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Famous people who fly

I have just found this article about Christopher Reeve. Many others too. He achieved more than the vast majority of private pilots.

Some of the stories are interesting. Here in the UK, Winston Churchill MP (grandson of the famous one) had an FAA ATP, according to the US AOPA magazine a few years ago. Also the [in]famous Mark Thatcher reportedly kept a piston twin at Gatwick Airport, for which he must have pulled a lot of strings or it was many years ago!

Then of course there is Harrison Ford

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

My favorite has always been John Travolta with, as far as I know, an ATPL license, the only privately owned B707 (which he flies himself), a business jet and of course his house which is more of an airport terminal (with a private runway) than a normal house.

Others on the list:

  • Angelina Jolie
  • Brad Pitt
  • Clint Eastwood
  • Kurt Russell
  • Morgan Freeman
  • Tom Cruise (F14 of course)
  • Zach Braff
  • Jimmy Buffett
  • Bruce Dickinson

I can’t find any information about F1 drivers with pilot licenses, which is strange (I would expect almost all of them to have one).

Generally, not a bad company we have

Last Edited by Vladimir at 15 Apr 17:47
LSZH, LSZF, Switzerland

Dutch King Willem Alexander. He has a CPL and is type-rated on the Fokker 70. It is no secret he flew the F70 himself during state-visits.
He recently added a 737 type-rating in anticipation of the new government aircraft now that the Fokker is sold.

Source.

I wonder how many of those who are type rated on multi pilot aircraft are rated Captains. For private flights in FAA land you can do RHS on the SIC (second in command) rating.

Tom Cruise soloed the F14?

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Vladimir wrote:

Tom Cruise (F14 of course)

F14 is boring, he went CPL(H) and logged 2000h on Airbus AS350 Écureuil sponsored by his new upcoming film and I tought Tom Hanks had a good deal logging ATPL simulator hours for free



Fyi, Kim Jong is claimed to have ATPL(A+H) but I don’t think via a skill-test route with an (alive) examiner

Last Edited by Ibra at 15 Apr 19:51
Paris/Essex, France/UK, United Kingdom

King Abdullah of Jordan. (Helicopters)

Last Edited by Airborne_Again at 15 Apr 20:17
ESKC (Uppsala/Sundbro), Sweden

Peter wrote:

Tom Cruise soloed the F14?

I don’t think so, just a joke. He has a license though.

LSZH, LSZF, Switzerland

Peter wrote:

Tom Cruise soloed the F14?

Don’t think it was an F14, but many years ago we were both holding short of the rwy at KVNY and he definitely was in some kind of fighter jet. Sensibly, the tower controller cleared him for takeoff ahead of me – I guess he would have had a hard time slowing to the speed of the PA28 I was flying at the time ;-))

Otto Waalkes used to fly (not sure if he still is current).
Carlo Pedrosoli (Bud Spencer) was an acomplished ATPL and also rotary pilot.
Tom Cruise has a CPL and owns several biz jets as well as a P51 Mustang. I understood he also flies helicopters.
Sen. John Kerry is a CPL (SE/ME/IR).
George W.Bush had a CPL (SE/ME/IR)
Chris de Burgh flies helicopters as far as I know

John Travolta recently donated his 707 to an Australian Museum. It still has to accomplish the ferry flight however.
I understand that the Dutch King is also flying on regular KLM shorthauls as a FO

LSZH(work) LSZF (GA base), Switzerland

Richard Bach (writer – Jonathan Livingston Seagull) and Niki Lauda.

LDZA LDVA, Croatia
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