20 Things You Somehow Missed In Top Gun
3. Did You Spot The Real Viper?
Although Top Gun had many technical consultants, the top advisor was Pete Pettigrew (Yes, he has the same name as Timothy Spall's character in Harry Potter.) Pettigrew was a Topgun instructor, who earned a reputation as a master pilot after he shot down a MiG jet in the Vietnam War.
Not only was he responsible for maintaining the technical accuracies of the film, he was the direct inspiration for Commander Viper, who leads the Topgun applicants. (Pettigrew's codename was Viper during his tenure in Topgun.)
On top of that, Pettigrew makes a brief appearance in the film. After Charlie rejects Maverick in the club, she makes her way to an older gentleman by a table, who is portrayed by Pettigrew.