Writing

The primary inspiration for the film was discovered by one of the producers, finding an article in the May 1983 issue of California magazine which would form the basis of the film.[1] The article, Top Guns, was about the TOPGUN fighter pilots at the Miramar Naval Air Station, located in San Diego, self-nicknamed as "Fightertown USA". Numerous screenwriters allegedly turned down the project.[2] Bruckheimer and Simpson went on to hire Jim Cash and Jack Epps, Jr., to write the first draft. The research methods, by Epps, included an attendance at several declassified Top Gun classes at Miramar and gaining experience by being flown in an F-14. The first draft failed to capture the imagination of Bruckheimer and Simpson, and the first draft is considered to be very different from the final product in numerous ways.[2]

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_Gun_%28film%29