Stealth Pilots

Some of these celebrity pilots may surprise you.

Learning to fly has been the dream of millions of men and women through the ages. The skill set required to pilot an aircraft can be learned, but it takes time and money. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, one of the top schools in the nation, charges undergraduates $65,000 per year, while Graduate students and Doctoral students pay about $45,000 per year. A complete aviator’s course suitable for a professional career may cost upwards of $150,000.

Today, you will see some famous people who followed their dreams and became pilots.

From Upper Left: Dr. Phil, James Lipton, Wayne Newton, Tony Stewart

Dr. Phil has a private pilot certificate and an instrument rating. Tony Stewart has been an avid pilot in retirement. He has been seen flying his private planes around the country. Stewart has been seen flying single—and multi-engine aircraft, with one report indicating he has a Dassault Falcon 50 N500TS. Wayne Newton has a passion for aviation. He is a licensed pilot and enjoys taking to the skies whenever he can.

Chuck Norris, John Kerry, Ken Griffy Jr.

Griffey has a private pilot certificate and owns a Cirrus SR22.

Arthur Godfrey, Roy Clark, Christopher Reeve, Eddie Rickenbacker

Arthur Godfrey held an Airline Transport Rating and logged more than 17,000 hours in the air as a solo and command pilot. At the age of 23, Roy Clark obtained his pilot’s certificate and then bought a 1953 Piper Tri-Pacer (N1132C), which he flew for many years.

Aaron Tipin, Gisele Bündchen, Prince Harry, Patrick Dempsey

Gisele Bündchen

World-famous supermodel Gisele Bündchen can do much more than walk down a runway—she also happens to be a certified helicopter pilot. Almost 10 years ago, she began taking helicopter lessons in order to educate herself about aviation and promote her agenda for alternative fuel for a UN-sponsored alternative fuel program.

Prince Harry

Prince Harry obtained his pilot’s license in 2008 before he enlisted in the Army Air Corps to become a pilot and fly in a fighter jet. He also knows how to fly Apache helicopters.

Phil Mickelson, Bruce Dickinson, Alan Jackson

Phil Mickelson

When golfer Phil Mickelson goes to his tournaments, he rides in style, flying a Gulfstream V valued at around $40 million. So what made this golf legend decide to spend his time learning to fly? Apparently, his father was a former Navy and airline pilot, prompting Mickelson’s initial interest in the world of aviation.

Bruce Dickinson

While probably best known for his role as lead singer in the heavy metal band Iron Maiden, the English vocalist is also known for his aviation pursuits. Dickinson began to fly recreationally in the 1990s and now holds an airline transport pilot’s license. He had a career with Astraeus Airlines (before they closed in 2011) and was employed as Marketing Director. Following Astraeus’s closure, Dickinson launched an aircraft maintenance business, Cardiff Aviation Ltd, on May 1, 2012.

Alan Jackson

Another country music star to make the list is Alan Jackson. While flying to and from gigs, Jackson learned how to fly by watching and learning from the pilot. He expands on this point in a post on his website, stating, “When I started flying to work, I got interested in watching the pilot who flew me, and he taught me. At that time, we had a farm with a pretty big grass strip, and I had a plane with amphibious gear so I could land on water or the lake. I just kind of flew around Nashville. I still have my license. I just don’t fly. Denise (Jackson’s wife) got tired of my flying and worrying about me.”

Brad Pitt, Hilary Swank, Jimmy Stewart

Hilary Swank revealed on ‘The Late Late Show’ that during the COVID-19 pandemic, she had finally finished her training and received her pilot’s license.

Brig. Gen. James M. Stewart

On March 22, 1941, Jimmy Stewart was drafted into the U.S. Armed Forces. He was assigned to the Army Air Corps as an enlisted man and stationed at Moffett Field, Calif. During his nine months of training at that base, he also took extension courses with the idea of obtaining a commission. He completed the courses and was awaiting the results when Pearl Harbor took place. A month later, he received his commission, and because he had logged over 400 hours as a civilian, he was permitted to take basic flight training at Moffett and received his pilot wings. During the next nine months, he instructed in AT-6, AT-9 and B-17 aircraft and flew bombardiers in the training school at Albuquerque, N.M. In the fall of 1943, Stewart went to England as Commanding Officer of the 703d Bomb Squadron, equipped with B-24s.

He began flying combat missions and, on March 31, 1944, was appointed Operations Officer of the 453rd Bomb Group and, subsequently, Chief of Staff of the 2nd Combat Wing, 2nd Air Division of the 8th Air Force. Stewart ended the war with 20 combat missions. He remained in the USAF Reserve and was promoted to brigadier general on July 23, 1959. He retired on May 31, 1968.

