Night pounds the carrier deck, and the thunder of jet engines rattles every steel plate. In the glare of floodlights, vapor curls from the catapult as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell leans into the blast. Beside him, Nick “Goose” Bradshaw taps a worn checklist, his glove squeaking on plastic. With a violent snap, their F-fourteen is thrown into the darkness, instantly capturing the film’s blend of dut...
