What were you doing when you were 15? Maybe you had a hobby, like video games or playing on your high school’s football team. Or maybe you were taking lessons of some kind – music, dance, whatever.
John Travolta? When he was 15, he started learning about flying planes. From his Instagram:
Travolta, now 68, dropped out of high school when he was 17, but by the time he was 22 (in 1978, so yep, in the midst of filming Welcome Back Kotter and possibly some hit movies like Saturday Night Fever and Grease, as well), he was a licensed private pilot.
Of course, from that point forward, he became an award winning actor, with classics such as the two mentioned above, plus Urban Cowboy (always a guilty pleasure for me), Look Who’s Talking, Pulp Fiction, Get Shorty, Hairspray, The People vs. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, and many other movies and series under his belt.
When you’re that kind of star, you make a whole lot of money. Aviation had always been a love of his, so as the years went on, Travolta bought several aircraft, including:
- Boeing 707-138 (registration N707JT)
- Bombardier Challenger CL-
601 (N392JT) - Eclipse Aviation EA500 (N218JT)
- Gulfstream I ( N492JT)
- Gulfstream II (N552JT)
He’s donated some of the planes, as he did with his Canadair CL41 Tutor. He also sold his old Lockheed Jetstar.
Travolta hasn’t just collected these planes – he flies them. He had previously gotten licenses for flying both 747s and 707s, and he’s apparently just earned his third pilot’s license, this time to fly a 737. From his Instagram:
A very proud moment in my aviation history. To add to my 747 and 707 licenses, I just received my 737 license, and it went very well, so just sharing my moment with you.
Of course, friends such as Tommy Lee, Donnie Wahlberg, Naomi Campbell and Sammy Hagar offered their congratulations. As one does… 😉
Oh, and the difference between those 747 and 707 licenses and this new 737 license? According to according to Alliance Aviation, the largest independent aviation training center in the United States and Latin America, it’s the license for pilots who are ready to switch from the private pilot sector to becoming a commercial airline pilot.
So who knows…maybe the next time you’re on a Delta flight, you’ll hear “Captain John Travolta” over the loudspeaker. OK, OK, probably not. But still…good for him.
“Aviation has always bailed me out of anything in my mind that is blue,” Travolta told CBS News in 2008. “I can look through an airline schedule and brochure and cheer up.”
Feature Photo: John Travolta / Instagram
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7 comments
68 is 3 years beyond mandatory retirement age for Major passenger and cargo airlines. So no you won’t see him up there.
No worries – I don’t think he has any wish to really be a commercial pilot for Delta et al.
While I am always happy to see a fellow pilot expand their repertoire. What Mr. Travolta did here was add a “type rating” to his existing (and only) license.
As for moving to the air lines, not eligible after 65 years of age.
Sounds good!
John Tavolta is a private pilot, no ability to get a flying job. Where did you get that information ? He simply added a 737 Type rating onto his Private Pilot License. It is all public record on FAA.gov.
Don’t think he wants to be one anyway, so kind of a moot point LOLOL
Nice to be able to share (humblebrag) about those milestones. Travolta seems to be living his dream, good for him.