Continuity mistake: In the bar scene when the other aviators meet BOB, Phoenix says: "Nine ball, Bob. Rack 'em." In the subsequent shots, you can see they are playing 8 Ball. Especially after Hangman says: "That don't confront me" you can see the 14 ball. (00:26:05 - 00:27:00)
Continuity mistake: After Maverick and Rooster are shot down, they go to steal an F14 from the enemy. After the crash Rooster has a wound on the right side of his neck - in several scenes afterwards the wound moves back and forth, from right to left.
Continuity mistake: At the end Hondo is getting the harness out to catch Maverick when he lands, Hondo is wearing his flight deck uniform helmet, flak jacket etc but when he greets Maverick seconds later when he lands his helmet and flak jacket are gone, and he's wearing his camouflage uniform he had on underneath.
Continuity mistake: In the first scene when Maverick enters the airbase on his motorcycle it is mid-morning based on the sun and shadows. When he takes off in the test jet it is pre-dawn.
Suggested correction: The movie sequencing/reveal is shoddy for this. Prior to him uncovering the motorcycle and heading out he slaps the calendar on the wall where it says, If I recall, "Mach 8." the day before on the calendar says something like "training" or "physical test" or something (I honestly forgot). That happens the first day ("afternoon") as shown with him on the treadmill; he sleeps on-base to get up "pre-dawn" and that's when the admiral arrives and he takes off.
This shot is likely referring to the fact that at Mach 10 he's travelling so fast towards the west that the sun (which only just set) appears to be rising again, as he outraces the darkness.
Travelling that far west would bring aircraft and pilot well over the pacific. No chance to find a lift back there.
Continuity mistake: When testing the Darkstar, Rear Admiral Cain is talking to Hondo, first his hand is touching his face, then next shot down, then next shot back on his face.
Continuity mistake: The film's premise is attacking a target that GPS jamming protects. As the attack starts, it is becomes apparent that no such protection is in place. GPS jamming is a form of radio frequency jamming. It would severely affect all radio communications. But planes and their command carrier are in constant, undeterred radio contact. Moreover, the enemy uses radar-guided SA-3 Goa SAM units that would have been unable to operate properly in jamming conditions.
Suggested correction: GPS jamming is transmitting radio signals on GPS frequencies, not all radio frequencies. It might prevent GPS being used for navigation or weapon aiming, but it would have little or no effect on radios or radar which use different frequency bands. At the risk of oversimplifying, it's like you could shine a bright flashlight to blind people trying to see you, but it wouldn't stop them using infra red (or hearing or smell or whatever else).
This correction is a mistake in itself. Without wide-spectrum jamming, the U.S. Navy never needed to use NAVFLIR for payload guidance. The site would be open to attacks from other radio-guided weapons, such as NAVCON guidance, standoff missile, and operator-guided bombs, especially since they were hard-pressed to guide their payload through a small window and ensure the survivability of their pilots.
In the movie they say GPS jamming, not wide spectrum jamming. GPS could be affected, but radar etc would still work. Like you say, the site would still be open to other attacks, and be able to use various defences.
It doesn't really matter. Maverick was told that GPS is jammed, so he threw all kinds of attack plans based on radio guidance out of the window, behaving as if there was a full-spectrum jamming in place. And his commanding officers didn't mind. Either the film's mistake is in its depiction of U.S. Navy's understanding of aerial warfare or its depictions of aerial warfare itself. There is huge mistake in there, it is only a matter of where.
Continuity mistake: When Maverick and the team are heading into enemy territory after leaving the carrier, they start dropping below enemy radar. Watch how close they are to the ocean. They've already reached lower altitude. In one shot, Maverick is higher above the ocean. In the next shot, he's lower again as before.
Continuity mistake: When Maverick and Rooster crash in enemy territory the terrain is snowy but when they are flying out the background isn't snowy, it looks like summer.
Suggested correction: They crashed in the mountains, but are flying out over lower elevation. High mountains can be in winter conditions when the lowlands are in spring/summer.
Continuity mistake: The second time Penny is riding on Maverick's motorcycle after the beach scene she is wearing the navy blue sweater that she wore during the first ride, but when she and Maverick get to her house she is wearing a green button down shirt.
Continuity mistake: When the camera pans over the wrecked air field and shows the one remaining hanger with the F14 in it, you can see the engines/back of the plane pointing toward the taxi way. The next frame and when they get to the hanger, the plane is flipped and it's the nose that is pointing out at the taxi way.
Suggested correction: The engines point at the actual runway on the other side of the aircraft shelter. The nose consistently points out at the taxi way.
Continuity mistake: In the first training session, Maverick eliminates both Hangman and Rooster, meaning they should return and do their push-ups and we are shown this, meaning once you have done your PT, that is it for you. However, later in the sequence, both Hangman and Rooster are shown still in the air where Hangman is talking to Rooster about his relationship to Maverick, who has been observing them the whole time.
Continuity mistake: The scene in the hanger where Maverick is introduced. When Admiral says "be seated" there are only 2 rows of chairs. When Hangman looks over to Rooster he is in a new 3rd row.
Continuity mistake: When Maverick calls Comanche, the sun is behind the Daggers. When they descend below radar a few seconds later, the sun is ahead of them. (01:31:16)
Continuity mistake: Before the first training scene, in the ready room Hangman has a model of an F-18 Hornet in his hand, a few seconds later, he has an F-14 tomcat.
