Our Six Favorite Movies About Aviation

I am sure you’ve seen this one. It’s probably the most iconic pilot film ever! In the film, Tom Cruise stars as a daring pilot in the U.S. Navy’s elite fighter weapons school. I can continue, but you probably already know the story.

More exciting: did you know that there is a sequel coming up? Top Gun: Maverick! After more than thirty years of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell still feels at home in the Navy. As a courageous test pilot, he always pushes his limits and avoids the promotions, which prevents him from flying.

Fun fact

Tom fell in love with aviation while filming the original ‘Top Gun’ film. He got his private pilot’s license in 1994. Unfortunately, it is not always him flying the plane in Top Gun: Maverick. Although he is capable of operating a private plane, some of the fighter jets can only be piloted by aviators with military experience. Another fun fact. Do you know The World War II P-51 Mustang seen in this movie? This one is actually Tom Cruise’s own airplane.

You can stream “Top Gun” on fuboTV. Top Gun: Maverick is scheduled to be released in the United States on December 23, 2020, by Paramount Pictures.

Our Instagram followers were enthusiastic about the movie ‘View from the Top.’ Probably not the best aviation movie ever made, but sometimes you want to watch an easy one, right? However, this movie is about a small-town woman named Donna. She believes the path to leaving her home town is to become a flight attendant. Donna shows a natural flair for the job. She even applies to work for world-class Royal Airlines. Donna believes in herself as a flight attendant but has to overcome some obstacles.

Fun fact

Did you know that The Sierra Airlines plane is a Martin 404 airliner owned by the Planes of Fame museum in Chino California.

You can stream “View from the Top” on Hoopla and DIRECTV.

A true story about “Sully” Sullenberger, an American pilot. After landing his damaged plane on the Hudson River, Sully became a hero to save the flight’s passengers and crew. He was being heralded by the public and the media for his unprecedented feat of aviation skill. However, the investigation of the accident threatened to destroy his reputation and his career. To prepare for the role of “Sully,” Tom Hanks spent half a day with Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger at his Bay Area house during pre-production. Sullenberger said he was impressed by how well Hanks caught him. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger was even present at the studio. He supported the movie and helped it to reflect reality.

Fun fact

The aircraft used in this movie is an Airbus A320-200. The production bought two retired Airbus A320s that were used.

You can stream “Sully” on DIRECTV and TNT.

7500 is a realistic film, told almost entirely from the cockpit of an Airbus A319. Co-pilot Tobias Ellis is preparing the plane for take-off, which then follows without incident. Then a group of young men tries and storm the cockpit. Among them is an 18-year old Vedat. A fight begins between crew and attackers, with the desire, on the one hand, to save individual lives and, on the other, to avert an even bigger catastrophe. The cockpit door becomes a battleground, and Tobias ends up being the arbiter over life and death.

You can stream “7500” on Amazon Prime Video.

This film is about Captain “Whip” Whitaker. The film was inspired by the real-life disaster, the crash of Alaska Airlines 261 on January 31 in 2000. Whip a man who is a pilot and an alcoholic. While on a flight from Orlando to Atlanta, something goes wrong and the plane starts to fly erratically. With little choice, Whip crashes the plane and saves almost everyone on board. When he wakes up in the hospital, his friend from the airline union introduces him to a lawyer who tells him there’s a chance he could face criminal charges. His blood test reveals that he was intoxicated with alcohol and cocaine. He denies being impaired, so while an investigation is underway, he is told to keep his act together. However, letting go of his addiction is not as easy as it seems.

Fun fact

According to Denzel Washington, Delta Air Lines granted the production team access to their official flight simulator. In this way, they could learn some of the most common maneuvers, pilots have to master to fly a commercial plane.

Stream “Flight” on TNT, fuboTV, Sling TV and DIRECTV.

The film tells the true story of director and aircraft manufacturer Howard Hughes. Hughes is fascinated by aircraft and has been continuously pushing the boundaries in this area since the 1930s. Meanwhile, he has two love affairs with Hollywood legends Katharine Hepburn and Ava Gardner. He is increasingly troubled by his obsessive-compulsive disorder. Shortly after the war, Hughes becomes involved in a battle for power in transatlantic airspace. The movie is perfect for those who enjoy high quality and a good story.

You can stream “The Aviator” on DIRECTV and Starz.

Did you already see all our six favorite movies about aviation? Check our post about the ‘The 9 best podcasts about aviation?‘