TopGun gets my vote for the BEST flying film to date.
Who cares about the shmaltz - the flying scenes were superb.
Of course a crisis started "the moment (literally) they finish training". How many years did you want the film to last in the interests of credibility?
I'm not sure that RAF jet jockeys are quite as "FED UP of the press referring to them as 'Top Guns', even after 14 years" as you think.
Most jet jockeys I know saw it n. times, and then bought the video!