You've seen the movies. You’ve watched Maverick pull some questionable Gs and heard the roar of the F-14’s engines through your theater’s subwoofers. Naturally, you want to do that in Digital Combat Simulator (DCS). But here is the thing: there isn't just one single DCS Top Gun campaign that you click on to "be Maverick."
Honestly, the reality is way more fragmented—and way cooler.
Most people start looking for a "Top Gun mode" and get frustrated when they realize DCS doesn't hold your hand. It’s a study sim. If you want the Top Gun experience, you basically have to choose between ultra-realistic training syllabuses that will make you sweat through your flight suit, or fan-made missions that recreate the "Maverick" canyon run with surprising accuracy.
Let's break down what's actually out there because if you buy the wrong module or map, you’re just going to be sitting on a tarmac in Georgia wondering where the volleyball court is.
The Real Deal: Reflected Simulations and "Zone 5"
If you want the closest thing to the actual United States Navy Fighter Weapons School, you look at Reflected Simulations. Specifically, the F-14 Zone 5 Campaign. This isn't some arcadey "shoot down 50 MiGs" power trip. It was developed with the help of Dave "Bio" Baranek, a real-life TOPGUN instructor.
Bio was actually there during the filming of the 1986 movie.
When you fly this campaign, you aren't just dogfighting; you’re going through a structured syllabus in the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR). You have to fly the "Blue Air" missions exactly as briefed. If you deviate from the flight plan or fail to hit your timings, the instructors will let you know. It’s brutal. It’s unforgiving. And it is the most rewarding way to fly the Heatblur F-14.
But wait, there’s a catch. You need:
- The DCS: F-14 Tomcat by Heatblur.
- The Nevada Test and Training Range map.
- The DCS: Supercarrier module (for the carrier quals).
If you don't have the Nevada map, the campaign won't even show up. You’re basically paying for a digital education in BFM (Basic Fighter Maneuvers).
Speed and Angels: The Prequel You Didn't Know You Needed
Then there’s Speed and Angels. This one is a collaboration between Reflected and Commander Francesco "Paco" Chierici. Paco is a former Tomcat pilot who produced the Speed and Angels documentary. This campaign focuses on the RAG (Replacement Air Group) phase.
Think of it as the step before Top Gun.
You’re a "nugget." You’re learning how to not crash the plane while landing on a moving boat at night. The voice acting is top-tier because they used actual naval aviators. It’s got over 3,000 lines of custom dialogue. You’ll hear "Slick" and "Paco" in your ear, and they don't sound like robots reading a script. They sound like tired, overworked pilots who really don't want to see you "bolter" for the fifth time in a row.
What About the "Maverick" Canyon Run?
So, you saw the 2022 sequel and you want to fly through a canyon at 500 knots to blow up a uranium plant. We've all been there.
Eagle Dynamics (the developers of DCS) never released an "official" licensed Top Gun: Maverick DLC like Microsoft Flight Simulator did. However, the community is insane. In a good way. If you head over to the DCS User Files section, you’ll find dozens of free missions titled things like "Top Gun Maverick Canyon Mission" or "Nellis River Run."
User NTCG14 and Bjer006 have some of the most downloaded recreations.
Usually, these require the F/A-18C Hornet. You’ll be tasked with staying below a certain altitude—often 100 feet—while weaving through the mountains. If you pop up too high, the "SAMs" (simulated by triggers in the mission editor) will swat you out of the sky instantly. Some of these even feature custom voice lines pulled straight from the movie, which is technically a copyright nightmare but awesome for immersion.
The A-4 Skyhawk: The Unsung Hero of the 86 Film
Remember the "scooters" Viper and Jester flew? In DCS, the A-4E-C Skyhawk is a community-made mod. It is completely free. And it is high-fidelity.
Many DCS Top Gun campaign enthusiasts overlook the A-4 because it’s not a $80 module, but if you want to play the role of the "aggressor" or the "bandit," this is your jet. There are specific missions like "Mighty Wings" by user TheHighwayman that pit you in an F-14 against these nimble little Skyhawks.
