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where was top gun filmed

Most of Top Gun (1986) was filmed in and around San Diego, California, with key aerial work also done in Nevada and at sea on a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier.

Main Filming Locations

  • San Diego, California (primary base) – The Top Gun school itself was filmed at what was then Naval Air Station Miramar (now Marine Corps Air Station Miramar), which serves as the main setting for the pilots’ training.
  • Downtown and greater San Diego – Multiple scenes use real city spots, including streets, freeways, and naval facilities in the area.

Iconic On‑Screen Spots

  • Charlie’s beach house – Located at 102 Pacific Street (often listed as 102 South Pacific Street), in Oceanside, California, just north of San Diego.
  • Bar and piano scenes – The famous bar where “Great Balls of Fire” is played was filmed at Kansas City Barbeque, 610 W. Market Street, San Diego.
  • Other San Diego landmarks – Scenes were also shot at places like the Lafayette Hotel and various beach and street locations around the city.

Aerial and Military Filming

  • Miramar and training facilities – Flight operations and base life were staged primarily at Miramar, which housed the real Navy Fighter Weapons School at the time.
  • Naval Air Station Fallon, Nevada – Many of the over‑land dogfight and training flight sequences were filmed in the airspace around NAS Fallon.
  • U.S. Navy aircraft carrier – Carrier deck and exterior shots used a real operational carrier (such as the USS Enterprise) cruising in the Pacific Ocean.

Quick HTML Table of Key Sites

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Location Real Place Usage in Film
Top Gun school Naval Air Station Miramar, San Diego, CAMain training base, classrooms, flight line
Charlie’s house 102 Pacific Street, Oceanside, CACharlie's beachfront home exterior and surroundings
Bar / piano scene Kansas City Barbeque, 610 W. Market St, San Diego, CA“Great Balls of Fire” piano and bar scenes
Dogfight over land Naval Air Station Fallon, NevadaAerial combat and training sequences
Carrier operations USS Enterprise, Pacific OceanAircraft carrier deck and flight scenes
**Meta description:** Most of _Top Gun_ was filmed in San Diego and Oceanside, California, with aerial scenes at NAS Fallon in Nevada and carrier shots aboard a U.S. Navy ship.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.