Written by new-contact on Jul 12, 2012. Posted in On Location

Top Gun airport in Burbank re-opens as California filming location

Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, California – used to film scenes for Top Gun in the 80s - has re-opened as a filming location. The facility closed to filming after the 9/11 terrorist attacks as part of its security measures, but ongoing inquiries from film productions has finally prompted a change of heart.

Victor Gill is the airport's Director of Public Affairs and Communications and spoke to the LA Times: “We had National Guardsmen walking around here in the immediate aftermath [of 9/11]. We didn't feel we had the manpower or ability to divert our attention from the immediate issue at hand, which is the safe and secure operation of the airport.

We didn't have the specialty function to step in and supervise those kinds of [filming] operations on an ongoing basis. We were very aware of an existing demand.

Victor Gill, Bob Hope Airport

“We didn't have the specialty function to step in and supervise those kinds of [filming] operations on an ongoing basis. We were very aware of an existing demand.”

Parking lots and un-used ticket counters have been the focus of recent inquiries for the airport’s new dedicated film office. In addition to the Top Gun visit, it’s also been used for various music videos and TV shows over the years, while Sofia Coppola recently filmed there for her new feature Bling Ring.

(Main page image: Paramount Pictures)