The young Lieutenant Maverick and his friend and co-pilot Goose start an aviation training in the elite school "Top Gun" in Miramar because of their successful missions. Right at the beginning of the training Maverick gets into a conflict with another student pilot named Iceman. Since Maverick shows a very risky flight and shows disobedience, he gets into trouble with his superiors. During his free time, Maverick also gets to know the attractive Charlie in a bar. At this point he does not know that she is an instructor at Top Gun. Despite this surprise, he manages to win her over and the two begin a love affair. The everyday life in the flight school continues and the competitors Maverick and Iceman continue to fly with their comrades. In a mission, there is a tragic accident: Since their engines fail Maverick and Goose have to jump off over the sea. When the ejection seat is actuated, Goose is shot into the not fully opened roof and dies. Through this incident, Maverick develops doubts about his career in the Navy and blames himself for the death of his friend. However, his supervisor succeeds in motivating him to stay and Maverick graduates. At the end of the film, Top Gun's fresh graduates are surprisingly summoned to a last risky mission.