"Sir, let go of him. You gotta let him go, sir."
- When Charlie invites him over for an early dinner, then reveals she did it only so she could talk to Maverick about the MiG-28, Maverick clearly appears hurt, as he thought she had a genuine interest in him.
- The death of Goose, Maverick's copilot, best friend and practically brother in an Ejection Seat accident, of course.
- Maverick dragging his dead body out of the water and crying.
- Maverick coming to the Bradshaw home to deliver his late RIO's personal effects to his crying widow Carole and her son Bradley who will grow up without a father. You can tell he's torn up with guilt over taking Carole's husband away from her, and he's uncertain what to say. Though the exchange also comes off as heartwarming, as they hug and she has no ill feeling towards him.Carole: God, he loved flying with you, Maverick... (hugs him) He'd flown anyway, without you... He would've hated it, but he would've done it... (Maverick can't say a word)
- Maverick is so distraught over the loss of Goose that he fumbles his next exercise and can't get along at all with his replacement RIO, Sundown.Sundown: (as Maverick suddenly disengages) Hey, where the hell are you going?Maverick: Uh... It's not good. It doesn't look good.Sundown: What do you mean, "it doesn't look good"? It doesn't get to look any better than that!Sundown: (after landing) Hey, man, we could have had him. Hey, we could have had him, man!Maverick: (grabs Sundown) I will fire when I am goddamn good and ready! You got that?Jester: (watching Maverick) He can't get back in the saddle, won't engage.Viper: It's only been a few days.Jester: You know, he just might not make it back.Viper: Keep sending him up.
- Note that this is not hyperbole or a pep talk; per dialogue between Viper and Jester, the latter was deliberately hanging his ass out in a way no real opponent ever would, hoping to ease Maverick's transition from shell-shocked survivor to Ace Pilot. Sundown's Easy-Mode Mockery therefore probably isn't helping Maverick's state of mind.
- Maverick drowning his sorrows and Charlie breaking up with him.Charlie: So I'm too late... You've already left. You didn't learn a damn thing, did you? Except to quit. You've got that maneuver down real well. So long, Pete Mitchell.
- Maverick never knew exactly how his father Duke died, until Viper breaks the silence and tells him — he died a hero during The Vietnam War.Viper: We were in the worst dogfight I ever dreamed up. Bogeys like fireflies all over the sky. His F-4 was hit, he was wounded, he could have made it back, stayed in it, saved three planes before he bought it.
