John Travolta Marks 72nd Birthday by Earning Global Express Pilot License
John Travolta celebrated his 72nd birthday by announcing a new aviation milestone: he earned a pilot’s license to serve as SIC (second in command) on a Global Express private jet.
John Travolta’s birthday post: Global Express SIC and cockpit footage
To mark the birthday, John Travolta posted a short video showing himself in the cockpit and footage of the Global Express taking off. In the caption he wrote that it was his birthday and that he was "very proud" to have received his license for the Global Express. In the clip he sits in the pilot’s seat, identifies the type of plane and says he had "just accomplished" his licence for the Global Express SIC (second in command). The post also features brief in-flight and runway shots, underscoring the personal nature of the announcement.
How the new milestone fits into a long-running aviation spotlight
The Global Express license is the latest in a string of aviation accomplishments that have kept attention on his parallel career as a pilot. He has been a licensed pilot since he was 22 years old and has served as an ambassador for Qantas Airways since 2002. Over the years he has added type ratings for large commercial aircraft, including Boeing 747, 707 and 737 planes; he publicly marked the 737 license in a 2022 social media post and called it "a very proud moment" in his aviation history.
Past posts and throwbacks have traced the roots of that second career: in 2020 he shared an image from when he was 15 and enrolled in an aviation class that he said launched his interest in flying. His late wife previously described how the couple traveled in his planes frequently and praised his calm piloting under pressure, noting that they would use his aircraft for international travel and that she never felt nervous when he was at the controls.
The recent birthday announcement has also revived commentary about why he remains so invested in flying. In a September interview he reflected on what draws pilots to the profession, saying that the reasons are varied but that flying "lifts their spirits" and gives people a sense of joy, challenge and a different perspective on the world.
Taken together, the birthday celebration and the Global Express SIC license underline two concurrent storylines: a personal milestone celebrated on social media, and renewed public interest in his aviation accomplishments. The visuals he shared — cockpit scenes and takeoff footage — reinforced the achievement for followers and contributed to a retro-focused spotlight on his long-running relationship with aviation.
As the news of the license circulated, discussions have centered on how his new qualification complements his earlier type ratings and ambassador role, and how those elements continue to shape public attention around his offscreen pursuits. The Global Express SIC announcement, delivered on his birthday, served both as a personal achievement and as a reminder of the sustained aviation thread in his life.