Enrique Iglesias, Kurt Russell, Dierks Bentley, James Franco

Pop icon Enrique Iglesias bought his first plane before he even became a certified pilot and obtained his pilot’s license. His explanation was that he wanted to learn how to fly the plane he wanted to own. When visiting Key Largo, FL, you just may see him taking off or landing as he frequently flies to his house in the Florida Keys. 

Kurt Russell

Highly successful, lifelong actor Kurt Russell says, “Flying has taught me more about who I really am that anything I’ve ever done.” With nearly 28 years in the air, he encourages others to fly and mentors many pilots in and out of the entertainment business. He’s positively passionate about learning every aspect of flying. “You know what they say about a pilot’s license? It’s a license to learn.” Kurt continues, “Leave your ego at the door: when you get into a plane, it’s serious business. And yes, it’s a love affair in the air that continues to add joy to my life. Kurt received the “Aviation Mentor Award” at the 7th Annual “Living Legends of Aviation Awards.”

Steve McQueen, Bob Barker, Craig Ferguson, Arnold Palmer

Steve McQueen, on May 1, 1979, flew his first solo flight and became a licensed pilot. It was one of his proudest moments.

Arnold Palmer

At the age of 81, and with the skies cleared for him by air traffic control, Palmer flew his Cessna Citation X jet from Palm Springs, California, to his home in Orlando. He had already decided not to renew his pilot certification, which expired that same day. Arnold Palmer owns several international aviation World Records.

George W. Bush, George H. W. Bush, Clint Eastwood, Jimmy Buffett

Clint Eastwood, the legendary actor and director, is also a skilled aviator. He received his pilot’s license in the 1950s and has since flown a variety of aircraft. Eastwood is qualified to fly both helicopters and fixed-wing planes and has been known to fly an Aerospatiale AStar Helicopter and an Aero Commander 560.

Former President George W. Bush

Bush performed part-time Guard duty as an F-102 pilot through April 1972, logging a total of 336 flight hours.

Tom Cruise, Angelina Jolie, Larenzo Lamas, Sydney Pollack

Angelina Jolie

You might be wondering,  is there anything this woman can’t do? It seems like everyone has been asking themselves that question, and the answer seems to hover around no. Apart from being an Oscar-winning actress, filmmaker, and humanitarian, this mother of 6 is also a certified private pilot. In a 2010 interview with Vanity Fair, Jolie discusses why she chose to take flying lessons: When Maddox was one and a half, we used to go to the airfield, have lunch, and watch the planes, she said. And it dawned on me: I could fly. So I promised him I would fly by his second birthday. Jolie currently owns and flies a single-engine Cirrus SR-22, which is considered to be the fastest single-engine aircraft.

Tom Cruise

Tom has been Cruisin’ in the clouds for over two decades now–this director and filmmaker, known for jumping on couches and proving missions to be, in fact,  possible, has been a licensed pilot since 1994. Inspiration to become a pilot was a result of  Top Gun, the 1986 film which Cruise starred in. Cruise now owns at least 5 private jets, including a Gulfstream jet and a P-51.

John Travolta, Tim McGraw, Dennis Quaid

Dennis Quaid

Quaid is actually a licensed private pilot. He obtained his pilot’s license in 1994 and is qualified to operate single-engine and multi-engine land planes. He is instrument-rated and owns a Cessna Citation.

Kris Kristofferson, Harrison Ford, John Denver

Kris Kristofferson

While Kris Kristofferson ultimately became a legendary country-western singer, he started his career in the Army as a helicopter pilot. In 1965 he resigned his captain’s commission to fly helicopters commercially. It’s been reported that Kristofferson once landed in Johnny Cash’s front yard to deliver Cash some audiotapes of his yet-to-be-heard music, which was the start of a long, successful career.

Harrison Ford

Besides being the coolest archaeologist in cinematic history, captain of the Millennial Falcon, and a fugitive on the run, Harrison Ford is a licensed private pilot of both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters.
While he didn’t get his license until he was 53, Ford actually began taking lessons in the 1960s, but he couldn’t afford to continue training. Then, in the mid-1990s, he bought a used Gulfstream II and began taking lessons flying on a Cessna 182 out of Jackson, Wyoming. He later switched to a Cessna 206 out of New Jersey.

John Denver

John was an experienced and competent aviator with over 2,700 hours of pilot experience. He had pilot ratings for single-engine land and sea, multi-engine land, glider, and instrument. He also held a type rating in his Learjet

Michael Dorn; Morgan Freeman

Michael Dorn

Pretending to fly around the stars in Star Trek, Michael Dorn has always wanted to pilot his own plane. He learned how to fly in 1988.

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