A fighter pilot flightsuit from the production of Tony Scott's Top Gun. Pete "Maverick" Mitchell (Tom Cruise) and his fellow pilots wore flightsuits during aerial operations at the US Navy's Fighter Weapons School and on board the USS Enterprise. This flightsuit was created for pilots designated as enemy aircraft during simulated dogfights, but ultimately unseen in the final cut.
The highest-grossing film of 1986, Top Gun won an Academy Award® (out of four nominations), a Golden Globe®, and a Grammy®. In 2015, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress, as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". A critically acclaimed and massively successful sequel, Top Gun: Maverick, was released in 2022.
This military-issue flightsuit (Size 42S chest, 33 1/2 sleeve) is made of sage green fabric with a front zip and adjustable waistbands. Zips and pockets are present along the legs, chest and arms, while a Western Costume Co. tag with size measurements and labeled "Top Gun" and "2507-1" is sewn into the collar. Part of the signature look of the naval aviators at the Top Gun academy was the array of squadron insignia. This suit features an American flag on the left shoulder, Pacific Fleet Adversary Squadron 126 and Tactical Wings Atlantic patches on the right chest, hook-and-loop fasteners for affixing a name patch on the left chest, and red thread remnants in the right sleeve where a badge was removed after production. The lot shows evidence of intentional production distressing together with wear consistent with handling and age; including minor staining and discoloration.