You quickly realize why the Tomcat pilots feared them. They can turn inside you all day.
✨ Don't miss: Major Tom in Metal Gear: The Identity Crisis That Defined Snake Eater
Technical Hurdles People Forget
It’s not all "Danger Zone" and high-fives. Setting up a proper DCS Top Gun campaign experience is a technical slog.
- Jester AI vs. Human RIO: If you're flying the F-14, you have a Radar Intercept Officer in the back. Heatblur’s Jester AI is great, but he can be a bit... talkative. In the Zone 5 campaign, Jester is often "silenced" or automated to follow the specific mission scripts. It can be jarring if you're used to the standard menu.
- The Map Cost: This is the big one. To do Top Gun "right," you need the Nevada map. Most DCS players own the Caucasus (free) or Syria (popular). Nevada is a bit of a niche purchase these days, but you can't simulate Miramar or Fallon without it.
- Hardware: Don't try the canyon run with a keyboard. Just don't. You need a HOTAS (Hands On Throttle-And-Stick) and, ideally, some form of head tracking like TrackIR or VR. Trying to check your six for a bandit while using a mouse is a quick way to meet the desert floor.
Why "Fear the Bones" Isn't Top Gun (But You Should Play It Anyway)
There is a third famous F-14 campaign called Fear the Bones. People often lump it in with the Top Gun stuff. It’s not. It’s a fictional combat deployment in the Black Sea during the 1980s.
It feels more like a Tom Clancy novel than a Tony Scott movie.
While Zone 5 is about training, Fear the Bones is about war. You’re launching AIM-54 Phoenix missiles at Soviet bombers. It’s a different vibe entirely, but it uses the same "period-correct" atmosphere that makes the Top Gun era so addictive.
The "Maverick" Experience in the F-16
Wait, the Viper? Yeah.
Even though the movies are all about the Tomcat and the Hornet, the F-16C Viper plays a huge role in modern Top Gun training (the real-life school). Baltic Dragon, another legendary campaign creator, has the "Gamblers" campaign. While it's set in Syria and covers a real-world deployment, the level of tactical detail is exactly what a Top Gun graduate would expect.
If you want to feel like an expert, fly Baltic Dragon. If you want to feel like a movie star, fly Reflected.
The Verdict on the Best Entry Point
If you're brand new, don't buy anything yet. Download the free A-4E-C mod and the free Top Gun Final MIG Encounter mission from the user files. See if you actually enjoy the "study" part of the sim.
💡 You might also like: Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra is the Captain America game we've actually been waiting for
DCS is 90% flipping switches and 10% heart-pounding terror.
If you decide to go all in, the F-14 Zone 5 Campaign is the definitive "Top Gun" experience. It’s the only one that actually teaches you the why behind the maneuvers Maverick does. You'll learn what a "Flat Scissors" is and why you should never, ever do what Maverick did in the opening scene of the first movie (spoiler: he would have been grounded for life).
Actionable Next Steps for Aspiring Mavericks
- Check your version: Ensure you are running DCS World Open Beta (now just called the "current version" in 2026). Most high-end campaigns like Zone 5 require the latest scripts to function.
- Get the Nevada Map: Wait for a sale. Eagle Dynamics has them often. You cannot fly the "official" training campaigns without it.
- Master the Case I Recovery: Before starting any campaign, spend three hours just practicing landing on the carrier. If you can't land, you can't finish a single mission.
- Download the "Top Gun" Liveries: Go to the DCS User Files and search for "VF-1" or "VFA-41." Having the "Maverick" or "Iceman" paint job on your jet adds 10% to your ego and 0% to your flight performance, but it looks great in screenshots.
- Read the PDF Briefings: Campaigns by Reflected come with massive PDF manuals. Read them. They aren't "flavor text"; they contain the frequencies and coordinates you need to actually find your instructors in the air.