <P> Most of the sequences of the aircraft maneuvering over land were shot at Naval Air Station Fallon, in Nevada, using ground - mounted cameras . Air - to - air shots were filmed using a Learjet . Grumman, manufacturer of the F - 14, was commissioned by Paramount Pictures to create camera pods to be placed upon the aircraft that could be pointed toward either the front or rear of the aircraft providing outside shots at high altitude . </P>

What aircraft carrier was used in the movie top gun