Travolta Gets His Wings
The Pulp Fiction actor becomes an honorary Qantas pilotSelf-professed "airline geek" John Travolta earned a new pair of wings from Qantas Airways in a bid to promote the air industry, which has been hard-hit since September 11.
Travolta, the Oscar-nominated star of movies from Saturday Night Fever to Pulp Fiction, trained with Qantas and on 747 simulators, and is now officially 'Ambassador at large' for the Australian airline.
As Qantas chief executive officer Geoff Dixon pinned the golden wings on first officer Travolta, he said it was "one of the proudest days of my life".
"Without crying here, I would say it's at least alongside the two Oscar nominations I've received in my career. It's right up there with that," he said.
Travolta, 48, said that he had wanted a pilot's uniform since he was four years old. He began taking flying lessons at 16 and earned his licence in 1981.
Since then, he has logged 5,000 hours of flying time.
"Besides my serious attitude toward flying, I have to admit something to all of you, I am an airline geek," Travolta said.
He has a son named Jett, and joked that he wanted to name his daughter Qantas - but wife Kelly Preston wouldn't allow it.
Travolta said his new plans stem from a tour he took to Australia last summer to promote his action thriller, Swordfish.
He owns a vintage Boeing 707 first flown by Qantas and when he arrived in Australia in the plane, he said, it caused quite a stir.
He asked to meet with Mr Dixon and told him if Qantas would return his 1960s plane to its original colors, he would fly around the world to promote the airline.
