Interesting list of movie star pilots

[Baldeagle]

http://www.aerofiles.com/00stars.html




-

[JohnB]

Very old list...several of the poeple listed have passed on...and some deatils are clearly wrong.
County Singer Roy Clark was a pilot long before the date given. He had a Tri-Pacer and later a MU-2.

BTW: You can add Veronica Lake, she was quite a pilot until her troubles started.
Also MASH actor Larry Linville reportedly flew a Stearman.
I've also read that Brad Pitt is a pilot...the interest spurred on by his wife.

Hill Street Blues actress and later director, Betty Thomas flew helicopters.
And Sky King star Kirby Grant was also said to be a pilot...though some dispute this.

[airnutz]

Very old list...several of the people listed have passed on...and some details are clearly wrong.

Yup, for Jimmie Stewart...no B-58's in Vietnam, no B-58 ticket, tho about 10 years ago I traded e-mails with a Hustler jock who said Stewart came by for a ride so he could collect his Mach 2 pin.

Another addition. James Arness became a pilot in the late 60's so he could get to remote surfing locations as well as job sites. I've read/seen a few bios since his passing last year suggesting he had some sort of seaplane. In one of the sources there was a DeHavilland Beaver in the background but I dunno what he really had. Morgan Woodward(mirror shades who kills Cool Hand Luke) said he gave Arness his indoctrination flight aboard his surplus Army bird one afternoon they were on break from Gunsmoke shooting. The next day they went and got his instruction goodies at a nearby airfield and off he went. Eventually he'd get twin rated.

[JohnB]

Another addition. James Arness became a pilot in the late 60's ...Eventually he'd get twin rated.

Flying magazine said he had a Baron.

[tulsaboy]

Jimmy Stewart DID fly in that airplane. Pretty well established fact.

kevin

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=2dd_1327515982

[BCA]

I read somewhere that Michael Dorn who played the Klingon Worf on Star Trek: The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine earned his pilot's license and at one point was said to own an F86 Saber. He cited his role on Star Trek for his interest in flying.

[CAPFlyer]

1) Air & Space Magazine did a pretty extensive article years ago on Jimmy Stewart and his B-58 flight(s). He was taken up in a TB-58 and had several familiarization flights, but was never fully rated in the aircraft. His assignment was to become familiar with the airplane for his part in the film "Champion of Champions" about the series of record breaking flights flown by the B-58's.

2) Michael Dorn is a licensed pilot and owns/owned a NAA Sabreliner and a T-33, but no F-86.

[maxum96]

Jimmy Stewart DID fly in that airplane. Pretty well established fact.

kevin

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=2dd_1327515982

Interesting video. Thanks for posting the link. I have a hard time believing he was PIC or was in the front seat for the flight. I have no doubt he flew in a B-58 as a passenger.


P.S. Interesting side note on the video. It shows Lt. Col. Henry John Deutschendorf setting a speed record in a B-58 and mentions he was the first B-58 pilot. Perhaps you've heard of his son, John Denver.

[Red Baaron]

2) Michael Dorn is a licensed pilot and owns/owned a NAA Sabreliner and a T-33, but no F-86.

He did own an F-86 at one time. I believe it was the one that Frank Borman's ownership as well. I also remember hearing something about him buying an F-5/T-38.

[Dan Jones]

1) Air & Space Magazine did a pretty extensive article years ago on Jimmy Stewart and his B-58 flight(s). He was taken up in a TB-58 and had several familiarization flights, but was never fully rated in the aircraft. His assignment was to become familiar with the airplane for his part in the film "Champion of Champions" about the series of record breaking flights flown by the B-58's.

2) Michael Dorn is a licensed pilot and owns/owned a NAA Sabreliner and a T-33, but no F-86.

http://www.flickriver.com/photos/188429 ... 259626121/

[CAPFlyer]

Cool beans. I knew he'd wanted a Sabre or F-5/T-38, but Paramount had pretty much forbidden him from buying a fighter (they considered it to be "too risky") and his contract prevented him from flying the T-33 during the season.

[oz rb fan]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/18842924@N03/4259626121/
here's Micheal dorns f86
he also owned a hispano saeta

[airnutz]

Another addition. James Arness became a pilot in the late 60's ...Eventually he'd get twin rated.

Flying magazine said he had a Baron.

Ahh! Thank you John!

[famvburg]

Well, that basically answered my curiosity about Clint Eastwood since stumbling upon a piece on YouTube from "60 Minutes", IIRC, about him being a pilot and showing footage of him flying a helo. I had wondered how long he'd been a pilot and if he was a pilot when he 'flew' the infamous MiG-31 Firefox. I now see he wasn't until a few years later. Thanks for posting.

[JohnB]

Well, that basically answered my curiosity about Clint Eastwood since stumbling upon a piece on YouTube from "60 Minutes", IIRC, about him being a pilot and showing footage of him flying a helo. I had wondered how long he'd been a pilot and if he was a pilot when he 'flew' the infamous MiG-31 Firefox. I now see he wasn't until a few years later. Thanks for posting.

I read in a helicopter magazine (or somewhere) that Eastwood's interest in helicopters began in the 70s when he was flown to a romote rural set every morning in a Bell 47. He started getting botleg time and eventually got his license...which he's had since the 80s. Some of the dates on that site are suspect...so it could have been before Firefox.

IIRC, He owned an AStar. He also narrated a PR film for the HAI (Helicopter Association International) trade group.