Photo courtesy of John Travolta

John Travolta - Aviation Biography
In the tradition of celebrities in the cockpit, international superstar John Travolta is taking to the skies exactly 75 years after the world's first nonstop solo Atlantic crossing by Charles Lindbergh.  This July and August, Travolta will pilot his own Boeing 707 on a 13-city Spirit of Friendship Tour, serving as Ambassador-at-Large for Australian-based international airline Qantas.  The 707, which was previously operated by the airline, has been repainted in 1960s' Qantas livery for the tour.
Audiences may know that Travolta played an Air Force major piloting a Stealth Bomber in Broken Arrow, that he narrated a 50th anniversary documentary on The Blue Angels, and that he named his son Jett.  Yet they may not be aware that he is a licensed jet pilot with a lifelong passion for aviation.  Since earning his wings in 1974, he has logged close to an astounding 5,000 hours for reasons both professional and personal.
"Every cent of my first paychecks went to flying lessons," recalls Travolta, who has trained in cockpits as diverse as his acting roles.  They include qualifying as a captain in the Gulfstream II, Lear Jet 24, Hawker 1A, Citation 1 and 2, Tebuan, and Vampire Jet, and as first officer in the Boeing 707.  Travolta keeps his skills up-to-date through continual refresher courses, training at American Airlines, Pan Am, SimuFlite and other institutions for over 20 years.  Following extensive sessions at Qantas's Sydney headquarters and with Boeing in Seattle, he has also successfully completed 747-400 First Officer simulator training.  Qantas Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Geoff Dixon presented Travolta with his "wings" at Los Angeles airport on  24 June 2002.     Travolta first became enamored of aviation as a child, at the same time absorbing a love of acting.  His mother and sisters were stage performers and, in addition to seeing them perform, he regularly saw them off at the airport every time they flew out of town.  He observed the flight paths of the closest airports - La Guardia, Teterboro and Newark - read books on aviation, and took particular interest in Constellations, DC-6s and DC-7s. Attesting to his early charisma, he persuaded the girls in his neighborhood to don their Brownie uniforms to play flight attendants (or stewardesses, as they were known in the pre-politically correct 1960s) as he captained his backyard airliner built by him and his father.
Having owned most of the aforementioned jets at one time, Travolta recently donated his Tebuan to a flight school in Florida and now owns only two aircraft: a Gulfstream II and a more spacious Boeing 707 purchased four years ago.  In 32 years of flying since his first lessons in 1970, he has devoted more than a quarter of his 5,000 flying hours toward the Gulfstream, an impressive 1,372 hours, while logging several hundred in the 707.
"I find flying extroverting - it puts your attention outside yourself - you're responsible for a machine that's going through the air at 600 mph.  The sensation is thrilling and there's a beauty and an art form to it," says Travolta, who is accompanied by two other captains, flight attendants and an engineer on his own transoceanic flights.  Paying homage to the classic elegance and professionalism of the Qantas fleet, he runs each private flight like the finest stratospheric services, embracing a refined style that permeates every element.
Fascinated as a child by Qantas' history, perfect safety record and professional accomplishments (which over the years has included the longest hauls over water as well as the world's longest distance flight), Travolta has visited Australia four times, starting in 1980, and has long appreciated the freshness of the country and the warm and genuine nature of its people.  His affiliation with the airline began last year when he flew his ex-Qantas Boeing 707 to Australia to promote Swordfish, making "quite an impact" on the Qantas employees at the airport.  This sparked his lifelong dream of being part of a respected international airline, inspiring a "Spirit of Friendship Tour" that will bring Travolta to 13 markets - Los Angeles, Auckland, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, London, Paris, Rome, Frankfurt and New York - heralding the safety of flying and the value of rekindling cross-border relationships. The tour involves about 80 flying hours and covers more than 35,000 nautical miles (64,700 kilometres).            Describing the sight of his own 707 wearing Qantas colors as "nothing short of thrilling," Travolta hopes his projects with the airline will lead to an ongoing relationship.  "Qantas epitomizes what a successful airline represents: from safety to achievement to service," he says. "It's completely impressive!"
Following his breakout role on the beloved mid-1970s TV series "Welcome Back, Kotter" and other acclaimed television projects such as "The Boy in the Plastic Bubble," John Travolta launched a successful film career with such projects as Carrie, Saturday Night Fever (his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor), Grease, Urban Cowboy, Blowout and Look Who's Talking.  He earned his second
Oscar nomination for the 1994 crime thriller Pulp Fiction, bringing him to a new level of stardom behind such films as Get Shorty (which garnered a Golden Globe win among four other nominations), Broken Arrow, Phenomenon, Michael, Face/Off, Primary Colors, A Civil Action, Battlefield Earth, The General's Daughter and Swordfish.  Travolta recently completed principal photography opposite Samuel Jackson on the thriller Basic, to be released in early 2003.

John Travolta becomes Qantas "Ambassador-at-Large"
Will pilot Qantas 707 During "Spirit of Friendship" global tour in July/August

Los Angeles, 24 June 2002:

Australian-based international airline Qantas today announced that international superstar John Travolta has joined the company and has become its "Ambassador-at-Large".
Qantas also announced that following extensive sessions at its Sydney headquarters and with Boeing in Seattle, Mr. Travolta has successfully completed 747-400 First Officer simulator training.
Qantas Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Geoff Dixon, presented Mr. Travolta with his "wings" at Los Angeles airport today. Mr. Dixon said the airline was delighted to welcome Mr. Travolta to the company as "Ambassador-at-Large".
Mr. Travolta said that, as part of his new role with Qantas, he would pilot his own aircraft, an ex-Qantas Boeing 707 jet specially painted in its original Qantas 1960s branding and livery, across the globe to 10 countries on a Spirit of Friendship tour.
The Spirit of Friendship tour will include visits to 13 cities around the world between 1 July and late August this year.
Commenting on Mr. Travolta's appointment, Mr Dixon said: "It's no secret that John is an avid fan of aviation. He is also a keen and talented pilot, and supporting his Spirit of Friendship tour is a fantastic way to showcase Qantas in its major overseas markets.
"The tour is also a unique opportunity for Qantas to underscore its commitment to international tourism."
Mr. Travolta said he chose the Spirit of Friendship theme for the tour following the shocking events that the world has experienced in the past 12 months.
"The past year has been awful for our sense of security and goodwill and also for trust and friendship between different cultures and countries," he said.
"I'm undertaking this tour to extend the hand of friendship - to reach out, to cross borders, make contact, rekindle friendships and make new friends. That's why I've teamed up with Qantas, an airline which embodies the spirit of Australia and the spirit of friendship. I've always admired the Qantas safety record and culture and I've been attracted to its values of quality, openness and friendliness."
Mr. Travolta will fly from Los Angeles to Auckland in New Zealand, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth in Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, London, Rome, Paris, Frankfurt and New York before returning to Los Angeles. The tour involves about 80 flying hours and covers more than 35,000 nautical miles (64,700 kilometres).
As "Ambassador-at-Large" Mr. Travolta has become a Qantas employee and will, during the global tour, spend time with fellow Qantas employees in each market.
Mr. Travolta purchased the ex-Qantas 707 four years ago and has been an enthusiastic aviator since his childhood.

About Qantas

Established in the Australian outback in 1920, Qantas is the world's second oldest airline and one of the world's leading long distance airlines. The Qantas Group operates an extensive network serving 140 destinations in Australia, Asia, the Pacific, the Americas, the UK, Europe and southern Africa. The Qantas Group carried more than 22 million passengers in 2000/2001 and employs more than 30,000 people worldwide. It operates 197 aircraft - 118 in the core Qantas jet fleet and a further 79 flown by QantasLink serving regional destinations throughout Australia.